Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 17 no. 4 (2024)

Pet Loss: A Study on the Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Cognitive-Emotion Regulation Strategy Among Elderly Pet Owners in Quezon City

Alyssa Shane  Garcia | Eloisa Jeresano | Fatima Sembillo | Bea Teresa Sengco

Discipline: psychology (non-specific)

 

Abstract:

The stronger the attachment to pets, the higher the separation pain felt after pet loss. The researchers conducted a study in Quezon City to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in elderly pet owners. The study aimed to provide valuable insights for pet and non-pet owners, potentially serving as a future basis for understanding attachment styles and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies. A mixed method was conducted to gather data on 37 elderly pet owners who have experienced pet loss. The analysis revealed that there is no significant relationship between attachment styles and cognitive-emotion regulation strategies among elderly pet owners in Quezon City. Attachment styles do not significantly influence the coping mechanisms of elderly pet owners, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies may operate independently. Aging can also affect cognitive functions and neurological processes, and societal, cultural, and resilience factors may also influence emotion regulation. Given that the study did not find a relationship between attachment styles and cognitive emotion regulation strategies, future researchers may consider exploring other factors that might influence these processes.



References:

  1. Adams, J. (2021). Pet death as disenfranchised loss: examining posttraumatic growth and attachment in college students. Retrieved from https://mountainscholar.org/bitstream/handle/10217/232602/Adams_colostate_0053A_16507.pdf?sequence=1&fbclid=IwAR3hPMfxZaApPLbftwwCJvAig_aiR6dWd4LOiu3ItU8IKucrtpWPWUzdGxU
  2. Agoncillo, J. A. (2018, November 2). A valley of solace for pet owners. INQUIRER.net. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1049621/a-valley-of-solace-for-pet-owners
  3. Azanpa, A., Hamur, T., & Kahraman, K. (2019). THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN-ANIMAL ATTACHMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331177565_THE_RELATIONSHIP_BETWEEN_HUMAN_ANIMAL_ATTACHMENT_AND_PSYCHOLOGICAL_WELL-BEING
  4. Behler, A. M. C., Green, J. D., & Joy-Gaba, J. (2020). “We Lost a Member of the Family”: Predictors of the Grief Experience Surrounding the Loss of a Pet. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2020.0017
  5. Branson, S., Boss, L., Cron, S., & Turner, D. (2017). Depression, loneliness, and pet attachment in homebound older adult cat and dog owners. Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences, 4(1), 38–48. https://doi.org/10.22543/7674.41.p3848
  6. Brown, O. K., & Symons, D. K. (2015). “My pet has passed”: Relations of adult attachment styles and current feelings of grief and trauma after the event. Death Studies, 40(4), 247–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2015.1128499
  7. Burry, M. (2021). What is grief? here's how experts define it. Health. https://www.health.com/mind-body/what-is-grief
  8. ‌Cabredo, S. R., & Tungol, J. (2022). Reliving the memory: The disenfranchised grief, guilt, and meaning-making of filipino bereaved pet owners. Retrieved from https://papers.iafor.org/submission62935/?fbclid=IwAR2Hk3huemg5KCuXqe3K_EwuwZZRkWZVNCykXnQTafuZGbJPzP8wF1L4JKk
  9. Carr, S. (2022). Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person. Study Finds. Retrieved from https://studyfinds.org/why-mourning-pet-harder-than-griefing-for-person/#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20when%20people%20are%20in%20anguish
  10. Cherry, K. (2023). How Attachment Theory Works. Verywell Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337#:~:text=Attachment%20is%20an%20emotional%20bond%20with%20another%20person.
  11. Chowdhurry, M. (2019). What is Post-Traumatic Growth? (+ Inventory). PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/post-traumatic-growth/?fbclid=IwAR26Wo9ctpGI8VwHchg_MejfmBFgL45ljlOtWPsvN82kXF-klFabZv16D0
  12. Collier, L. (2016). Growth after trauma. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/11/growth-trauma
  13. David, R. (2023, March 11). How To Cope with Pet Loss and Find Closure. Manila Standard. Retrieved from https://manilastandard.net/pets/314312917/how-to-cope-with-pet-loss-and-find-closure.html
  14. Delgado, B., Amor, P. J., Domínguez-Sánchez, F. J., & Tello, F. P. H. (2023). Relationship between adult attachment and cognitive emotional         regulation style in women and men. Scientific Reports, 13(1).       https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-35250-0
  15. Eckerd, L. M., Barnett, J. E., & Jett-Dias, L. (2016). Grief following pet and human loss: Closeness is key. Death Studies, 40(5), 275–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2016.1139014
  16. Gavin, K. (2021). One in 10 older adults have gotten a “pandemic pet,” poll finds. Ihpi.umich.edu. Retrieved from https://ihpi.umich.edu/news/one-10-older-adults-have-gotten-pandemic-pet-poll-finds
  17. Green, C., Kangas, M., & Fairholm, I. (2018). Investigating the Emotion Regulation Strategies Implemented by Adults Grieving the Death of a Pet in Australia and the UK. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 23(6), 484–501. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2018.1478934
