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From Human Wellbeing to an Ecocentric Perspective: How Nature-Connectedness Can Extend the Benefits of Marine Wildlife Experiences
Contributor(s):: Yerbury, Rachel, Weiler, Betty
Contact with nature and experiences with nonhuman animals have been shown to contribute to nature connection and human wellbeing, both of which are innate needs according to the biophilia hypothesis. This study explores what marine mammal encounters mean to people and how they affect connection...
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New Zealand Pet Owners’ Demographic Characteristics, Personality, and Health and Wellbeing: More Than Just a Fluff Piece
Contributor(s):: Fraser, Gloria, Huang, Yanshu, Robinson, Kealagh, Wilson, Marc S., Bulbulia, Joseph, Sibley, Chris G.
Although the relationship between pet ownership and health and wellbeing has received considerable attention in popular media, research on the topic shows inconsistent findings. We addressed the methodological weaknesses of previous studies by using data from a national probability survey (the...
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"She's Me": An Exploration of Pet Ownership from the Perspective of People Who Are Homeless
| Contributor(s):: Lana Parker, Leonie Boland, Alison Warren
For many people who experience homelessness, having a pet is an important part of their lives. Although the benefit and meaning of pet ownership has been well recognized in the literature, few studies have explored its meaning from the perspectives of individuals who are homeless. This...
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Pros and cons of pet ownership in sustaining independence in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review
| Contributor(s):: Obradović, Nataša, Lagueux, Émilie, Michaud, Frédéric, Provencher, Véronique
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Pet Ownership Patterns and Successful Aging Outcomes in Community Dwelling Older Adults
| Contributor(s):: Friedmann, E., Gee, N. R., Simonsick, E. M., Studenski, S., Resnick, B., Barr, E., Kitner-Triolo, M., Hackney, A.
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Association between Attitude and Empathy with the Quality of Human-Livestock Interactions
| Contributor(s):: Leon, A. F., Sanchez, J. A., Romero, M. H.
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Zoo Animal Welfare: The Human Dimension
| Contributor(s):: Cole, Justine, Fraser, David
Standards and policies intended to safeguard nonhuman animal welfare, whether in zoos, farms, or laboratories, have tended to emphasize features of the physical environment. However, research has now made it clear that very different welfare outcomes are commonly seen in facilities using similar...
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Complexities of Using Wild versus Captive Activity Budget Comparisons for Assessing Captive Primate Welfare
| Contributor(s):: Howell, Christian P., Cheyne, Susan M.
Activity budget comparisons between groups or individuals in the wild and those in captivity are commonly used to determine the range of wild-type behaviors that nonhuman animals in captivity perform. These comparisons are conducted with the view that individuals displaying a greater range of...
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Comparison of Subjective Well-Being and Personality Assessments in the Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia), and African Lion (Panthera leo)
| Contributor(s):: Gartner, Marieke Cassia, Powell, David M., Weiss, Alexander
The study of subjective well-being in nonhuman animals is growing in the field of psychology, but there are still only a few published studies and the focus is on primates. To consider whether the construct of subjective well-being could be found in another mammal, this study aimed to assess...
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A Scoping Review of the Health and Social Benefits of Dog Ownership for People Who Have Chronic Pain
| Contributor(s):: Carr, Eloise C. J., Norris, Jill M., Hayden, K. Alix, Pater, Rianne, Wallace, Jean E.
Chronic pain is a significant cause of morbidity and disability globally. One potential strategy for the self-management of chronic pain is interacting with companion animals; more specifically, dogs. While studies of dog ownership suggest social, psychological, and health benefits to humans, the...
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The Beginning, the End, and All the Happiness in Between: Pet Owners’ Wellbeing from Pet Acquisition to Death
| Contributor(s):: Brkljačić, Tihana, Sučić, Ines, Lučić, Lana, Tkalić, Renata Glavak, Lipovčan, Ljiljana Kaliterna
The aim of this study was to provide deeper insight into the relationship between pet-related life events and the subjective wellbeing of pet owners, as well as to analyze definitions of happiness that included reference to pets. This research was conducted online as a part of the Croatian...
