Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA.
J Pers Soc Psychol. 2011 Dec;101(6):1239-52. doi: 10.1037/a0024506. Epub 2011 Jul 4.
Social support is critical for psychological and physical well-being, reflecting the centrality of belongingness in our lives. Human interactions often provide people with considerable social support, but can pets also fulfill one's social needs? Although there is correlational evidence that pets may help individuals facing significant life stressors, little is known about the well-being benefits of pets for everyday people. Study 1 found in a community sample that pet owners fared better on several well-being (e.g., greater self-esteem, more exercise) and individual-difference (e.g., greater conscientiousness, less fearful attachment) measures. Study 2 assessed a different community sample and found that owners enjoyed better well-being when their pets fulfilled social needs better, and the support that pets provided complemented rather than competed with human sources. Finally, Study 3 brought pet owners into the laboratory and experimentally demonstrated the ability of pets to stave off negativity caused by social rejection. In summary, pets can serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive psychological and physical benefits for their owners.
社会支持对于心理和生理健康至关重要，反映了归属感在我们生活中的核心地位。人际互动通常为人们提供大量的社会支持，但宠物是否也能满足人们的社交需求呢？虽然有相关性证据表明，宠物可能有助于个体应对重大生活压力源，但对于宠物对日常人群的幸福感的益处却知之甚少。研究 1 在社区样本中发现，宠物主人在几个幸福感（例如，更高的自尊心，更多的锻炼）和个体差异（例如，更高的责任心，更少的恐惧依恋）方面表现更好。研究 2 评估了另一个社区样本，发现当宠物更好地满足社交需求时，主人会感到更幸福，而宠物提供的支持与人类来源相辅相成而不是相互竞争。最后，研究 3 将宠物主人带入实验室，实验证明了宠物能够抵御社交拒绝带来的负面影响的能力。总之，宠物可以成为重要的社会支持来源，为其主人带来许多积极的心理和生理益处。
