Companionship Beyond Species: The Effect of Having Companion Animal

• Main Authors: LAI, YI-SHIEN, 賴逸仙
• Other Authors: SHAW, FORTUNE
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/wwn2sv

碩士 === 國立暨南國際大學 === 諮商心理與人力資源發展學系輔導與諮商研究所 === 104 === The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship and attachment between human and companion animals among adult companion animal guardians, and how the presence of a companion animal may affect the psychological process of the individual through the use of speaking language. Further more, this study also focus on an understanding of the differences of pet attachment and the effect of a pet’s companionship to human. Companion animal attachment was measured by the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ), interviews were conducted under the experimental settings with and without companion animals, the data then were analyzed by C-LIWC as a inquiry on psychological process. The findings suggested that the presence of the companion animal did not affect the feelings of participants during the interviews. However, the participants’ cognitive performances with the presence of companion animals implied deeper thinking and meaning searching. The attachment style also has influence on the effect of the pets’ companionship on human; as the result, participants with different pet attachment traits displayed different cognitive performance and social process during the interviews. Through the qualitative interviews, the results also suggested that participants with different pet attachment styles valued differently on their companion animals and the impacts from the companionship, they also had different insights of their relationship with companion animals. Based on the findings, psychological counselors and practitioners may regard the human animal attachments as an understanding to their clients; utilize the effect of the presence of companion animals and to consider the companion animals as a part of the clients’ social context. For future research, it may be essential and beneficial to access further on the correlation between pet attachment style and other personality traits and interpersonal attachment styles.