Trust and Trustworthiness
Studies have shown that human-animal
interaction can lead to greater trustworthiness and trust in general. “Guegan
and Ciocitti (2008) investigated the influence of the presence or absence of a
dog on social interaction, helping, and courtship behavior” (Beetz et al.).
Conducted in four different experiments, “experimenters asked strangers for
money in the street, young women for their phone numbers in public, or observed
whether people would help to pick up coins a male experimenter dropped on the
street (Beetz et al.). As a result of this experiment, “the presence of the dog
was linked to a higher compliance with the request for the phone number and a
higher rate of helping behavior. In particular the compliance for the phone
number can be interpreted as an indication for increased trust and maybe also
attraction of the strangers toward an unfamiliar man accompanied by a dog,
which probably promoted his perception as a trustworthy person. These first
findings indicate a socio-positive effect of dogs on trust and prosocial
behavior…” (Beetz et al.). In this experiment, the presence of dogs seemed to
be linked to a higher likelihood for compliance between the individuals. This
study can be further examined to recognize the passive psychological effect
animals pose on humans. The emotional ties that humans and animals create
strengthen the trust between species. Other people can also perceive one more
trustworthy when accompanied by a pet. In general, when someone sees a person
walking around the neighborhood with a pet, the pet owner is perceived as safer
and more trustworthy than someone walking with no intent (Dale). The human mind understands
the action of walking a dog as a task and thinks of the pair as trustworthy and
safe. The presence of a pet can dramatically effect human interactions. When
someone trusts their pet, they are more likely to be happy in the presence of
the pet. Kate Porter explains in context of pets, “We love them because they
love us” (Porter 29). There is a direct relationship between pet-human
interaction and emotion. Humans feel that pets are supportive of them and in
return act the same way. Animals possess many of the same emotions that humans
do. Although humans may not perceive an animal’s similar feelings, surely they
are fluctuating just as one’s own. Pets pose certain empathetic effects on
humans which can be further explored.