Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if the presence of a live animal in a post-secondary educational setting affects academic achievement, knowledge retention, and physiological responses. An experimental design was implemented consisting of a control group presented with scientific information regarding nine different animal species and a treatment group presented with the same information in the same format and setting but with the addition of the corresponding live animal present in the room. Ten students from the treatment group were selected to wear heart rate monitors to evaluate physiological responses. A pre-/post-test methodology was utilized to measure academic achievement while a second post-test was administered one week after the presentations to determine knowledge retention. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the presence of a live animal, as well as the type of animal, can influence academic achievement, knowledge retention, and physiological responses such as heart rate. Moreover, the presence of a live animal also has a positive effect on attitudes toward the animal, which may translate into increased interest in the well-being and management of the animal.