As developmental science continues to grow in scope as a field, new and innovative areas of scholarship continue to emerge. To highlight the nature, importance, and potential for theory-predicated and methodologically rigorous applications of developmental science for these new areas of developmental scholarship, Applied Developmental Science will publish an occasional series of “spotlight” articles focused on these emerging areas of work. These spotlight series will involve publishing one or two articles on the topic per issue across several issues. The hope for the spotlight series is that it will both synthesize existing work and provide a useful pathway for future research.
The first set of spotlight articles will focus on cutting-edge research in human-animal interaction (HAI), specifically within the area of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) aimed at promoting health and well-being. HAI and AAI research has expanded significantly within the last decade, and a critical “tipping point” is being approached. There is intellectual momentum, funding, and research infrastructure that are coalescing to bring the field to a new level of scholarship, one extending beyond anecdotal evidence and pilot studies. We believe, therefore, that it is propitious to now assess the state of the field of animal-assisted intervention research, and to articulate an agenda for future work. Given the ubiquitous and diverse nature of human-animal relationships across the life span, and the myriad ways in which interaction with animals can be a part of the dynamic developmental process, this topic is of particular importance for developmental scientists. We look forward to sharing a series of five articles over the next two issues of Applied Developmental Science, all focused on various research and practice issues related to the implementation and study of animal-assisted programs.