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What is Beneficial in Our Relationships with Pets? Exploring the Psychological Factors Involved in Human–Pet Relations and Their Associations with Human Wellbeing

What is Beneficial in Our Relationships with Pets? Exploring the Psychological Factors Involved... Whether pet owners experience higher psychological wellbeing compared with non-pet owners remains contested. Going beyond a comparison of pet vs. non-pet owners, the current study investigated the nature of the psychological link that operates between humans and pets and tested which specific psychological factors, experienced specifically in the human–pet relationship, predict pet owners’ psychological wellbeing. The following factors were put to the test: Unconditional support and acceptance, mindfulness, and social connections with fellow humans. Data from a diverse sample of Canadian pet owners (n = 1,220) were analyzed. Mindfulness felt in the presence of one’s pet predicted more positive wellbeing on each wellbeing outcome. Perceiving that one’s pet encourages social connections with fellow humans and accepts us unconditionally also predicted more positive wellbeing on some of the wellbeing outcomes. In contrast, feeling authentic in one’s relationship with a pet predicted lower wellbeing, while perceiving that pets are less accepting of one’s negative emotions predicted higher wellbeing. Most of these associations held when accounting for the impact of these psychological factors when they are experienced in the context of human–human relations. These findings confirm the importance of investigating the nature of our psychological links to other animals, namely pets; they also provide nuances regarding the specific benefits associated with pet ownership and how the presence of pets can be beneficial to human wellness. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Anthrozoös Taylor & Francis

What is Beneficial in Our Relationships with Pets? Exploring the Psychological Factors Involved in Human–Pet Relations and Their Associations with Human Wellbeing

Anthrozoös , Volume 36 (4): 25 – Jul 4, 2023
25 pages

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References (120)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2023 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ)
ISSN
1753-0377
eISSN
0892-7936
DOI
10.1080/08927936.2023.2210437
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Whether pet owners experience higher psychological wellbeing compared with non-pet owners remains contested. Going beyond a comparison of pet vs. non-pet owners, the current study investigated the nature of the psychological link that operates between humans and pets and tested which specific psychological factors, experienced specifically in the human–pet relationship, predict pet owners’ psychological wellbeing. The following factors were put to the test: Unconditional support and acceptance, mindfulness, and social connections with fellow humans. Data from a diverse sample of Canadian pet owners (n = 1,220) were analyzed. Mindfulness felt in the presence of one’s pet predicted more positive wellbeing on each wellbeing outcome. Perceiving that one’s pet encourages social connections with fellow humans and accepts us unconditionally also predicted more positive wellbeing on some of the wellbeing outcomes. In contrast, feeling authentic in one’s relationship with a pet predicted lower wellbeing, while perceiving that pets are less accepting of one’s negative emotions predicted higher wellbeing. Most of these associations held when accounting for the impact of these psychological factors when they are experienced in the context of human–human relations. These findings confirm the importance of investigating the nature of our psychological links to other animals, namely pets; they also provide nuances regarding the specific benefits associated with pet ownership and how the presence of pets can be beneficial to human wellness.

Journal

AnthrozoösTaylor & Francis

Published: Jul 4, 2023

Keywords: Human–animal interaction; human–pet relations; mindfulness; psychological wellbeing; social connections; unconditional support

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