RESEARCH PROGRESS
Pet ownership and well-being have become our research interest because people nowadays increasingly recognize the significant impact that pets have on their mental and emotional health. Our goal is to explore this relationship, aiming to understand how interactions with pets can enhance overall well-being in today's society. By conducting this research, we hope to provide insights that can inform public health policies and promote the benefits of pet companionship. Additionally, we aim to identify gaps in existing research and suggest new avenues for future studies, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted role pets play in enhancing human well-being.Furthermore, we will examine the differences in well-being between pet owners and non-pet owners, seeking to uncover whether the presence of pets can bridge any disparities in mental and emotional health.
FIRST RESOURCES
Our first resource is the journal "Pets and Happiness: Examining the Association between Pet Ownership and Wellbeing" by Katherine Jacobs Bao and George Scheer. Our research aims to examine the relationship between pet ownership and well-being by comparing pet owners and non-pet owners.
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After reviewing numerous articles, we focused on Bao and Scheer's work due to its detailed exploration of the psychological impacts of pet ownership. We chose this journal specifically because we aim to replicate their research for our study. Their article provides a solid theoretical foundation and validated scales essential for our framework. Specifically, we adopted the Subjective Happiness Scale from this journal.
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Our study is a quantitative research project, where we will survey both pet owners and non-pet owners to collect data on subjective happiness and psychological well-being. Our goal is to investigate whether pet ownership has a positive impact on the owner's well-being compared to non-pet owners.
SECOND RESOURCES
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Our second resource is the article "Own a Pet - Stay Well and Happy: An Exploratory Study" by Shreya Chaudhary and S.K. Srivastava. From this article, we adopted our second measurement tool, the Psychological Well-being Scale. This article not only contributes significantly to our literature review but also provides valuable insights into the concept of pet ownership and its benefits.
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Chaudhary and Srivastava's work helps us better understand the nuances of owning a pet and its impact on well-being, further enriching our research framework. The comprehensive exploration of psychological well-being in their study offers a strong basis for our own research. Their findings, which highlight various aspects of how pet ownership can influence mental health and happiness, are instrumental in shaping our hypothesis and research design.
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The results of this study can be concluded as follows: pet owners are happier and have better psychological well-being than non-pet owners. The emotional value of a pet, and the unconditional love they provide, is priceless and irreplaceable. The power of pet magic is truly tremendous and highlights the significant positive impact that pet ownership can have on an individual's overall well-being.
THIRD RESOURCES
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Our third resource, "Examining Evidence for a Relationship Between Human-Animal Interactions and Common Mental Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review" by H. K. Barr, A. M. Guggenbickler, J. S. Hoch, and C. S. Dewa, allows us to compare pet ownership during the pandemic with pet ownership in the without COVID-19 era. During the pandemic, strict restrictions were imposed, preventing people from leaving their homes without a valid reason. This different situation provides a basis for comparing whether there are any differences in the relationship between pet ownership and mental health before and during the pandemic.
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The review highlights how the increased time spent at home during the pandemic might have intensified human-animal interactions, potentially offering emotional support and alleviating feelings of isolation. Conversely, it also considers the challenges and stressors of pet ownership during such a disruptive period. By examining the evidence presented in this systematic literature review, we can gain insights into the role of pets in mental health during unprecedented times and evaluate whether the dynamics of pet ownership and its impact on mental well-being differ significantly between the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods.
FIRST DIMENSION:
THE SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS SCALE
Our first dimension is the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), is adopted from our main resource. The SHS contains 4 items and uses a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not a very happy/less happy/not at all a happy person) to 7 (a very happy person/more happy/a great deal). The SHS is designed to measure global subjective happiness.
Two items on the scale ask respondents to characterize themselves using both absolute ratings and ratings relative to their peers. The other two items provide brief descriptions of happy and unhappy individuals and ask respondents to indicate the extent to which each description applies to them.
By incorporating the SHS into our study, we aim to evaluate the overall happiness levels of both pet owners and non-pet owners. This will help us determine if pet ownership is associated with higher subjective happiness and how this dimension interacts with emotional regulation and well-being.
SECOND DIMENSION: PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING
Our second dimension is the Psychological Wellbeing Scale, which we have adopted from an additional resource. The Psychological Wellbeing Scale contains 18 items and uses a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). This scale is designed to measure various aspects of mental health and overall psychological well-being. It includes items that assess different components such as autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance.
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The purpose of using the Psychological Wellbeing Scale in our study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the participants' mental health beyond just their emotional regulation and subjective happiness. By including this scale, we aim to evaluate how different dimensions of psychological well-being are influenced by pet ownership.
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The objective of this scale is to provide a holistic measure of well-being that encompasses both positive psychological functioning and the absence of negative symptoms. This will allow us to examine whether pet owners exhibit higher levels of psychological well-being compared to non-pet owners and how pet attachment and emotional regulation contribute to these outcomes.
