@conference{
author = "Mandić, Milica and Branković, Marija",
year = "2023",
abstract = "The purpose of this study was to examine how attachment to pets relates to the psychological
well-being of an individual. Previous research shows that relationship with pets has qualities
of psychological attachment and can positively affect well-being: pets provide love and
comfort to their owners, and they are perceived as support during difficult periods of life. We,
therefore, expected that attachment to pets would be a significant predictor of psychological
well-being. In addition, assuming that contact with pets can alleviate everyday stress, we tested
whether a reduced experience of stress mediated this relationship. A survey was conducted
among a community sample of pet owners (N =215). The sample consisted of respondents aged
13 to 66 years, with an average age of 30 (M = 29.92, SD =10.70; 81.4% women). Participants
indicated their attachment to a favorite pet (using The Short Attachment to Pets Scale; SAPS,
α =.89), subjective well-being (using The Pemberton Happiness Index, α = .91), and the current
level of perceived stress (using The Serbian version of the Perceived Stress Scale, α = .65). The
results revealed a positive relationship between pet attachment and well-being (r = .238, p
=.001). However, the assumption that attachment to pets will reduce the experience of stress
turned out to be unsupported. Conversely, participants who were more attached to their pets
also expressed more experience of stress (r = .211, p = .005). Mediation analysis showed that
the relationship between pet attachment and well-being was not mediated by the experience of
stress (b = -0.01, SE = 0.02, 95%CI [-0.05, 0.01]). One possible interpretation is that individuals
more attached to their pets are generally more caring and emotional so they might be more
sensitive to stressors. Another possible interpretation is that taking care of pets in itself causes
stress. The relationship between caring for pets, stress, and well-being appears to be more
complex and needs further study. Still, current findings can be a significant starting point for
future research on the relationship between pet attachment and psychological well-being in the
local cultural context.",
publisher = "Beograd : Filozofski fakultet",
journal = "Proceedings of the XXIX scientific conference Empirical Studies in Psychology",
title = "Relationship between pet attachment and wellbeing: A matter of reduced stress?",
pages = "88",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rifdt_3723"
}