Content uploaded by Gerulf Rieger
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Gerulf Rieger on Mar 17, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Spouses and cats and their effects on human mood
Abstract and Figures
Previous data indicated that cats influence the moods of singly living people only by decreasing negative moods, while not affecting positive moods. In this study, we asked if such an effect can be 1) replicated, 2) is comparable to the effect of a human partner, and 3) related to the owner’s attachment towards the cat. Two hundred and twelve couples with cats, 31 couples without cats, singly living people with cats (47 women, 45 men) and singly living people without cats (43 women, 9 men) volunteered to
participate. We used a list of adjectives (the “EWL”-Questionnaire) to assess their mood, which they responded to on an evening of their choice. The Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) was additionally completed
by the cat owners. Selected adjectives were reduced by factor analyses and labeled bad mood, activity, good mood, and seclusion, according to the highest loadings of mood items within each factor. Each mood factor
was explained by cat ownership, presence or absence of a partner, and the person’s sex. Further, sex, partner status and attachment towards cats explained moods amongst the cat owners. Only the partner, but not the cat,
enhanced positive moods. Cats alleviated negative moods, and this effect was comparable to the effect of a human partner. This compensatory effect of cat ownership on negative moods was not comparable to a similar effect of degree of attachment towards the cat on human mood. Possible reasons for the unidirectional effect of cats on human mood are discussed.
Figures - uploaded by Gerulf Rieger
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Gerulf Rieger
Content may be subject to copyright.
... It is tempting to say that cats of these owners function as additions or substitutes for human relationships, but as we did not did not assess the level of social support provided by people and feelings of loneliness, we cannot make firm statements about this. Interestingly, scores for the cat's empathy were not significantly different between owners who do and do not live alone, which contradicts previous findings [37,96]. This could be due to the formulation of the 'empathy' statement in our study as 'my cat knows when I am upset and tries to comfort me', which actually includes two statements ('knows when upset' and 'trying to comfort'). ...
... Attribution of sociocognitive qualities such as 'perceptive', 'empathetic', and 'considerate' to animals makes it possible for them to be a source of emotional support and friendship to us [37,96,97]. As descendants of solitary hunters [96], such sociocognitive skills might be less evolved in cats compared with group-living animals such as humans and dogs, for whom social skills are necessary for survival. ...
... Attribution of sociocognitive qualities such as 'perceptive', 'empathetic', and 'considerate' to animals makes it possible for them to be a source of emotional support and friendship to us [37,96,97]. As descendants of solitary hunters [96], such sociocognitive skills might be less evolved in cats compared with group-living animals such as humans and dogs, for whom social skills are necessary for survival. Studies on the social skills of cats are scarce (partly due to the methodological difficulties of testing cats in unfamiliar environments). ...
Describing the relationship with one’s cat in human terms might reflect an underlying anthropomorphic view of the relationship which might be associated with an owner’s behavior towards their cat and the cat’s living environment. Owners self-categorized the relationship with their cat as either a ‘member of the family’, ‘as a child’, ‘best friend’, or ‘a pet animal’. The extent to which owner- and cat-related factors influence these four relationship descriptions are examined in survey data of approximately 1800 cat owners. Differences in outdoor access, care during absence of the owner, and access to the bedroom are examined between the four relationship perceptions. The owner’s age and household composition, ideas about their cat’s equality, support, and dependency, and whether their cat is a pedigree were significantly associated with relationship description and explained 46% of the variance. Owners who perceive their cat as a child or best friend see their cat as loyal, empathetic, equal to family, and dependent on them for love and care. Their cats are less often left in the care of others, are allowed more often in the bedroom and have less often (unrestricted) outdoor access. Moreover, cats perceived as children are more likely to live in a multi-cat household. Our results provide insight in the factors that are related to different (anthropomorphic) perceptions of the human–cat relationship and how perceptions relate to the living environment of cats.
