Relationships' Best Friend
Links between Pet Ownership, Empathy, and Romantic Relationship Outcomes
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2162005 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anika Cloutier (0000-0001-5731-1449, Queen's University), Julia Peetz (0000-0001-5547-0315, Carleton University), Johanna Peetz |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 395-408 |
| Publication date | 2016-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthrozoös (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/08927936.2016.1181361 |
| OpenAlex | W2515691102 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 48 |
The benefits of pets on individual wellbeing is well established. But can pets also have benefits for romantic relationships? Using mixed methods, three studies explored the link between pet ownership and romantic relationship quality. First, using a grounded theory approach, we qualitatively investigated participants' personal beliefs of how their pets influence their romantic relationships by coding open-ended responses. Results suggested that pets are seen as having predominantly positive (86.5%) effects, followed by few neutral (8%) and negative (4.5%) effects (study 1). We next compared a community sample of pet owners' reports of relationship quality with those of non-pet owners. Results suggested that pet ownership was associated with several relationship benefits (greater overall relationship quality, partner responsiveness, adjustment, and relational investment) compared with couples without pets (study 2). Finally, we examined one possible reason for why pets may benefit relationships: A pet might provide the opportunity to practice empathic abilities, which is a crucial ability in the maintenance of positive relationships. Results showed that the number of years an individual owned a pet was positively correlated with empathic concern, which in turn was linked to several relationship benefits (commitment, couple identity, and relationship maintenance behaviors; study 3). In sum, three studies provided initial evidence that there is indeed a positive association between two important relationships in peoples' lives: their partners and their pets
Animal welfare · Animal-assisted therapy · Association (psychology · Developmental psychology · Empathic concern · Empathy · Interpersonal relationship · Perspective-taking · Pet therapy · Positive relationship · Psychotherapist · Quality (philosophy · Relationship maintenance · Romance · Unconditional positive regard · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social Psychology
The effect of service dogs on veterans’ romantic partners and relationships
Love me, love my dog
Three’s company? Examining the association between dog ownership and intimacy, jealousy, and satisfaction in romantic couples
The effect of pet attachment on social support among young adult cat owners
Pet’s influence on humans’ daily physical activity and mental health
A qualitative study using metacognition to evaluate the impacts of pet ownership and loss on existential thinking, mortality acceptance, and grief
Doing family in three – two partners and an animal companion
Covid-19
The effects of pets and human-pet interactions on humans’ romantic relationships and friendships
Sociological Animal Studies Courses Are More Effective Than Human-Centered Sociology Courses in Enhancing Empathy
Seven Empathy Myths
Me, pet, and robot
Negotiated Bonds
Human‐Animal Bonds II
Childhood Pet Keeping and Humane Attitudes in Young Adulthood
The Measurement of Perceived Relationship Quality Components
Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models
The Discovery of Grounded Theory
The Investment Model Scale
Benefits and Liabilities of Pets for the Homeless
Differential Effects of Pet Presence and Pet-Bonding on Young Children
The Human-Animal Bond and Self Psychology
Couple involvement in serious leisure
Close Relationships and Social Psychology
The Effects of Animals on Human Health and Well‐Being
Commitment and satisfaction in romantic associations
Friends with benefits
Perspective taking as a predictor of marital adjustment
Maintenance of satisfaction in romantic relationships
Projection of responsiveness to needs and the construction of satisfying communal relationships
Measuring individual differences in empathy
Dogs as catalysts for social interactions
The relation of empathy to prosocial and related behaviors
Maintenance Strategies and Romantic Relationship Type, Gender and Relational Characteristics
The Role of Identity in the Link between Relationship Thinking and Relationship Satisfaction
Relational Identity and the Division of Household Labor
Perceived empathy, accurate empathy and relationship satisfaction in heterosexual couples
Domestic Dogs as Facilitators in Social Interaction
Enhancing Children's Attitudes About the Humane Treatment of Animals
The Richness of the Child-Pet Relationship
Empathic Differences in Adults as a Function of Childhood and Adult Pet Ownership and Pet Type
Animal-Assisted Therapy
An investigation of human-animal interactions and empathy as related to pet preference, ownership, attachment, and attitudes in children
The facilitation of social interactions by domestic dogs
Children with pets do not show higher empathy
Empathy with Animals and with Humans
Assessing Commitment in Personal Relationships
A Confirmatory Analysis of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale
Perceived Support, Received Support, and Adjustment to Stressful Life Events
A Panel Study of the Associations Between Maintenance Strategies and Relational Characteristics
| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,63 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2026 (9) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |