Animals in the Lives of Adolescents: A biocentric perspective

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Animals in the Lives of Adolescents A
bio-centric perspective

• Gail F. Melson
• Purdue University

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Incidence of Pet Ownership (US)
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Demographic Profile of Pet Owners
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Benefits of Owning Pets
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Animal themes in childrens art
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Animals teach the alphabet
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Involvement with younger sibs
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Childrens mean frequency of play with pets and
younger siblings (n211)
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Childrens descriptions of their relationship to
their pet (Melson, et al, 1992)
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Maternal employment and attachment to pets
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Are pets compensatory outlets for play?

• Children without younger sibs spend more time in
  pet play than children with younger sibs
• Boys without pets play more with non-family
  babies than boys with pets

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Empathy across species, or Feeling your pain
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Attachment to pets in relation to empathy and
self-competence (Melson, et al, 1992)
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Childrens evaluation of Canis as social
companion (Melson, Kahn, Beck, Friedman
Roberts, in prep.)
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Pets as emotional support
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Caring for animals as nurturance development
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Dimensions of child-animal contact
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