... Animal companions can be a source of life satisfaction and positive emotions with recreational time spent with pets. Pets may also be instrumental in helping to lift depressive moods and reducing stress (McNicholas et al. 2005;Rieger and Turner 1999;Turner et al. 2003). These findings strongly suggest that pet ownership may be an important source of happiness and emotional wellbeing at older ages. ...
... Pet bonding also seemed to be higher for older pet owners. These results are consistent with other studies showing pet ownership as compensation for the absence of human companionship (Zasloff and Kidd 1994) and reduce the prevalence of bad mood (Turner et al. 2003). ...
While interactions with pets may yield significant emotional, social, and physical benefits, taking care of them can also be demanding and experienced as a burden, especially among persons with physical restrictions or economically disadvantaged individuals. This study investigates pet ownership and corresponding perceptions and experiences in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 55 years and older in Switzerland. We use data from a questionnaire on human-animal interactions from 1832 respondents administered during wave 7 (2017) in the Swiss country study of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Multivariable associations between pet ownership and pet owners’ corresponding perceptions and experiences with respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics were estimated using probit and ordered probit models. Slightly more than one-third of adults aged 55 years and older reported owning a pet. Pet owners reported mostly positive experiences with pet ownership, with women showing higher pet bonding levels than men. Moreover, pet ownership was less common among adults aged 75 and older and individuals living in apartments. At the same time, older pet owners aged 75 and above, pet owners living in apartments, and pet owners without a partner reported more positive perceptions and experiences of owning a pet. These findings suggest that promoting pet ownership may help individual well-being and feelings of companionship, especially among women, older adults, and individuals without a partner but also points toward potential selection effects into pet ownership. Financial costs of pet ownership appear to be an important challenge for some older pet owners, notably those with relatively low levels of education and more limited financial resources.
... Post-hoc analyses revealed that when owners had low levels of emotional closeness, greater pet support significantly predicted greater life satisfaction, which is an unintuitive finding. Higher pet attachment has been related to more positive mood (Turner et al., 2003), but it has also been associated with greater psychological distress (Antonacopoulos & Pychyl, 2010;Peacock et al., 2012), which could explain why the positive impact of pet support on life satisfaction decreased with higher emotional closeness to pet. Perhaps people with a stronger degree of emotional closeness to their pets rely more heavily on them as a source of social support, to the exclusion of other humans. ...
People have kept companion animals for millennia, a tradition that implies mutual benefits due to its persistence; however, scientific investigations present mixed results. Some research suggests pet owners are less lonely than non-owners, but other findings suggest pet owners have higher psychological distress. Research comparing owners with non-owners is limited, and methodological inconsistencies need to be addressed. This study investigated social support and wellbeing (positive functioning) in cat and dog owners, informed by social support theory, attachment, and social exchange theories. It was hypothesized that (1) pet support would predict wellbeing in addition to human support and (2) at least one aspect of pet–owner relationship quality would influence the relationship between social support and wellbeing. An adult sample of 89 cat owners and 149 dog owners (n = 238; 205 females and 33 males) completed an online survey comprising a demographics questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Cat/Dog–Owner Relationship Quality Scale, the Psychological Wellbeing Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Social support measures included some demographics on theoretical grounds to measure the construct multidimensionally. Hierarchical and multiple regressions were conducted, and results indicated that both hypotheses were supported: having more pets significantly predicted greater psychological wellbeing in addition to human social support. Unexpectedly, perceived pet support significantly, positively predicted life satisfaction when perceived emotional closeness with pet was low. These findings indicate that pets may improve psychological functioning and that emotional closeness is an important moderating factor. Practical implications include the social benefits of pets for those who could benefit from greater psychological functioning and improved life satisfaction.
... Other benefits of interaction with horses were also identified in the participants' responses, including the relief of stress and nervousness; increased awareness of personal boundaries; development of positive traits such as determination, patience, and calmness; and an enhanced bond with family members as well as relief of family conflict through time spent with horses. These benefits have been reported in other studies as well (Hawks, 1991;Holmes et al., 2012;Jenkins & Lyons, 2006;Lee & Makela, 2015;Smith-Osborne & Selby, 2010;Stammbach & Turner, 1999;Trotter et al., 2008;Turner et al., 2003). ...