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We Are Family: Viewing Pets as Family Members Improves Wellbeing
| Contributor(s):: McConnell, Allen R., Lloyd, E. Paige, Humphrey, Brandon T.
The current work investigated how viewing one’s pet as a family member improves wellbeing. We hypothesized that including pets in a key social ingroup (i.e., family) would increase ascriptions of socially supportive traits to these animals, enhancing their perceived ability to provide social...
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Pet Ownership and Human–Animal Interaction in an Aging Population: Rewards and Challenges
| Contributor(s):: Enders-Slegers, Marie-José, Hediger, Karin
Older adults in most developed countries can now expect to live nearly 80 years without significant disability. To maximize the quality of the years after retirement, societies, governments, and organizations are seeking strategies to help older adults maintain their mental and physical health,...
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Human–Dolphin Interactions: Relationships, Connections, and the Reinforcement of an Ongoing Nature Relationship
| Contributor(s):: Yerbury, Rachel M., Boyd, William E.
Although interactions between humans and wild animals have been explored in the literature, the mechanism for how such experiences influence wellbeing is an area needing further examination. This research used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the narratives of wellbeing from...
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Exploring the Meaning and Experience of Chronic Pain with People Who Live with a Dog: A Qualitative Study
| Contributor(s):: Carr, Eloise C. J., Wallace, Jean E., Onyewuchi, Chie, Hellyer, Peter W., Kogan, Lori
Pain is a significant burden for those with chronic disease and negatively impacts quality of life, causing disability and substantial work and health-care costs. Chronic pain has been identified as one of the most important current and future causes of morbidity and disability across the world....
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Exploring Wellness of Wildlife Carers in New Zealand: A Descriptive Study
| Contributor(s):: Yeung, Polly, White, Bridey, Chilvers, B. Louise
The rescue and care of vulnerable wildlife is rewarding. Most people involved in animal rescue have a strong commitment to service but the work can be profoundly challenging. The ability to know and respond appropriately to an animal's needs depends on the professional skills and knowledge of...
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“All Those Ingredients of the Walk”: The Therapeutic Spaces of Dog-walking for People with Long-term Health Conditions
| Contributor(s):: Smith, Catherine M., Treharne, Gareth J., Tumilty, Steve
We currently know little about how dog-walking contributes to health and wellbeing of adults living with long-term health conditions. Guided by a conceptual framework of “therapeutic mobilities,” we accompanied 13 adults with diverse long-term health conditions on their usual dog-walk. We...
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Measuring Quality of Life in Owners of Companion Dogs: Development and Validation of a Dog Owner-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire
| Contributor(s):: Oyama, Mark A., Citron, Lindsey, Shults, Justine, Brown, Dorothy Cimino, Serpell, James A., Farrar, John T.
Numerous studies have examined the link between companiondog ownership and improved physical or psychological health outcomes; however, few have examined the association between dog ownership and owners’ overall wellbeing or quality of life (QOL). Moreover, the potential for dog ownership to...
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The Effects of Group-Administered Canine Therapy on University Students’ Wellbeing: A Randomized Controlled Trial
| Contributor(s):: Binfet, John-Tyler
University students with elevated stress levels are at risk for experiencing compromised mental health and for underperforming academically. In an effort to support student wellbeing, post-secondary campuses are increasingly offering canine therapy programs. These programs provide students...
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Companion-Animals’ Effectiveness in Managing Chronic Pain in Adult Community Members
| Contributor(s):: Bradley, Lahna, Bennett, Pauleen C.
Therapy animals have been found to alleviate pain in healthcare settings, but companion-animal owners report greater discomfort and use more analgesics than people who do not own one or more companion animals. To investigate this anomaly, 173 adults completed an online survey that included...
