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Improving adolescent social competence and behavior: a randomized trial of an 11-week equine facilitated learning prevention program.
Abstract: There is growing evidence that promoting social competence in youth is an effective strategy to prevent mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in adulthood. Research suggests that programs delivered in collaboration with schools are particularly effective when they target social and emotional skill building, utilize an interactive instructional style, provide opportunities for youth participation and self-direction, and include explicit attempts to enhance youth social competence. A relatively new but popular approach that incorporates these characteristics is human animal interaction, which can be implemented in educational settings. We report the results from a randomized clinical trial examining the effects of an 11-week equine facilitated learning (EFL) program on the social competence and behavior of 5th-8th grade children. Children (N = 131) were recruited through referral by school counselors and school-based recruitment and then screened for low social competence. Researchers randomly assigned children to an experimental (n = 53) or waitlisted control group (n = 60). Children in the experimental group participated in an 11-week EFL program consisting of once-weekly, 90-min sessions of individual and team-focused activities, whereas children in the control group served as a wait-listed control and participated 16 weeks later. Parents of children in both groups rated child social competence at pretest and posttest. Three independent raters observed and reported children's positive and negative behavior using a validated checklist during each weekly session. Results indicated that program participation had a moderate treatment effect (d = .55) on social competence (p = .02) that was independent of pretest levels, age, gender, and referral status. Results showed that higher levels of program attendance predicted children's trajectories of observed positive (β = .500; p = .003) and negative behavior (β = -.062; p < .001) over the 11-week program.
Publication Date: 2014-06-06 PubMed ID: 24898318DOI: 10.1007/s10935-014-0350-7Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
Summary
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The study explores the impact of an 11-week equine facilitated learning (EFL) program on the social competence and behavior of 5th to 8th-grade students with identified social competence issues. Results showed a moderate improvement in social competence as a result of participation in the program, indicating that such programs could be effective in developing social and emotional skills in adolescents.
Introduction
- This research concerns equine facilitated learning (EFL), a type of therapy that involves interactions between humans and horses, and examines its impact on the social competence and behavior of adolescents.
- The trial aimed to explore the potential of EFL as a tool for preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in later life by building social competence in youth.
Methodology
- The study involved 131 children, identified as having low social competence, randomly assigned to either the experimental group (who participated in the EFL program) or the control group (who were waitlisted for the program).
- Children in the experimental group underwent an 11-week EFL program, participating in 90-minute sessions each week which comprised both individual and team-focused activities.
- Data was collected from the parents of these students through pretest and posttest ratings of social competence.
- During each session, independent raters observed the children’s behavior using a validated checklist.
Results
- Participation in the EFL program had a moderate treatment effect on social competence, with improvements being independent of factors such as pretest levels, age, gender, and referral status.
- Frequent program attendance was shown to positively impact children’s behavior trajectories during the 11-week program, with higher attendance correlating with improved positive behavior and reduced negative behavior.
Conclusion
- The study provided promising evidence for the effectiveness of EFL as a preventive initiative to enhance social competence and behavior in adolescents, suggesting potential wider use in educational settings.
- Such findings underscore the importance of incorporating interactive and experiential learning modalities, like EFL, into mental health prevention programs for youths.
Cite This Article
APA
Pendry P, Carr AM, Smith AN, Roeter SM.
(2014).
Improving adolescent social competence and behavior: a randomized trial of an 11-week equine facilitated learning prevention program.
J Prim Prev, 35(4), 281-293.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-014-0350-7 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Human Development, Washington State University, 608 Johnson Tower, Pullman, WA, 99164-4852, USA, ppendry@wsu.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adolescent Behavior / psychology
- Animals
- Child
- Child Behavior / psychology
- Cohort Studies
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
- Female
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- Mental Disorders / prevention & control
- School Health Services
- Social Skills
- Time Factors
Grant Funding
- 1R03HD066590-01 / NICHD NIH HHS
References
This article includes 5 references
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- Jenson JM, Dieterich WA. Effects of a skills-based prevention program on bullying and bully victimization among elementary school children.. Prev Sci 2007 Dec;8(4):285-96.
- Greenberg MT, Weissberg RP, O'Brien MU, Zins JE, Fredericks L, Resnik H, Elias MJ. Enhancing school-based prevention and youth development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning.. Am Psychol 2003 Jun-Jul;58(6-7):466-74.
- McNeely CA, Nonnemaker JM, Blum RW. Promoting school connectedness: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.. J Sch Health 2002 Apr;72(4):138-46.
- Bass MM, Duchowny CA, Llabre MM. The effect of therapeutic horseback riding on social functioning in children with autism.. J Autism Dev Disord 2009 Sep;39(9):1261-7.
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Xiao N, Shinwari K, Kiselev S, Huang X, Li B, Qi J. Effects of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023 Feb 1;20(3).
- Fusar-Poli P, Correll CU, Arango C, Berk M, Patel V, Ioannidis JPA. Preventive psychiatry: a blueprint for improving the mental health of young people. World Psychiatry 2021 Jun;20(2):200-221.
- Fine AH, Beck AM, Ng Z. The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions: Addressing the Contemporary Issues that will Shape the Future. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Oct 18;16(20).
- Shek DT, Dou D, Zhu X, Chai W. Positive youth development: current perspectives. Adolesc Health Med Ther 2019;10:131-141.
- Pendry P, Carr AM, Vandagriff JL. Adolescents' Affective and Physiological Regulation Shape Negative Behavior During Challenging Equine Assisted Learning Activities. Front Vet Sci 2018;5:300.
- Johnson RA, Albright DL, Marzolf JR, Bibbo JL, Yaglom HD, Crowder SM, Carlisle GK, Willard A, Russell CL, Grindler K, Osterlind S, Wassman M, Harms N. Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans. Mil Med Res 2018 Jan 19;5(1):3.
- Hoagwood KE, Acri M, Morrissey M, Peth-Pierce R. Animal-Assisted Therapies for Youth with or at risk for Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review. Appl Dev Sci 2017;21(1):1-13.
- Moe I, Ho PJ, Andersson M, Karlberg S, Lidfors L, Sampaio F, Feldman I. Effectiveness of animal-assisted services for school-aged children: a systematic review. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2025 Oct;34(10):3017-3033.
- Silva FGD, Paula DD, Alves LM, Santos JN. Benefits of horseback riding for neurotypical children and adolescents: a scoping review. Codas 2025;37(3):e20240083.
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