The aim of this study was to explore and describe adult horse riders’ perceptions regarding their communication with horses and how it translates to their communication with family. A qualitative explorative, descriptive research design was implemented. The sample group, which was recruited through either a purposive or snowball sampling technique, included nine participants between the ages of 19 and 53. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the use of thematic analysis. The findings reveal similarities between the communication that takes place between the participants and horses, and between the participants and their family members. These similarities make it possible for the communication in one context (with horses) to be translated to the other context (with family members), and the findings suggest that such a translation is possible and is supported by the systems theory.
... The effects of humans on cats based on oxytocin and cortisol levels in urine were analyzed by Nagasawa et al. [11]. The effect of cats on humans was investigated by Turner et al. [12]. ...
Human–animal interactions and the emotional relationship of the owner with the pet are the subjects of many scientific studies and the constant interest of not only scientists but also pet owners. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the hair cortisol levels of dogs, cats, and their owners living in the same household. The owners were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning the frequency of their interactions with pets and emotional relationship with each of their cats and each of their dogs. The study involved 25 women who owned at least one dog and at least one cat. In total, 45 dogs and 55 cats from 25 households participated in the study. The average level of hair cortisol of the owners was 4.62 ng/mL, of the dogs 0.26 ng/mL, and in the hair of cats 0.45 ng/mL. There was no significant correlation between the hair cortisol level of the owner and dog or the owner and the cat and between dogs and cats living together. A significant positive correlation was observed between the hair cortisol level in the owner and the pet, for dogs in which the owner performs grooming treatments once a week and for cats which are never kissed. Although our study did not find many significant correlations, studies using other stress markers might have yielded different results.
Animals have long been part of the lives of humans, providing companionship, comfort, help with tasks (e.g., hunting), and protection. Currently, the use of therapeutic animals is expanding in a variety of social settings (e.g., educational system, justice system) and includes providing therapeutic support to both owners and nonowners. Research into the effects of therapeutic animals is mostly positive, although some studies have found mixed results (Brooks HL, Rushton K, Lovell K, Bee P, Walker L, Grant L, Rogers A. BMC Psychiatry 18(1):31–31, 2018). Because of the assumption that animals enhance the psychological well-being of their owners, legal actions have offered varying levels of protection for animals and their owners. For instance, a service dog can accompany its blind owner to places (e.g., restaurants) in which a normal pet would not be allowed. The purpose of this chapter is to review the law (e.g., legal certification) and the psychology (i.e., effects on stress and well-being) of a range of animals intended to enhance the well-being of humans.KeywordsHuman-animal studiesPsychology and lawPsychological well-beingTherapy/facility animalsEmotional support animalsService animalsAnimal law
Besides inconsistent evidence relating to the mental health benefits of pet ownership, there is a specific lack of data in relation to cat ownership. Research in this field frequently fails to consider the effect of specific cat-human relationships or activities that might impact owner well-being. This study aimed to identify and address this gap by examining the activities associated with owning a cat that were perceived by owners to impact on their well-being. Twenty cat owners (18 to 74 years old) were interviewed remotely, and their audio transcripts thematically analysed. 67 activities were reported by cat owners to cause changes in their hedonic or eudaimonic well-being or life satisfaction. Most activities were reported to improve well-being, for example, “providing for the cat” increased feelings of enjoyment and enhanced owner’s reported purpose in life. However, some activities were predominantly associated with negative outcomes, such as veterinary visits and cat behaviour problems. This study presents an operationally-defined framework that lays the groundwork for further research in the field of human-cat interaction and human well-being. It highlights the importance of focusing on specific activities associated with cat ownership, rather than just assessing “ownership” per se, as if it is a homogenous phenomenon.
