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Maybe you've been here:
或許你曾有過這樣的經歷：
It's finals season, and you're walking across campus,
你在期末考季穿過校園，
when suddenly a big, beautiful sign catches your attention: Exam Week Therapy Dogs.
突然，一個漂亮的大標志吸引了你的注意：考試周狗狗療法。
And when you show up, it's a giant room full of well-trained, adorable puppers
你一進去就看到一個巨大的房間，里面滿是訓練有素的可愛哈巴狗，
and college students leaving with looks of stress-free bliss.
大學生們帶著無憂無慮的心情離開。
Pet therapy has been around in some form or another for over a hundred years.
寵物療法已經以某種形式存在一百多年了。
And today, it's part of programs everywhere from hospitals to college campuses.
如今，從醫院到大學校園，它是各處項目的一部分。
Many studies have shown that it works, too, and that pets can relieve anxiety, stress and provide comfort.
許多研究也已表明它能奏效，寵物能緩解焦慮、壓力，提供舒適。
But these effects don't just happen because animals are cute.
但這些影響并不僅僅是因為動物很可愛。
Instead, they actually say a lot more about what it means to be human.
而是因為它們確實說了很多對人類有意義的事。
Although it likely existed in some form before then,
雖然在此之前寵物療法可能以某種形式存在過，
pet therapy was first popularized around 1860, thanks to the famous nurse Florence Nightingale.
但它第一次普及是在1860年，這多虧了著名的護士弗洛倫斯·南丁格爾。
She noticed that patients with chronic illness felt better when they had an animal partner by their side.
她注意到，有動物伴侶陪伴時，有慢性疾病的患者感覺會更好。
Now, these programs can be found basically everywhere there are people.
現在，這些項目基本上可以在任何有人的地方找到。
The technical term for this treatment is animal-assisted therapy, or AAT.
這種療法的專業名詞叫做動物輔助療法（AAT）。
There are all kinds of variations, but two are especially common:
它有各種變化，但兩種特別常見：
In one type of program, a handler will bring an animal to an outside location,
在一種項目中，一個訓練者會把動物帶到外面，
like a college campus or nursing home, for people to interact with.
比如大學校園或養老院，與人們互動。
The other kind is more structured and often involves a counselor or social worker.
另一種則更有條理，它通常涉及到顧問或社會工作者。
This type of therapy can include everything from playing with a dog to caring for a horse,
這種療法可能包括方方面面，從與狗狗玩耍到照顧馬，
and it's often combined with other forms of treatment depending on the patient.
并且通常根據病人的情況與其他形式的治療方法結合。
Regardless of the program, though, multiple studies have shown that
不過除了項目之外，多項研究已經表明，
AAT has a positive, measurable effect, both in those with and without clinical conditions.
AAT對有或沒有臨床癥狀的人都有可衡量的積極影響。
For example, several have shown that petting and playing with a dog
比如，幾項研究表明，愛撫狗狗并與它們玩耍
can improve patients' moods by decreasing their distress and pain.
能降低患者的痛苦，從而改善他們的心情。
Specifically, a visiting dog can boost your body's production of endorphins,
特別是一只來訪的狗狗可以促使你身體產生內啡呔，
which ultimately trigger the release of chemicals that act like painkillers and produce euphoria.
這最終能引發止痛藥一樣的化學物質的釋放并產生欣快感。
Dog visits have also been shown to decrease levels of cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine in patients,
狗狗的造訪也會降低皮質醇、去甲腎上腺素和腎上腺素的水平，
which are all stress hormones.
這些都是應激激素。
Like most things in science, there are some papers that haven't found such significant results.
與大多數科學研究一樣，有些論文研究還沒有發現這樣重要的結果。
But for the most part, researchers are pretty confident that AAT works.
但在大多數情況下，研究人員都對AAT的效果十分有信心。
It just might not be because of the reasons you'd think.
這可能不是你認為的原因。
For one, these effects don't just apply to animal lovers:
首先，這些影響不僅適用于動物愛好者：
They appear in people who feel neutral about animal companions, too.
它們也出現在那些對動物伴侶保持中立觀點的人身上。
And it's not just because the animals are super outgoing
這不僅是因為動物非常外向，
and always excited to see you, either, like dogs typically are.
看到你總是很興奮，就像狗一樣。
Pretty much all animal companions do the trick for these kinds of therapies.
還因為幾乎所有的動物伙伴都對這類療法有用。
Rabbits, horses, cats…you name it!
