Research Article
Exploring the dynamics of Human‐Pet attachment: An In‐Depth analysis of socio‐demographic factors and relationships
Abstract
This study examined the factors influencing pet attachment by investigating attachment dimensions and exploring the relationship between demographic factors and pet attachment. The study utilized the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ) to assess the level of attachment between pet owners and their animals. A demographic questionnaire was also administered to gather socio-cultural, economic, and health-related data from pet caretakers. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to confirm the scale factor structure. Hypothesis testing procedures were used to reveal the relationship between the demographic characteristics of the participants and the attachment relationships. The study involved 304 volunteers who visited the animal hospital at Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Türkiye. The findings revealed significant impacts of various factors on attachment dimensions, including age, household income, participant and household member anxieties and traumas, number of pets owned, pet health, and previous pet ownership. These results contribute to our understanding of the complex dynamics that shape the attachment between humans and animals. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and potential interactions among these factors, advancing our knowledge of human-pet attachment.
Ethical Statement
This study was carried out after the animal experiment was approved by Ankara University Local Ethics Committee (Decision number: 20, Date: 24.11.2022). All respondents read and accepted the consent form before responding to the survey.
Thanks
The authors would like to thank all volunteers who patiently responded the survey. Also the authors wish to thank to Ankara University Veterinary Faculty Administration and Animal Hospital Chief Physician for their support and convenience.
References
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- Archer J (1997): Why do people love their pets? Evol Hum Behav, 18, 237-259.
- Bagley DK, Gonsman VL (2005): Pet attachment and personality type. Anthrozoös, 18, 28-42.
- Bennett PC, Rohlf VI (2007): Owner-companion dog interactions: Relationships between demographic variables, potentially problematic behaviours, training engagement and shared activities. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 102, 65-84.
- Bonett DG (2002): Sample size requirements for testing and estimating coefficient alpha. J Educ Behav Stat, 27, 335-340.
- Bowlby J (1969): Attachment and loss New York: Basic.
- Brooks H, Rushton K, Walker S, et al (2016): Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: a study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 1-12.
- Daly B, Morton L (2006): An investigation of human-animal interactions and empathy as related to pet preference, ownership, attachment, and attitudes in children. Anthrozoös, 19, 113-127.
- de Albuquerque NS, Costa DB, Rodrigues GdR, et al (2023): Personality traits of Brazilian pet owners and nonowners and their association with attachment to pets. Anthrozoös, 36, 295-305.
- Dugatkin LA, Trut LudN (2017): How to tame a fox (and build a dog): Visionary scientists and a Siberian tale of jump-started evolution. Vol. 316. University of Chicago Press.
- Feldt LS, Woodruff DJ, Salih FA (1987): Statistical inference for coefficient alpha. Appl Psychol Meas, 11, 93-103.
- Field NP, Orsini L, Gavish R, et al (2009): Role of attachment in response to pet loss. Death Stud, 33, 334-355.
- Fraley RC, Waller NG, Brennan KA (2000): An item-response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. J Pers Soc Psychol, 78, 350-365.
- Gee NR, Mueller MK (2019): A systematic review of research on pet ownership and animal interactions among older adults. Anthrozoös, 32, 183-207.
- Gosse GH, Barnes MJ (1994): Human grief resulting from the death of a pet. Anthrozoös, 7, 103–112.
- Gray PB, Young SM (2011): Human–pet dynamics in cross-cultural perspective. Anthrozoös, 24, 17-30.
- Hawkins RD, Williams JM, Animals SSftPoCt (2017): Childhood attachment to pets: Associations between pet attachment, attitudes to animals, compassion, and humane behaviour. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 14, 490.
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- Kogan LR, Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Viera AR (2012): The Internet and health information: differences in pet owners based on age, gender, and education. J Med Lib Assoc, 100, 197.
- Kurdek LA (2009): Pet dogs as attachment figures for adult owners. J Fam Psychol, 23, 439.
- Lass-Hennemann J, Schäfer SK, Sopp MR, et al (2020): The relationship between dog ownership, psychopathological symptoms and health-benefitting factors in occupations at risk for traumatization. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17, 2562.
- le Roux MC, Wright S (2020): The relationship between pet attachment, life satisfaction, and perceived stress: Results from a South African online survey. Anthrozoös, 33, 371-385.
- Martins CM, Mohamed A, Guimarães AMS, et al (2013): Impact of demographic characteristics in pet ownership: modeling animal count according to owners income and age. Prev Vet Med, 109, 213-218.
