Friends with benefits: On the positive consequences of pet ownership

McConnell, Allen R.; Brown, Christina M.; Shoda, Tonya M.; Martin, Colleen M.; Stayton, Laura E.

doi:10.1037/e683152011-002

Cited by 57 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Likewise, they do not show that more socially disconnected owners have unusually or exceptionally high levels of anthropomorphic thinking. This is consistent with evidence from previous studies that pets may often subtly supplement rather than replace social and emotional support from other humans (McConnell et al 2011;Krause-Parello 2012).…”

Section: Social Connections With Other Adultssupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Such research should also help to establish whether and to what degree these different types of anthropomorphic thinking can influence the well-being of the owner, including ameliorating subjective feelings of loneliness (e.g., see Krause-Parello 2012) and also the behavior and welfare of the pet itself (Bradshaw and Casey 2007;Vaughn et al 2009;Antonacopoulos and Pychyl 2010b;Chur-Hausen 2010;Bradshaw 2011;McConnell et al 2011;Himsworth and Rock 2013).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets

et al. 2014

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Sociality motivation, the need to feel socially connected with others, has been proposed as an important determinant of individual variation in anthropomorphic thinking. Specifically, it has been suggested that people who are socially isolated or disconnected will tend to infer more human-like mental states in animals and other nonhuman agents (computers, robots, metaphysical beings, etc.), than those who have higher levels of contact with other people. We investigated this hypothesis in a communitybased sample of cat and dog owners, measuring degree of anthropomorphism by asking them which emotions they believed their pet was capable of experiencing, how likely they were to rely on it for social support, and how attached they were to it. Structural measures of social disconnection, including the number of other adults living in the household and the number of social contacts outside the home, were not generally associated with the tendency to think anthropomorphically about pets. However, owners living in households with no children (under the age of 16 years) reported higher levels of attachment to their pet than did those with children (B = 1.678, p < 0.001), and felt that they derived relatively more social support from it than they did from humans (F (1,244) = 4.997, p < 0.05, partial 2 = 0.020). In addition, a trait-based indicator of social disconnection (self-reported anxiety about human social relationships) was associated with a heightened tendency for owners to report turning to their pet for support (F (1,244) = 19.617, p < 0.001, partial 2 = 0.074), and attributing more human-like emotions to it (F (1,244) = 8.354, p < 0.005, partial 2 = 0.033). These findings support a link between social disconnection and anthropomorphic thinking in a community setting; they also suggest that different forms of social disconnection (structural and trait-based) may generate different types of sociality motivation, and thereby influence different facets of anthropomorphic thinking.

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Section: Social Connections With Other Adultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets

et al. 2014

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“…Many authors have reported the benefits of pet dog, assistance dog and guide dog ownership (Friedmann 1995, Lane and others 1998, Refson and others 1999, Whitmarsh 2005, Guest and others 2006, McConnell and others 2011, Ramírez and others 2014). Guide dogs have been found not only to provide the benefit of enhanced physical well-being mobility and independence to their guide dog owner, but also social, spiritual and emotional benefits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update

Moxon

Whiteside

2016

Veterinary Record

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9Data on dog attacks on Guide Dogs' stock were reviewed to investigate the 10 characteristics of the attacks. An average of 11.2 attacks occurred each month. 11Nearly all of the attacks occurred in public areas, 68.4% of victim dogs were 12 qualified guide dogs and 55.5% of victim dogs were working in harness when they 13 were attacked. Guide Dogs' stock were injured in 43.2% of attacks and veterinary 14 costs for attacks were estimated at £34,514.30. Over 40% of qualified guide dogs' 15 working ability was affected and more than 20% of qualified guide dogs required 16 some time off from working after a dog attack. Twenty dogs were permanently 17 withdrawn from the Guide Dogs' programme as a result of dog attacks, 13 of which 18 were qualified and working with guide dog owners at the time of the withdrawal; this 19 resulted in a financial cost of over £600,000 to the charity.

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“…Much HAI research has focused primarily on pet owners with significant health challenges, rather than pet ownership by average people in everyday life [6]. It has also mainly considered adults; less is known about the role pets play in the lives and wellbeing of children, much of which is observational studies of child/pet interaction, or interviews with children about their attitudes and beliefs regarding animals [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pet ownership, dog types and attachment to pets in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK

et al. 2013

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BackgroundLittle is known about ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic differences in childhood ownership and attitudes to pets. The objective of this study was to describe the factors associated with living with different pet types, as well as factors that may influence the intensity of relationship or ‘attachment’ that children have to their pet. Data were collected using a survey of 1021 9–10 year old primary school children in a deprived area of the city of Liverpool, UK.ResultsDogs were the most common pet owned, most common ‘favourite’ pet, and species most attached to. Twenty-seven percent of dog-owning children (10% of all children surveyed) reported living with a ‘Bull Breed’ dog (which includes Pit Bulls and Staffordshire Bull Terriers), and the most popular dog breed owned was the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Multivariable regression modelling identified a number of variables associated with ownership of different pets and the strength of attachment to the child’s favourite pet. Girls were more likely to own most pet types, but were no more or less attached to their favourite pet than boys. Children of white ethnicity were more likely to own dogs, rodents and ‘other’ pets but were no more or less attached to their pets than children of non-white ethnicity. Single and youngest children were no more or less likely to own pets than those with younger brothers and sisters, but they showed greater attachment to their pets. Children that owned dogs lived in more deprived areas than those without dogs, and deprivation increased with number of dogs owned. ‘Pit Bull or cross’ and ‘Bull Breed’ dogs were more likely to be found in more deprived areas than other dog types. Non-whites were also more likely to report owning a ‘Pit Bull or cross’ than Whites.ConclusionsGender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status were associated with pet ownership, and sibling status with level of attachment to the pet. These are important to consider when conducting research into the health benefits and risks of the common childhood phenomenon of growing up with pets.

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Friends with benefits: On the positive consequences of pet ownership

Cited by 57 publications

References 35 publications

Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets

Sociality Motivation and Anthropomorphic Thinking about Pets

Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update

Pet ownership, dog types and attachment to pets in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK

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