AIPLAInvestigating the Role of Animal-assisted Intervention and Placebo-induced Analgesia in Pain Management

Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are becoming popular in clinical settings due to their potential benefits, such as reducing stress, depression, anxiety, and pain. However, it's unclear how these interventions work or what makes them effective. This study aims to understand if the presence of an animal enhances the therapeutic alliance, or if it's the therapeutic rationale and relationship that play a crucial role. The researchers will investigate if AAI works similarly to placebo effects, which are related to therapeutic rationale and relationship. This study is important as it could provide insights into how AAI should be used effectively in clinical practice. The study involves 128 healthy participants and uses a standardized heat pain test. Participants will rate their pain intensity and unpleasantness on a scale of 1 to 10 after each pain stimulus. Heat stimuli will be applied to the right forearm using a device that gradually increases heat. Participants will be asked to stop the heat when they can no longer stand it. This process will be repeated three times, and the average will be used to determine heat tolerance. The study's findings could have significant implications for understanding the mechanisms of AAI and its effective use in clinical settings.