Animals as Friends: Social Psychological Implications of Human–Pet Relationships (2024)

The Psychology of Friendship

Mahzad Hojjat (ed.), Anne Moyer (ed.)

Published:

2016

Online ISBN:

9780190645380

Print ISBN:

9780190222024

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The Psychology of Friendship

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Allen R. McConnell,

Allen R. McConnell

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E. Paige Lloyd,

E. Paige Lloyd

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Tonya M. Buchanan

Tonya M. Buchanan

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Pages

157–174

  • Published:

    November 2016

Cite

McConnell, Allen R., E. Paige Lloyd, and Tonya M. Buchanan, 'Animals as Friends: Social Psychological Implications of Human–Pet Relationships', in Mahzad Hojjat, and Anne Moyer (eds), The Psychology of Friendship (New York, 2016; online edn, Oxford Academic, 17 Nov. 2016), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190222024.003.0010, accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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Abstract

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

Subject

Social Psychology

Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online

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