Development and Application of the Owner-Bird Relationship Scale (OBRS) to Assess the Relation of Humans to Their Pet Birds

Abstract

Only a few birds besides domestic pigeons and poultry can be described as domesticated. Therefore, keeping a pet bird can be challenging, and the human-avian relationship will have a major influence on the quality of this cohabitation. Studies that focus on characterizing the owner-bird relationship generally use adapted cat/dog scales which may not identify its specific features. Following a sociological approach, a concept of human-animal relationship was developed leading to three types of human-animal relationship (impersonal, personal, and close personal). This concept was used to develop a 21-item owner-bird-relationship scale (OBRS). This scale was applied to measure the relationship between pet bird owners (or keepers) (n = 1,444) and their birds in an online survey performed in Germany. Factor analysis revealed that the relationship between owner and bird consisted of four dimensions: the tendency of the owner to anthropomorphize the bird; the social support the bird provides for the owner; the empathy, attentiveness, and respect of the owner toward the bird; and the relationship of the bird toward the owner. More than one quarter of the German bird owners of this sample showed an impersonal, half a personal, and less than a quarter a close personal relationship to their bird. The relationship varied with the socio-demographic characteristics of the owners, such as gender, marital status, and education. This scale supports more comprehensive quantitative research into the human-bird relationship in the broad field of human-animal studies including the psychology and sociology of animals as well as animal welfare and veterinary medicine.

From the Backyard to Our Beds: The Spectrum of Care, Attitudes, Relationship Types, and Welfare in Non-Commercial Chicken Care

“…Two Likert scales were also utilized. The first was the validated OBRS, as per the work of Burmeister et al [34]. This was used in an identical format apart from the references to "bird" being replaced with "chicken", and "it" with "his/her"-alterations that were sanctioned by the original creators of the scale [44].…”

“…For instance, Robertson et al [33] demonstrated how a stronger attachment to pets is positively correlated with positive attitudes towards nonhuman animals. Nevertheless, the concept of relationship involves numerous other parameters too, including interaction (or a lack thereof), support, and empathy/attentiveness, as outlined by Burmeister et al [34]. A plethora of studies have examined the human-animal relationship concerning conventional companion animals, predominantly dogs, cats, and horses.…”

“…Only very recently, however, has the human-companion animal relationship begun to be examined for less conventional companion animals (e.g., see [35]). Accordingly, Burmeister et al [34] devised a validated Owner-Bird Relationship Scale (OBRS) comprising four dimensions of human-bird relationships (bird as a human, social support, respect/empathy, and bird reciprocity). This OBRS summarizes three types of human-bird relationships: impersonal, personal, and close personal.…”

Human Health Benefits of Non-Conventional Companion Animals: A Narrative Review

“…This review identified several notable exceptions. One is the well powered study conducted by Burmeister used to develop a scale of people's relationships with their companion birds which recruited n = 1444 participants across Germany [45]. The pair of studies conducted by Ko, Park, and others, included a single-blinded Randomized Control Trial, and a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study, on the effect of caring for companion crickets on brain function and overall health [49,53].…”

“…However, even this body of research is somewhat niche in the scheme of human-animal bonds literature-in a systematic review of humananimal research, birds were only discussed in reference to poultry being kept as agricultural livestock rather than companion animals [6]. Additionally, scientific inquiry into humanbird relationships has tended to use or adapt scales developed for use with dogs and cats, which are likely to miss the nuances inherent in a human-bird relationship owing to fundamental differences in species, daily care and veterinary care, and birds' cognitive and speaking capabilities [45].…”