Animals as Friends
Animals as Friends
Social Psychological Implications of Human–Pet Relationships
This chapter reviews research demonstrating that pets play a meaningful role in improving owners’ lives. For example, people facing health challenges fare better in numerous ways when they have a pet. Pet ownership benefits everyday people as well, with pet owners showing better well-being and more positive personality characteristics. Furthermore, pets complement human social support rather than offset human social support deficiencies, revealing that people derive greater benefits from pet ownership as the quality of their human interactions is better rather than poorer. Pets can stave off the negativity that results from social rejection experiences; and people bestow human-like qualities on pets to a greater degree following social rejection, presumably in order to increase a sense of connection with others. Most pet owners view their pets as “family members,” incorporating them into the most important social group of all.
Keywords: animal, pet, social support, health, well-being, anthropomorphism, family, stress
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