兔子，馬，貓…，凡是你能說出的都有用！
Even animal farms full of goats and cows are helpful.
甚至滿是山羊和奶牛的動物飼養場也很有幫助。
The effects aren't even because these animals are soft or fluffy.
這種影響并不是因為這些動物都軟軟的或毛茸茸的。
Several studies have also shown that fish, bearded dragons, and crickets can help increase focus and positive emotions.
幾項研究已經表明，魚、松獅蜥以及蟋蟀也可以幫助提高注意力和積極的情緒。
Instead, the secret to AAT seems to be about the bond between humans and animals in general.
總之，AAT的秘密似乎在于人類和動物之間的關系。
After all, whether you're sick, stressed, or just trying to process life, animal companions won't judge you.
畢竟，不管你是生病緊張還是想要改造生活，動物伴侶都不會評判你。
But they will be there for you.
它們總會陪著你。
Most studies have focused on AAT's effects and not the underlying mechanism,
大多數研究關注AAT的效果而不是其潛在機制，
so it's hard to say for sure that this is the case.
所以很難說情況都是這樣。
And it probably varies depending on the person and the animal, too.
它也可能根據人和動物的不同而有變化
But in general, an unconditional, non-judgmental relationship with animals
但總的來說，與動物的無條件、無偏見關系
could give patients a safe place to process emotions or try new tasks.
可以給病人一個處理情緒或嘗試新任務的安全場所。
One study also suggested they could be a helpful distraction from other problems or symptoms,
一項研究也已表明它們可以幫助你遠離其他問題或癥狀，
or a place to practice social interactions.
或者它是一個練習社交的地方。
And there is some evidence for the importance of the human-animal relationship in studies that have been done so far.
有一些證據表明，人類和動物之間的關系在迄今為止的研究中很重要。
In a study published in the journal of Anxiety, Stress and Coping in 2003,
在2003年發表于《焦慮、壓力和應對》雜志的一項研究中，
58 people without clinical diagnoses were presented with a stressful situation:
58名沒有臨床診斷的人面臨著壓力：
They were told that they might be asked to hold a tarantula sitting elsewhere in the room.
他們被告知可能會被要求在房間的其他地方拿一只狼蛛。
Those who considered this while petting an animal, whether it was a soft, fluffy rabbit or a hard-shelled turtle,
那些一邊撫摸動物——不管是柔軟、毛茸茸的兔子還是堅硬的甲殼龜，一邊思考它的人，
experienced a reduction in stress and anxiety.
壓力和焦慮都減少了。
But those who were petting a plush toy version of those animals didn't display the same effects.
但是那些撫摸動物毛絨玩具的人沒有表現出同樣的效果。
Which makes sense, if the relationship and interactions with the animal are key.
如果與動物有關系和互動成為關鍵，這就說得通了。
On the flip side, though, other studies with dementia patients have shown that
但在另一方面，其他針對癡呆癥患者的研究表明，
robot dogs are effective at reducing stress and anxiety.
機器狗在減輕壓力和焦慮方面很有效。
These robots looked, sounded, and behaved a lot like the real thing,
這些機器人的外觀、聲音與表現非常像實物，
and the patients responded to them a lot like they did with real animals.
而且病人對它們的反應就像對待真正的動物一樣。
So the benefits of the relationship were probably replicated, unlike with the plush toys in the other study.
所以這種關系的好處可能是復制的，與其他研究中與毛絨玩具的互動不同。
It would help to have some solid research to pin down this mechanism, but it seems like a promising one.
有一些可靠的研究來確定這一機制很有幫助，它似乎很有前途。
Of course, there are other positive side effects of being around animals, too.
當然，和動物在一起還有其他積極的副作用。
Like, playing with a dog or helping out at an animal farm will increase your amount of physical activity,
比如，與狗狗玩耍或在動物莊園幫忙會增加你的體力活動，
and exercise is a well-known way to boost your endorphin levels.
眾所周知，鍛煉是提高內啡肽水平的方法。
But at the end of the day, when it comes to animal-assisted therapy, it seems to be mostly about the bond.
但說到底，涉及到動物輔助療法時，影響似乎主要是這種聯系。
Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow Psych!
感謝您收看本期的心理科學秀！
You might love hanging out with your dog, but have you ever wondered if they actually love you back?
你可能喜歡和你的狗狗一起出去玩，但你有沒有想過它們是否真的愛你?
Don't worry, we've got an episode for that.
不要擔心，我們會有一期講它的。