- Meehan M, Massavelli B, Pachana N (2017): Using attachment theory and social support theory to examine and measure pets as sources of social support and attachment figures. Anthrozoös, 30, 273-289.
- Rault J-L, Waiblinger S, Boivin X, et al (2020): The power of a positive human–animal relationship for animal welfare. Front Vet Sci, 7, 590867.
- Rehn T, Keeling LJ (2016): Measuring dog-owner relationships: Crossing boundaries between animal behaviour and human psychology. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 183, 1-9.
- Rodriguez KE, Herzog H, Gee NR (2021): Variability in human-animal interaction research. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 619600.
- Serpell JA (2000): Domestication and history of the cat. In: Turner, DC and Bateson, P, Eds, The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Sife W (1998): The loss of a pet. New York, Howell Book House.
- Simon RW, Nath LE (2004): Gender and emotion in the United States: Do men and women differ in self-reports of feelings and expressive behavior? Am J Sociol, 109, 1137-1176.
- Soares C, Whalen T (1986): The canine companion in the family system complex. Unpublished manuscript.
- Stallones L, Marx MB, Garrity TF, et al (1988): Attachment to companion animals among older pet owners. Anthrozoös, 2, 118-124.
- Stevens LT (1990): Attachment to pets among eighth graders. Anthrozoös, 3, 177-183.
- Şahin Ö, Kahya Y (2018): Evcil hayvana bağlanma ölçeği: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması, Nesne, 6, 174-197.
- Turner DC, Rieger G, Gygax L (2003): Spouses and cats and their effects on human mood. Anthrozoös, 16, 213-228.
- Wells D, Hepper P (1995): Attitudes to animal use in children. Anthrozoös, 8, 159–170.
- Wells DL, Hepper PG (2000): Prevalence of behaviour problems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal rescue shelter. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 69, 55-65.
- Zasloff RL, Kidd AH (1994): Loneliness and pet ownership among single women. Psychol Rep, 75, 747-752.
- Zilcha-Mano S, Mikulincer M, Shaver PR (2011): An attachment perspective on human–pet relationships: Conceptualization and assessment of pet attachment orientations. J Res Pers, 45, 345-357.
- Zilcha-Mano S, Mikulincer M, Shaver PR (2012): Pets as safe havens and secure bases: The moderating role of pet attachment orientations. J Res Pers, 46, 571-580.
Year 2024,
Volume: 71 Issue: 4, 385 - 393, 23.09.2024
Abstract
References
- Anderson DC (2007): Assessing the human-animal bond: A compendium of actual measures. Purdue University Press, Indiana.
- Archer J (1997): Why do people love their pets? Evol Hum Behav, 18, 237-259.
- Bagley DK, Gonsman VL (2005): Pet attachment and personality type. Anthrozoös, 18, 28-42.
- Bennett PC, Rohlf VI (2007): Owner-companion dog interactions: Relationships between demographic variables, potentially problematic behaviours, training engagement and shared activities. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 102, 65-84.
- Bonett DG (2002): Sample size requirements for testing and estimating coefficient alpha. J Educ Behav Stat, 27, 335-340.
- Bowlby J (1969): Attachment and loss New York: Basic.
- Brooks H, Rushton K, Walker S, et al (2016): Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: a study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition. BMC Psychiatry, 16, 1-12.
- Daly B, Morton L (2006): An investigation of human-animal interactions and empathy as related to pet preference, ownership, attachment, and attitudes in children. Anthrozoös, 19, 113-127.
- de Albuquerque NS, Costa DB, Rodrigues GdR, et al (2023): Personality traits of Brazilian pet owners and nonowners and their association with attachment to pets. Anthrozoös, 36, 295-305.
- Dugatkin LA, Trut LudN (2017): How to tame a fox (and build a dog): Visionary scientists and a Siberian tale of jump-started evolution. Vol. 316. University of Chicago Press.
- Feldt LS, Woodruff DJ, Salih FA (1987): Statistical inference for coefficient alpha. Appl Psychol Meas, 11, 93-103.
- Field NP, Orsini L, Gavish R, et al (2009): Role of attachment in response to pet loss. Death Stud, 33, 334-355.
- Fraley RC, Waller NG, Brennan KA (2000): An item-response theory analysis of self-report measures of adult attachment. J Pers Soc Psychol, 78, 350-365.
- Gee NR, Mueller MK (2019): A systematic review of research on pet ownership and animal interactions among older adults. Anthrozoös, 32, 183-207.
- Gosse GH, Barnes MJ (1994): Human grief resulting from the death of a pet. Anthrozoös, 7, 103–112.
- Gray PB, Young SM (2011): Human–pet dynamics in cross-cultural perspective. Anthrozoös, 24, 17-30.
- Hawkins RD, Williams JM, Animals SSftPoCt (2017): Childhood attachment to pets: Associations between pet attachment, attitudes to animals, compassion, and humane behaviour. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 14, 490.
- Johnson TP, Garrity TF, Stallones L (1992): Psychometric evaluation of the Lexington attachment to pets scale (LAPS). Anthrozoös, 5, 160-175.
- Joseph N, Chandramohan AK, D'souza AL, et al (2019): Assessment of pet attachment and its relationship with stress and social support among residents in Mangalore city of south India. J Vet Behav, 34, 1-6.
- Kogan LR, Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Viera AR (2012): The Internet and health information: differences in pet owners based on age, gender, and education. J Med Lib Assoc, 100, 197.
- Kurdek LA (2009): Pet dogs as attachment figures for adult owners. J Fam Psychol, 23, 439.
- Lass-Hennemann J, Schäfer SK, Sopp MR, et al (2020): The relationship between dog ownership, psychopathological symptoms and health-benefitting factors in occupations at risk for traumatization. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 17, 2562.
- le Roux MC, Wright S (2020): The relationship between pet attachment, life satisfaction, and perceived stress: Results from a South African online survey. Anthrozoös, 33, 371-385.
- Martins CM, Mohamed A, Guimarães AMS, et al (2013): Impact of demographic characteristics in pet ownership: modeling animal count according to owners income and age. Prev Vet Med, 109, 213-218.
- Meehan M, Massavelli B, Pachana N (2017): Using attachment theory and social support theory to examine and measure pets as sources of social support and attachment figures. Anthrozoös, 30, 273-289.
- Rault J-L, Waiblinger S, Boivin X, et al (2020): The power of a positive human–animal relationship for animal welfare. Front Vet Sci, 7, 590867.
- Rehn T, Keeling LJ (2016): Measuring dog-owner relationships: Crossing boundaries between animal behaviour and human psychology. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 183, 1-9.
- Rodriguez KE, Herzog H, Gee NR (2021): Variability in human-animal interaction research. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, 619600.
- Serpell JA (2000): Domestication and history of the cat. In: Turner, DC and Bateson, P, Eds, The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour, 2nd Edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Sife W (1998): The loss of a pet. New York, Howell Book House.
- Simon RW, Nath LE (2004): Gender and emotion in the United States: Do men and women differ in self-reports of feelings and expressive behavior? Am J Sociol, 109, 1137-1176.
- Soares C, Whalen T (1986): The canine companion in the family system complex. Unpublished manuscript.
- Stallones L, Marx MB, Garrity TF, et al (1988): Attachment to companion animals among older pet owners. Anthrozoös, 2, 118-124.
- Stevens LT (1990): Attachment to pets among eighth graders. Anthrozoös, 3, 177-183.
- Şahin Ö, Kahya Y (2018): Evcil hayvana bağlanma ölçeği: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması, Nesne, 6, 174-197.
- Turner DC, Rieger G, Gygax L (2003): Spouses and cats and their effects on human mood. Anthrozoös, 16, 213-228.
- Wells D, Hepper P (1995): Attitudes to animal use in children. Anthrozoös, 8, 159–170.
- Wells DL, Hepper PG (2000): Prevalence of behaviour problems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal rescue shelter. Appl Anim Behav Sci, 69, 55-65.
- Zasloff RL, Kidd AH (1994): Loneliness and pet ownership among single women. Psychol Rep, 75, 747-752.
- Zilcha-Mano S, Mikulincer M, Shaver PR (2011): An attachment perspective on human–pet relationships: Conceptualization and assessment of pet attachment orientations. J Res Pers, 45, 345-357.
- Zilcha-Mano S, Mikulincer M, Shaver PR (2012): Pets as safe havens and secure bases: The moderating role of pet attachment orientations. J Res Pers, 46, 571-580.
There are 41 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Animal Science, Genetics and Biostatistics |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | March 19, 2024 |
| Publication Date | September 23, 2024 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2024Volume: 71 Issue: 4 |
