ArticlePsychology research and behavior management2019
Spotlight on the psychological basis of childhood pet attachment and its implications.
Article in Psychology research and behavior management, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Stress, needs, and behaviour: understanding chronic stress in pet domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) from the prism of needs.Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · 2026Review
- Evaluating a Novel Cat-Assisted Training (CAT) Intervention for Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Their Family Cat.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Entangled Bonds: Dyadic Dependence and Co-Regulation in Western Urban Human-Dog Relationships.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
- The moderating role of attachment styles in the relationship between psychological commitment and aggression among football fans.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Impact of pet ownership in early childhood at ages 1 and 4-5 years on mental health at ages 7-8: findings from the INMA project.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2025Article
- Understanding the Relevance of Psychopathological Features in Pets-Owner Relationship: State of the Art and Future Directions - A Narrative Review.Clinical neuropsychiatry · 2025Review
- Glucocorticoid response to naturalistic interactions between children and dogs.Hormones and behavior · 2024Article
- Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children's movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Article
- Peer bonds and nature's embrace: exploring the influence of pet caregiving on social well-being and nature connection among Taiwanese children.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Pet attachment and prosocial attitude toward humans: the mediating role of empathy to animals.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Impact of pet dog or cat exposure during childhood on mental illness during adolescence: a cohort study.BMC pediatrics · 2022Article
- Child-Dog Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology: The Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Behaviours.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Article
- Human allergy to cats: A review of the impact on cat ownership and relinquishment.Journal of feline medicine and surgery · 2022Review
- Dogs Supporting Human Health and Well-Being: A Biopsychosocial Approach.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Review
- Working Dog Training for the Twenty-First Century.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Review
- Enhancing the Selection and Performance of Working Dogs.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Review
- Considering Family Dog Attachment Bonds: Do Dog-Parent Attachments Predict Dog-Child Attachment Outcomes in Animal-Assisted Interventions?Frontiers in psychology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Research suggests that humans can form strong attachments to their pets, and at least some pets display attachment behaviors toward their human caretakers. In some cases, these bonds have been found to support or enhance the physical and emotional well-being of both species. Most human-animal interaction research to date has focused on adult owners, and therefore less is known about childhood pet attachment. However, there is growing evidence that pets may play an important role in the development and well-being of children, as well as adult family members. Research conducted to date suggests that child-pet relationships may be especially impactful for children who do not have stable or secure attachments to their human caretakers. However, given that human-animal interactions, including pet ownership, can also introduce some risks, there is considerable value in understanding the nature of child-pet attachments, including the potential benefits of these relationships, from a scientific perspective. The purpose of this review is to provide background and a brief overview of the research that has been conducted on childhood attachment to pets, as well as to identify areas where more research would be beneficial.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.