Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Kathleen A. Lawler

Committee Members

John Lounsbury, John New Jr., Wesley Morgan

Abstract

This study examined relationships among affiliation with companion animals, attachment style, depression, loneliness, satisfaction with life, self-esteem, history of pet ownership, and gender. Using questionnaires, data were collected from 351 undergraduate students (215 women, 135 men, one not identified) enrolled in liberal arts classes at the University of Tennessee. Based upon Bowlby's concept of internal working models of "self and "other" (1973), Bartholomew's (1990) paradigm of adult attachment hypothesizes four styles: a) secure (positive models of both self and other); b) dismissing (positive view of self, negative view of others); c) fearful (negative models of both self and other), and d) preoccupied (negative image of self, positive image of others). Using ANOVA's, both the secure (45% of subjects) and dismissing (16% of subjects) categories had mean group scores that were significantly less "distressed" than both the fearful (29% of subjects) and preoccupied (10% of subjects) categories on measures of depression, loneliness, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem. Although there was no relationship between attachment style and likelihood of owning a pet, for the fearful category pet ownership was associated with significantly less distress in the areas of depression (p < .01) and satisfaction with life (p < .05). (On the other hand, pet ownership was associated with a significantly higher level of depression for the preoccupied group.) These findings support earlier research that suggested strength of affiliation with companion animals may be an important factor associated with emotional benefits of pet ownership, in that the fearful category had the highest level (significantly higher than the dismissing and preoccupied groups) of affiliation with companion animals. Interaction and main effects were also observed when evaluating gender. Women were proportionately overrepresented within the fearful category, and men were overrepresented within the dismissing category. Except for the area of loneliness, where women endorsed significantly less distress than did men, gender differences were not in evidence on the emotional health measures. More women than would be statistically expected were present pet owners, and more men than would be expected were past owners. In addition, female pet owners had a significantly higher animal affiliation score than did both male pet owners, and female past owners. Implications of these findings for the application of adjunctive use of companion animals, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.

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