  18. Hicks, S. (2018). Grief severity after the loss of a pet. Texas State University. Retrieved from https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/12391/HICKS-THESIS-2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y&fbclid=IwAR3AkMLpHlo5J5lGFrJTDmnulkR7u_ux1Ty6CMr35EkiH5mtGwVrhp47qs0
  19. Huang, Y., Shi, P., & Chen, X. (2022). The effect of attachment on the             process of emotional regulation. Xinli Kexue Jinzhan, 30(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1042.2022.00077
  20. Hughes, B., & Lewis Harkin, B. (2022). The Impact of Continuing Bonds Between Pet Owners and Their Pets Following the Death of Their Pet: A Systematic Narrative Synthesis. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 003022282211259. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228221125955
  21. ‌Jones, H (2022, May 9). What Are Attachment Styles?. Verywell Health. Retrieved from https://www.verywellhealth.com/attachment-styles-5220583
  22. Khatibi, M., & Yousefi F. (2015). Cognition and Emotion: The Cognitive Regulation of Emotions : A Review. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2(4). https://doi.org/10.25215/0204.060
  23. Kwak, T., & Lim, J. (2019). The Effects of Emotional Awareness on the Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents: Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies as Mediators. Korean Journal of Child Studies, 40(2), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.5723/kjcs.2019.40.2.13
  24. Lantrip, C., & Huang, J. H. (2017). Cognitive Control of Emotion in Older Adults: A Review. Clinical Psychiatry, 03(01). https://doi.org/10.21767/2471-9854.100040
  25. Luchesi, S. H., Machado, D. S., Trindade, P. H. E., Mikulincer, M., & Otta, E. (2022). Psychometric validation of the Brazilian Version of the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ): An examination of predictors of attachment styles among cat owners. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 256, 105769. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105769
  26. McConnell, A. R., Paige Lloyd, E., & Humphrey, B. T. (2019). We Are Family: Viewing Pets as Family Members Improves Wellbeing. Anthrozoös, 32(4), 459–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621516
  27. Mueller, R. L. (2018). Older adult men’s emotional bonds with their dogs. Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology. https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2018.268
  28. O’Connor, V. L., Vonk, J., & Compitus, K. (2022). When support is “pawsed”: Increased attachment mediates the association between loss of support and pet bereavement during the pandemic. Human-Animal Interactions, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2022.0020
  29. Park, H. J., & Jeong, G.-C. (2022). Relationship between Attachment to Pet and Post-Traumatic Growth after Pet Loss: Mediated Moderating Effect of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategy through Separation Pain. Behavioral Sciences, 12(8), 291. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12080291
  30. Prato-Previde, E., Ricci, E. B., & Colombo, E. (2022). The complexity of the Human–Animal bond: empathy, attachment and anthropomorphism in Human–Animal relationships and animal hoarding. Animals, 12(20), 2835. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202835
  31. Redmalm, D. (2015). Pet Grief: When is Non-Human Life Grievable? The Sociological Review, 63(1), 19–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954x.12226
  32. Robinson, L. (2023). Attachment styles and how they affect adult relationships. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/attachment-and-adult-relationships.html
  33. Robinson J., & Segal, J. (2023). Coping with Losing a Pet - HelpGuide.org. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-losing-a-pet.htm?fbclid=IwAR1-UeJ6-IFyroJDYhkfd0xb2ClG3S8emhAEZsj-SH0Pm-kPiTkPZGIBK6M
  34. Rockett, B., & Carr, S. (2014). Animals and attachment Theory. Society & Animals, 22(4), 415–433. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341322
  35. Spain, B., O’Dwyer, L., & Moston, S. (2019). Pet Loss: Understanding Disenfranchised Grief, Memorial Use, and Posttraumatic Growth. Anthrozoös, 32(4), 555–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621545
  36. Stanley, I. H., Conwell, Y., Bowen, C., & Van Orden, K. A. (2013). Pet ownership may attenuate loneliness among older adult primary care patients who live alone. Aging & Mental Health, 18(3), 394–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2013.837147
  37. ‌Starling, M. (2022, November 25). Profound grief for a pet is normal – how to help yourself or a friend weather the loss of a beloved family member. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/profound-grief-for-a-pet-is-normal-how-to-help-yourself-or-a-friend-weather-the-loss-of-a-beloved-family-member-195099
  38. Winch, G. (n.d.). Why We Need to Take Pet Loss Seriously. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-need-to-take-pet-loss-seriously/?fbclid=IwAR1l0j_7EC_NZnZr_Avfl8XEyiAh8xjvoBWMuoc2LXAJx-dld6H-4oCsH9I
  39. Yango, A. (2019). Pet Animals: To Own and To Love. Retrieved from https://uphsl.edu.ph/research/ARTS%20_%20SCIENCES/DEL%20ROSARIO,%20Luz%20Remedios/Pet%20animals%20to%20own%20and%20to%20love.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0jpjNvuoH9LJNuLk754AeZD8V7Kwbpb1Dw9GayA2tZ34IkDhMMmefbVpU 

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic