Virtual Human-Animal Interactions


Book Description

Interest in the field of human-animal interactions is burgeoning, and researchers and educators are keen to understand the science undergirding research that helps us understand interactions between people and animals. Recently, exciting and innovative research is focusing on how people’s virtual interactions with animals can enhance their learning, social interactions, and well-being. This research aims to answer questions such as, "What types of interactions do people have with animals in a virtual context? How do people access and experience their virtual interactions with animals? Do virtual interactions with animals hold potential to enhance people’s well-being and learning in the same way that in-person interactions with animals have been documented? What educational strategies could be employed to enhance people’s virtual interactions with animals? How can we respect animals as research participants within a virtual context?" Drawing from seminal and cutting-edge research in the field of human-animal interactions, these questions and others are answered in Virtual Human-Animal Interactions. Research-informed and grounded in critical discussions of theory and practice, this book challenges readers to reconceptualize their understanding of research and practice exploring the complexities inherent in, and arising from, people’s virtual interactions with animals. Further, with an eye to the future, this book illuminates readers’ thinking around the empirical and practical implications of facilitating interactions between people and animals within virtual contexts. Researchers and educators from across disciplines will find Virtual Human-Animal Interactions both scientifically savvy and practical.




The Social Neuroscience of Human-animal Interaction


Book Description

Our relationships with animals, as anyone with a beloved dog or cat knows, can be among the most significant in our lives. But why are we so attached to our pets? What kind of health, developmental, and psychological impacts do animals have on us? And what practical benefits -- for animals and humans alike -- can be gained from a deeper understanding of human-animal interactions? In this volume, a cross-disciplinary group of authors that includes behavioral psychologists, neuroscientists, geneticists, ethicists and veterinarians seek to understand human-animal interactions by applying research in the neurobiology and genetics that underlie human social functioning. Chapters describe the concepts and methodologies that social neuroscientists use to understand human social relationships, functioning, and the social bases of cognition, and apply these to understanding the role of animals in our lives. Authors present evolutionary and developmental perspectives, and weigh the implications of human-animal interactions research for animal welfare. Clinical applications include animal-assisted therapies for people with disabilities, acute or chronic health conditions, and social or emotional difficulties. Clear and accessible, this book is intended for a broad readership that includes clinicians, teachers, and anyone interested in how and why animals affect us the way they do.




Virtual Humans


Book Description

Virtual Humans provides a much-needed definition of what constitutes a ‘virtual human’ and places virtual humans within the wider context of Artificial Intelligence development. It explores the technical approaches to creating a virtual human, as well as emergent issues such as embodiment, identity, agency and digital immortality, and the resulting ethical challenges. The book presents an overview of current research and practice in this area, and outlines the major challenges faced by today’s developers and researchers. The book examines the possibility for using virtual humans in a variety of roles, from personal assistants to teaching, coaching and knowledge management, and the book situates these discussions around familiar applications (e.g. Siri, Cortana, Alexa) and the portrayal of virtual humans within Science Fiction. Features Presents a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field Provides an array of relevant, real-life examples from expert practitioners and researchers from around the globe in how to create the avatar body, mind, senses and ability to communicate Intends to be broad in scope yet practical in approach, so that it can serve the needs of several different audiences, including researchers, teachers, developers and anyone with an interest in where these technologies might take us Covers a wide variety of issues which have been neglected in other research texts; for example, definitions and taxonomies, the ethical challenges of virtual humans and issues around digital immortality Includes numerous examples and extensive references




Introduction to Human-Animal Interaction


Book Description

Introduction to Human-Animal Interaction focuses on the human dimension of interacting with other animals. This book introduces recent developments, theories, and debates in the relatively new research area of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) and focuses on the social and life sciences aspect of these interactions. Experts from different academic disciplines provide an overview for students and professionals interested in how humans and other animals interact, and what advantages and disadvantages emerge for both parties in this relationship. The book starts with the theories and mechanisms supporting our interactions with animals, such as human-animal communication, and it then covers the implications of HAI in terms of ethics and welfare. After discussing cultural differences and forensic aspects in human-animal interaction (e.g., wildlife crime and animal abuse), the book examines evidence in the area of animal-assisted intervention. The final chapters give an overview of current research in specific human-animal interaction systems: human-pet, human-livestock and human-wildlife interaction. The book offers a scientific, evidence-based perspective on human-animal interaction, providing pedagogical tools to make a systematic, critical and constructive evaluation of research in HAI possible. It offers a range of in-text pedagogical features like a subject index, chapter MCQs, open questions, further reading, and additional digital resources including videos which are accessible via QR codes or through the associated website. This textbook provides the fundamental tools for achieving a comprehensive, current, and critical overview of the HAI field and is an integral text for undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking modules in human-animal interaction, in social sciences such as anthropology, cultural studies, criminology, ethics and laws or in life sciences such as animal behaviour, conservation and welfare, biology, neuroscience, physiology, psychology, public health and those studying veterinary science.




Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality. Multimodal Interaction


Book Description

This two-volume set LNCS 11574 and 11575 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality, VAMR 2019, held in July 2019 as part of HCI International 2019 in Orlando, FL, USA. HCII 2019 received a total of 5029 submissions, of which 1275 papers and 209 posters were accepted for publication after a careful reviewing process. The 80 papers presented in this volume were organized in topical sections named: multimodal interaction in VR, rendering, layout, visualization and navigation, avatars, embodiment and empathy in VAMR, cognitive and health issues in VAMR, VAMR and robots, VAMR in learning, training and entertainment, VAMR in aviation, industry and the military.




Human-Robot Interaction


Book Description

This book offers the first comprehensive yet critical overview of methods used to evaluate interaction between humans and social robots. It reviews commonly used evaluation methods, and shows that they are not always suitable for this purpose. Using representative case studies, the book identifies good and bad practices for evaluating human-robot interactions and proposes new standardized processes as well as recommendations, carefully developed on the basis of intensive discussions between specialists in various HRI-related disciplines, e.g. psychology, ethology, ergonomics, sociology, ethnography, robotics, and computer science. The book is the result of a close, long-standing collaboration between the editors and the invited contributors, including, but not limited to, their inspiring discussions at the workshop on Evaluation Methods Standardization for Human-Robot Interaction (EMSHRI), which have been organized yearly since 2015. By highlighting and weighing good and bad practices in evaluation design for HRI, the book will stimulate the scientific community to search for better solutions, take advantages of interdisciplinary collaborations, and encourage the development of new standards to accommodate the growing presence of robots in the day-to-day and social lives of human beings.




New Perspectives on Human-Animal Interactions


Book Description

Animals are important in human psychological and cultural life, and our relationships with other species are psychological and morally complicated. This special issue presents a series of original research articles concerning attitudes towards animals, the ethics of their treatment, the effects of companion animals on human health and psychological well-being, and the role that culture plays in our interactions with other species. The articles illustrate the scope of the new field of human-animal relationships, the variety of research approaches, and the implications of research findings for social policy.




How Animals Affect Us


Book Description

The findings in this volume deepen our understanding of human and animal behavior, including the impact that pets can have on children's development and the efficacy of animal-assisted therapies.




Human-Animal Interactions in Zoos


Book Description

In the past couple of decades, Animal-Visitor Interactions (AVI), a type of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI), have become one of the major topics of interest for researchers working in zoos, especially in relation to animal welfare. This thought-provoking book summarizes the latest research concerning the impacts on HAIs in zoos, including the effects of visitors on animals and the effects of animals, exhibits, and the place itself on visitors. An invaluable resource for ethologists and animal behaviour and welfare students and practitioners, as well as social scientists and indeed anyone working with zoo animals.




The Routledge International Handbook of Human-Animal Interactions and Anthrozoology


Book Description

This diverse, global, and interdisciplinary volume explores the existing research, practice, and ethical issues pertinent to the field of human-animal interactions (HAIs), interventions, and anthrozoology, focusing on the perceived physical and mental health benefits to humans and the challenges derived from these relationships. The book begins by exploring the basic theoretical principles of anthrozoology and HAI, such as the evolution and history of the field, the importance of language, the economic costs and current perspectives to physical and mental wellbeing, the origins of domestication of animals, anthropomorphism, and how animals fit into human societies. Chapters then move onto practice, covering topics such as how animals help childhood and adulthood development, pet ownership, disability, the roles of pets for people with psychiatric disorders, the links between animal and domestic abuse, and then more widely into the therapeutic roles of animals, animal-assisted therapies, interactions outside the home, working animals, animals in popular culture, and animals in research, for leisure, and food. Including chapters on a wide range of animals, from domesticated pets to wildlife, this collection examines the benefits yet also reveals the complexity, and often dark side, of human-animal relations. Interweaving accessible commentaries with revealing chapters throughout the text, this collection would be of great interest to students and practitioners in the fields of mental health, psychology, veterinary medicine, zoology, biology, social work, history, and sociology.