Is it beneficial or harmful for animals to have interactions with people?
I want to research this topic because I recently had the chance to interact with dolphins and see their trainers work and play with them. It was a nice experience to see how the trainers communicate with the dolphins and get them to do stuff as well as get them to interact with us. To see two different species being able to interact with one another when they don’t speak the same language or live in the same environment was interesting to me. Through my experience, I already know that it is probably beneficial for the animals to have interactions with people as it is the case with dolphins. The trainers constantly reiterated to us that they never force the dolphins to do anything and that they always give them a choice. If they do not want to put on a show for spectators on a specific day, they will not force the dolphin to go out there. I need to find out how it is beneficial for animals to have interactions as well as the harmful effects if there is any. I also need to distinguish between different types of animals and the way they interact with people. Many people are skeptical with humans trying to control animals and force them to do things while others are fascinated by the communication between the two different species. Many people believe that animals should only interact with animals and not let humans interfere with their lifestyle. Through my essay I’d like to reach out to people that have an interest in wildlife and are intrigued by animals and how they can connect with us. In addition, I’d like to target pet owners as well. These readers should care about my essay because animals are a big part of society and play an important role in our ecosystem.
WRT 102.22: Science & Society 
This is an interesting topic, but I think you need to focus your question. Maybe defining/delimiting “interactions” would help. What specifically do you have in mind when you say “interactions”? Also, what kinds of animals will you focus on? You mention animals in captivity, yes? Also, you mention dolphins performing in your brief description–do you meant to examine a place like, say Seaworld and the whether the marine mammals there benefit from interacting with humans? A documentary about orcas came out not long ago. Maybe something you want to check out (http://blackfishmovie.com/). Keep thinking!