Pets give you the feel good factor
By Catherine Walker
Owning a pet can make a real difference to how we feel both emotionally and psychologically.
New research carried out by two college campuses in America has shown some interesting results. The research was lead by Allen R. McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio.
Animals have been used to aid recovery for those with health problems for quite a while but now it has been proved that they offer an important source of social and emotional support for everyone.
Three experiments were conducted by psychologists from the two college campuses to look at the possible benefits of owning a pet amongst what they called ‘everyday people’.
Dr. McConnell said ‘We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions.’
‘Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious, were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied than non-owners.’
The research also showed that pets did not come at any cost to relationships with other people as the pet owners were just as close to the people in their lives as they were to their animals.
In the first experiment 217 people were surveyed of which 79% were female with an average age of 31. The questions asked were to determine if pet owners in this group were different from people who did not have pets. The areas examined were those of well-being, personality type and attachment style.
In every case the pet owners were healthier, better adjusted and happier than the people without pets.
The second experiment involved 56 dog owners of which 91% were women with an average age of 42. The questions in this experiment were asked to determine whether the pet owner benefits more if their pet is seen to fulfil their social requirements. The research revealed a higher level of well=being among owners whose dogs improved their feelings of self-esteem and gave them a feeling of belonging.
The third study was performed using 97 college undergraduates who had an average of 19. This study found that pets can help people to feel better after being rejected in some way.
The undergraduates were asked to write any experience that had made them feel excluded. They were then asked to write about their favourite pet, or to write about their favourite friend or to draw a map of the campus. The researchers found that writing about pets was just as effective as writing about a friend with regard to fending off feelings of rejection.
The researchers wrote that there is considerable evidence that pets benefit the lives of their owners, both psychologically and physically by serving as an important source of social support. They said ‘Whereas past work has focused primarily on pet owners facing significant health challenges, the present study establishes that there are many positive consequences for everyday people who own pets.’
Other recent studies have shown the benefits of ‘touch’ when we are suffering from several types mental health disorder. This includes the benefit of stroking and patting a pet. It sounds as if having a pet could benefit us all on many different levels.
The results of the current study were reported online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Source: American Psychological Association
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