The bond between school-age children and their dogs, and the socioemotional effects of this bond

• Main Authors: Claudia Schencke, Chamarrita Farkas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Santo Tomás 2012-08-01
• Series: Summa Psicologica UST
• Subjects: vínculo con mascotas; escolares; autoconcepto y apoyo social
• Online Access: http://summapsicologica.cl/index.php/summa/article/view/72

<p>Numerous international studies have proved that owning a pet can enhance the quality of life of school-age children; however, there have been no such studies in Chile. The objective of the present study is to analyzes the bond between school-age children and their dogs, and the socioemotional effects of such bond, in particular as it relates to self-identity and the perception of social support. Some differences appear in the results of international studies, in the sense that no significant difference can be observed in terms of self-identity or perceived social support between children who own a dog and children who don’t. However, it is significant that children who perceive themselves as unpopular have a stronger bond with their pets than those who perceive themselves as popular.</p>