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Description
Loneliness is an epidemic whose full impact is only recently receiving the attention it urgently demands. While many solutions are suggested, a time-tested remedy is a companion animal. People report as deep a connection with a companion animal as with the humans in their lives due to the pet’s unconditional love and consistency. While much research has been dedicated to studying companion animal-human bonds with emphasis on dogs and cats, little has been conducted on the less popular household pet, the companion bird, even though bird owners report that their pets show just as much unconditional love and affection as cats and dogs. Given this similarity of experience, I hypothesize that the quality of relationship with a companion bird is positively related to closer relationships with others, and negatively related to depression and loneliness. Data was collected from a sample of N = 203 varying in age over 18, religious backgrounds, ethnicity, and gender, who have previously owned or currently own a companion bird. Five measuring tools distinct to family bonding, quality of life, avian-human relationship, depression, and loneliness have been applied to collect the data to show the positive effects of life with a companion bird. Results showed a significant positive correlation between the quality of relationship between companion bird/owner and family bonding and relationships. This study is important because in the face of the mounting mental health crisis associated amongst people of all ages, the bond formed with the bird offers a fuller life with purpose. The study of human-parrot bond shows there is a great opportunity for future research that will impact the bias against birds leading to more education of the avian species, adoptions for neglected birds living in rescues, and healthy attachments for both people and companion birds.
Department
Psychology
Publication Date
Spring 5-8-2023
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Scholarly and Creative Works Conference, Dominican University of California
City
San Rafael, CA
Keywords
Pets, Companion Animals
Disciplines
Clinical Psychology | Cognitive Psychology | Counseling Psychology
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons