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Influence of Species Preference and Owner Gender on Attachment to Animals: French-Translated Validated Questionnaires

par Pellon, Sophie ;Hallegot, Margaux MH;Robinet, Louise ;Drogoz-Villegas, Claire ;Tomberg, Claude
Référence Society & animals, page (1-21)
Publication Publié, 2023-12-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

Abstract Companion animal ownership has been reported to be beneficial for human health. Attachment is an important mechanism involved in interpersonal relationships and potentially in health concerns. In this study, we investigated the influence of companion animal species and owners’ gender on owners’ attachment to their animals. To do this, we validated the French translation of the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (Zilcha-Mano et al., 2011), the Attachment Figure Questionnaire, and the Closeness and Care scales (Kurdek, 2008). Our translations have the requisite psychometric properties, high internal consistency, structure, and temporal stability. Women had significantly higher scores than men in several attachment dimensions and closeness. Owners preferring a cat had higher avoidance and lower attachment figure scores than owners preferring a dog. It is not yet clear what causes these differences; we recommend more investigations into specific aspects of attachment to companion animals.