Kapitel enthält: emotionale, soziale und ethische Aspekte von Berührungen; Placeboeffekte; Embodiment; Haus- und Therapietiere; Einsamkeit. - Abstract: Im medizinischen Kontext können von erforderlichen Berührungen, die einem medizinischen oder pflegerischen Zweck dienen, soziale Berührungen unterschieden werden. Diese, oft spontan auftretenden Berührungen, erfüllen soziale oder emotionale Funktionen. Soziale Berührungen können beruhigend, tröstend, angst-, schmerz- oder stressreduzierend wirken. Es besteht somit die Möglichkeit, soziale Berührungen im medizinischen oder pflegerischen Kontext gezielt zu diesen Zwecken einzusetzen.
The aim of this study was to apply the FaceReader technique to select the animal species and breed for a personalized AAT based on the emotions (‘neutral’, ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘angry’, ‘surprised’, ‘scared’, ‘disgusted’, and ‘contempt’) induced in the persons (18–64 years old) by the images of different animal species and breeds. To implement the aim, the images of different animal species (Canis familiaris, Felis silvestris catus, Sus scrofa domesticus, Ovis aries, and Equus caballus) and their breeds (dogs: Australian shepherd, pug, Labrador retriever, Doberman, miniature schnauzer, beagle, three mixed-breed types, Yorkshire terrier, Cane Corso, Samoyed, and Chihuahua; cats: British shorthair, Himalayan cat, three mixed breed types, Siamese cat, Sphynx, and Bengal cat; horses: Norwegian Fjord, Exmoor pony, Andalusian, and Friesian; pigs: Vietnamese pot-bellied and Kunekune; sheep: Herdwick sheep and Suffolk sheep) were used. This study showed that the animal species is a significant factor in the intensity of the emotions ‘neutral’ and ‘happy’ as well as valence, and the animal breed is a significant factor for the emotion ‘happy’ intensity and valence. The obtained results could be used as a personalized strategy for improving AAT and helping the individuals to select a pet.
Cardiovascular disease increases with age, but some of the factors thought to be related to CAD, including the personality disposition of neuroticism, show a pattern of lifelong stability. In the present paper, chest pain reports and other CAD symptoms are analyzed in the context of a model of personality and health which emphasizes the role of the enduring disposition of neuroticism as a determinant of perceptions of health. In the first study, the association between chest pain complaints and psychological distress measured by depression and low general well-being is documented for both sexes and for age groups from 25 to 74 in a national sample. Chest pain complaints increased with age, but an hypothesized age by chest pain group interaction was not found. In the second study, the direction of the causal connection is investigated in a longitudinal retrospective-predictive study of CAD diagnoses in a sample of 123 men followed for periods of up to 20 years. Personality variables did not predict the development of CAD, but emotional instability and diffuse somatic complaints were predictive of anginal diagnoses in subjects who showed no other signs of CAD. Alternate interpretations of the differential prediction of anginal complaints from neuroticism are discussed.
The authors examine the possibility that personality traits linked to positive and negative affect susceptibilities also influence performance on a mood-sensitive cognitive task: likelihood judgment is of possible positive and negative future events. In Study 1, participants (n = 104) filled out personality questionnaires, rated their current mood states, and rated the likelihood that positive and negative future events would occur. Results confirmed the hypothesis that affect-related traits predict likelihood judgments. Moreover; the personality effects were not mediated by current mood states. A second study (n = 81) replicated these personality effects on judgment in the context of manipulated moods (positive, sad, fearful, and neutral). As in Study 1, personality effects on judgment were not mediated by mood states. The authors suggest that the traits of extraversion and neuroticism include stable cognitive structures that can bias judgment in affect-congruent directions.
The authors investigated the allocation of social time to self, family, friends, and pets; they explored the associations between these time allocations and 2 measures of well-being in a group of 173 community-dwelling men and women, 35 to 55 years old. Results indicated that time allocation was strongly related to income, that individuals with high incomes spent more time with family, and that time spent with pets was second only to time spent with family. Time allocations were related to a measure of negative mood for men. Time allocations were independent of positive and negative well-being measures for women, but time spent with pets was related to negative mood in men. The findings are discussed in relation to the emerging importance of income and time use in middle-aged persons.