This is the Lexington Attachment To Pets (LAPS) scale. What do we know about people who are very attached to their pets? ๐งต
In a German sample:
Women scored higher.
Younger participants scored higher.
Dog owners scored higher than cat owners.
People without a college degree scored higher, lower incomes scored higher.
People who didn't have a garden or yard scored higher.
cabidigitallibrary.org
Women scored higher.
Younger participants scored higher.
Dog owners scored higher than cat owners.
People without a college degree scored higher, lower incomes scored higher.
People who didn't have a garden or yard scored higher.
cabidigitallibrary.org
In Japan - people without kids scored higher.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
No gender differences in this study, but there were personality differences on the Keirsey Four Types scale.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
Cats and women only - attachment to cats predicted having fewer significant friends or relationships, lower levels of emotional support.
Authors: "Cats may substitute for persons in the social network."
tandfonline.com
Authors: "Cats may substitute for persons in the social network."
tandfonline.com
In a nursing home sample - participants formed attachments (measured by this scale) both to real dogs and to robot dogs used in therapy!
Both real and robotic dogs reduced levels of loneliness.
sciencedirect.com
Both real and robotic dogs reduced levels of loneliness.
sciencedirect.com
People who score higher on the LAPS scale also experience more grief when their pets die.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
In this paper, owners of dogs that had been neutered and owners of female dogs had lower attachment.
researchgate.net
researchgate.net
There has been a lot of research on the acute effects of animals on physical health. For example, how petting an animal can immediately reduce blood pressure.
That effect is even stronger for people who score higher on the LAPS scale.
uco.es
That effect is even stronger for people who score higher on the LAPS scale.
uco.es
In this sample, LAPS scores were higher for people who had no children and few emotional bonds with other people.
People who had purebred dogs scored lower on LAPS.
sciencedirect.com
People who had purebred dogs scored lower on LAPS.
sciencedirect.com
Women and the elderly had a greater attachment to pets in this Brazilian sample:
agris.fao.org
agris.fao.org
The effect of cat ownership:
Cats were able to alleviate negative moods, but they were not associated with higher positive moods (as was a spouse or romantic partner).
tandfonline.com
Cats were able to alleviate negative moods, but they were not associated with higher positive moods (as was a spouse or romantic partner).
tandfonline.com
Do people get similarly attached to their reptiles, tortoises and snake pets? This paper found that they do:
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
In this study, there was no significant difference between Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants in level of pet attachment.
avmajournals.avma.org
avmajournals.avma.org
A study of women and dogs: the emotional benefits of dog ownership were fully mediated by human relationships.
Basically, only people that had difficulty forming relationships with other people benefited emotionally from dog ownership.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com
Basically, only people that had difficulty forming relationships with other people benefited emotionally from dog ownership.
bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com
Attachment to dogs that live in the house is higher than attachment to dogs that live in the yard.
tandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
"Pet Parenting" emerges in:
"1. Cultures that demonstrate high rates of urbanization.
2. Have declining total fertility rates.
3. Support life orientations beyond reproduction."
Paper on the emergence of pet parenting in India.
tandfonline.com
"1. Cultures that demonstrate high rates of urbanization.
2. Have declining total fertility rates.
3. Support life orientations beyond reproduction."
Paper on the emergence of pet parenting in India.
tandfonline.com
A longitudinal study of the elderly: pet ownership was associated with more physical activity on average.
Pet ownership also eased the negative psychological burden of a lack of emotional support.
agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Pet ownership also eased the negative psychological burden of a lack of emotional support.
agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Childless pet owners scored higher on the "People Substituting" facet of the LAPS.
Author: "Nonparents may be nurturing companion animals as a trade-off to raising children, but not as a substitute."
journals.sagepub.com
Author: "Nonparents may be nurturing companion animals as a trade-off to raising children, but not as a substitute."
journals.sagepub.com
What is the takeaway from all of this?
Well, pet ownership does seem to alleviate some mental health burdens. Especially for people who are isolated or lonely.
Well, pet ownership does seem to alleviate some mental health burdens. Especially for people who are isolated or lonely.
We seem to form emotional relationships with our pets. And when the pet is your primary emotional relationship, that emotional relationship seems to be stronger as well.
People who want to care for something may opt for a pet. When people have children, their relationship with pets may be less attached.
There was more research on pets and the elderly. For the elderly especially, many of who are very isolated, pet ownership may be very beneficial.
Both emotionally and physically, as pet ownership helps maintain physical activity.
Both emotionally and physically, as pet ownership helps maintain physical activity.
And perhaps the more attached people are to their pets the more likely they are to treat the pet like a person. For example, letting the pet live inside instead of outside, or not getting the pet neutered.
Loading suggestions...