Attachment beyond Humans: Examining the Role of Human-Pet Attachment and Its Relationship with Empathy, Altruism and Psychological Distress

Abstract

Introduction: The human-animal relationships are being recognized as meaningful and psychologically impactful. The emotional connection that human beings form with their pets may influence core social behaviors such as empathy, altruism as well as levels of psychological distress. Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Human-Pet attachment and three psychological constructs which include Empathy, Altruism and Psychological distress among pet owners in Pakistan. Method: Cross-sectional design was employed in this study in which data were collected from 114 participants (36.8% male, 63.2% female) aged 10 to 35 years, residing in Islamabad and Rawalpindi through purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Participants completed the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) for empathy, Self Report Altruism Scale and DASS-21 to measure psychological distress. Data was collected online and in-person at universities and pet clinics. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS v27. Key Results: It was found that Pet attachment to be positively associated with Empathy and surprisingly with Psychological distress as well. However, it was not a significant association with Altruism. Females reported significantly higher empathy scores compared to males. Conclusion and Implications: The findings suggest that strong Pet attachment contributes to increase in Empathy as well as Psychological distress. These results hold promises for developing pet-assisted interventions and therapeutic models to foster social and emotional wellbeing.