Date of Graduation
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Nursing
Advisor/Mentor
Scott, Allison
Committee Member
Schmitt, Abigail
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on undergraduate student anxiety and stress, comparing the effectiveness between an individual AAT session to a group study session without AAT. Animal-assisted therapy is a type of canine therapy that may be a helpful tool to decrease student test anxiety, and potentially, a meaningful stress-reducing intervention for university students. Our results sought to examine differences in traditional study practices vs the use of AAT prior to exams, and support or refute animal-assisted therapy as a low-cost, minimal-risk, effective solution for undergraduate student anxiety. This will add valuable information to the gap in the literature regarding AAT use among undergraduate students.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of volunteer students, solicited prior to the interaction date, and placed in the intervention group (AAT) with a certified therapy dog, Bella, approved by The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). A single 20-minute AAT session of interacting and playing with a therapy dog in a group of up to 5 students was utilized. The dog handler, Dr. Scott, was present and did not encourage interaction between the participant and the dog. Outcome measures include pre-exam and post-exam State-Anxiety Inventory scores, Trait-Anxiety Inventory scores, and Perceived Stress Scale scores, validated tools for measuring anxiety in young adults. The pre-exam State- and Trait-Anxiety Inventory test, and the Perceived Stress Scale test were taken prior to interacting with the therapy dog (intervention), and taking the exam. The post-test surveys were completed on the day of the exam, within two hours of the intervention. Both pre- and post-surveys were administered using a QR code linked to Qualtrics, using the participants’ hand-held device.
Results: Demographics of this study included 11 female participants with the majority of participants (n = 9, 81.8%) identifying as nursing students. Eighty-two percent of participants displayed significant decreases in post-intervention State anxiety scores, while 18.2% reported no statistically significant changes in State anxiety scores. Nine percent of participants showed significant decreases in post-intervention Trait anxiety scores, while 90.9% expressed no significant changes in Trait anxiety scores, deeming this an insignificant finding. Twenty-seven percent of participants reported a statistically significant decrease in post-intervention stress scores, while 72.7% showed no statistically significant change in post-intervention stress scores, making these results statistically insignificant as well.
Discussion: A short 20-minute animal-assisted therapy session had the most significant effect on post-intervention State-anxiety scores. This discovery was not unexpected, as much AAT research had similar findings. Due to the small sample size, further research is needed. The findings of this research study are that state anxiety, anxiety that is temporarily felt by a person, decreases after an AAT session before an exam, while trait anxiety, a participant's general anxiety, is unaffected.
Keywords
animal-assisted therapy; university students; anxiety; stress; exam
Citation
Penton, C. (2025). The Effect of Administered Animal-Assisted Therapy on University Students' Anxiety and Stress. The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursuht/217
