The Relationship of the Social Needs of a Person and the Reasons Underlying the Decision to Become the Owner of a Pet

Abstract

The article presents data from a study whose purpose was to establish whether there is a connection between the needs of a person in communicating with other people and the reasons for which he gets a pet, and also to determine whether there are differences in interpersonal needs in people who voluntarily and happily become the owner of a home animal and those who do not see themselves as owners. To determine the main reasons underlying the interaction of humans with animals, an author’s questionnaire was developed. As a result of mathematical data processing, significant relationships were established between different types of social needs and the reasons for animal ownership. In addition, the differences between the social needs of those who cannot imagine their life without pets and those who do not see themselves as owners of animals were analyzed.