Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Short Attachment to Pets Scale (SAPS) for Children and Young People: Development, Psychometric Qualities and Demographic and Health Associations

  • Published:
Child Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study describes the development of the SAPS and investigates its reliability and validity within the context of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Survey (HBSC) which gathered data on representative samples of school pupils aged 11, 13 and 15 in Scotland and England. In the development of SAPS, following a comprehensive review of the literature, two small-scale empirical studies were carried out (one qualitative and one quantitative). Regarding the validation process, the reliability and validity of the SAPS was assessed in a sub-sample (n = 7159) of pupils who completed the HBSC survey and were identified as owning pets. Factor analysis resulted in a one-factor solution (explaining 67.78 % of the variance); Cronbach’s alpha for the scale was 0.894. The item-total correlation ranged from 0.368 to 0.784. A linear model showed that attachment to pets was associated with age (being 11 or 13 years old), being a girl, white ethnicity, and considering a pet as one’s own. SAPS scores were also positively associated with quality of life. The total variance in SAPS explained by these variables was 15.7 %. Effect sizes of associations were medium (age, considering a pet as one’s own) and small (ethnicity, age, gender, quality of life). The study concludes that SAPS is a coherent and psychometrically sound measure. It is associated with a range of demographic variables and quality of life, which confirms its utility as a new succinct measure of children’s and young people’s attachment to pets for use in health and social science research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainsworth, S. (1973). The development of infant-mother attachment. In B. Cardwell & H. Ricciuti (Eds.), Review of child development research (Vol. 3, pp. 1–94). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (2000). Attitudes and the attitude behaviour relation: Reasoned and automatic processes. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European review of social psychology. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albert, A., & Bulcroft, K. (1988). Pets, families, and the life course. Journal of Marriage and Family, 50, 543–552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Fayez, G., Awadalla, A., Templer, D. I., & Arikawa, H. (2003). Companion animal attitude and its family pattern in Kuwait. Society & Animals, 11(1), 17–28. doi:10.1163/156853003321618819.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, K., Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs. Psychosomatic Medicine, 64(5), 727–739. doi:10.1097/01.Psy.0000024236.11538.41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, W. P., Reid, C. M., & Jennings, G. L. (1992). Pet ownership and risk-factors for cardiovascular-disease. Medical Journal of Australia, 157(5), 298–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bamberg, S., & Moser, G. (2007). Twenty years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: a new meta-analysis of psycho-social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27(1), 14–25. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bardill, N., & Hutchinson, S. (1997). Animal-assisted therapy with hospitalized adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 10(1), 17–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batista-Foguet, J. M., Fortiana, J., Currie, C., & Villalbii, J. R. (2004). Socio-economic indexes in surveys for comparisons between countries. Social Indicators Research, 67(3), 315–332. doi:10.1023/B:Soci.0000032341.14612.B8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter Powellab, R., Sternc, M. J., Krohnd, B. D., & Ardoine, N. (2011). Development and validation of scales to measure environmental responsibility, character development, and attitudes toward school. Environmental Education Research, 17(1), 91–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, L., & Madresh, E. A. (2008). Romantic partners and four-legged friends: an extension of attachment theory to relationships with pets. ANTHROZOÖS, 21(1), 43–56. doi:10.2752/089279308x274056.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjerke, T., Kaltenborn, B. P., & Ødegårdstuen, T. S. (2001). Animal-related activities and appreciation of animals among children and adolescents. ANTHROZOOS, 14(2), 86–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (2008). A secure base: Parent–child attachment and healthy human development: Basic Books.

  • Brooks, F., Magnusson, J., Klemera, E., Spencer, N., & Morgan, A. (2011). HBSC England National Report: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC): World Health Organization Collaborative Cross National Study: University of Hertfordshire.

  • Brown, S. E. (2003). Ethnic variations in pet attachment among students at an American school of veterinary medicine. Society & Animals, 11(1), 101–102. doi:10.1163/156853003321618873.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Budge, R. C., Spicer, J., Jones, B., & George, R. S. (1998). Health correlates of compatibility and attachment in human-companion animal relationships. Society & Animals, 6(3), 219–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concern. USA: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carstairs, V., & Morris, R. (1990). Deprivation and health in Scotland. Health Bulletin, 48(4), 162–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Case, A., & Paxson, C. (2002). Parental behavior and child health. Health Affairs, 21(2), 164–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., Friede, T., Putz, R., Ashdown, J., Martin, S., Blake, A., et al. (2011). Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): validated for teenage school students in England and Scotland. A mixed methods assessment. BMC Public Health, 11, 487. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Covert, A. M., Whiren, A. P., Keith, J., & Nelson, C. (1985). Pets, early adolescents, and families. Marriage & Family Review, 8(3), 95–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, E. K., Worsham, N. L., & Swinehart, E. R. (2006). Benefits derived from companion animals, and the use of the term “attachment”. ANTHROZOÖS, 19(2), 98–112. doi:10.2752/089279306785593757.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie, C., Molcho, M., Boyce, W., Holstein, B., Torsheim, T., & Richter, M. (2008). Researching health inequalities in adolescents: the development of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) family affluence scale. Social Science & Medicine, 66(6), 1429–1436. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.11.024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Currie, C., Griebler, R., Inchley, J., Theunissen, A., Molcho, M., Samdal, O., Dur, W. (2010). Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study Protocol: Background, Methodology and Mandatory items for the 2009/10 Survey. In. Edinburgh: CARHU & Vienna.

  • Currie, C., Levin, K., Kirby, J., Currie, D., van der Sluijs, W., & Inchley, J. (2011). HBSC Scotland National Report: University of St Andrews.

  • Currie, C., Zanotti, C., Morgan, A., Currie, D., De Looze, M. E., Roberts, C., et al. (2012). Social determinants of health and well-being among young people. HBSC international report from the 2009/2010 Survey. Health Policy for Children and Adolescents No. 6. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cusack, O. (1988). Pets and mental health. New York: Haworth Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, J. H., & Juhasz, A. M. (1985). The preadolescent pet bond and psychological development. Marriage and Family Review, 8, 79–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DEFRA. (2011). Rural/ Urban classification. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/rural–urban-definition. Accessed 04/01/2014.

  • Dowd, J. B. (2007). Early childhood origins of the income/health gradient: the role of maternal health behaviors. Social Science and Medicine, 65(6), 1202–1213. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.05.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Esposito, L., McCune, S., Griffin, J. A., & Maholmes, V. (2011). Directions in human–animal interaction research: child development, health, and therapeutic interventions. Child Developmental Perspectives, 5(3), 205–211. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00175.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E., Katcher, A. H., Lynch, J. J., & Thomas, S. A. (1980). Animal companions and one-year survival of patients after discharge from a coronary-care unit. Public Health Reports, 95(4), 307–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganster, D., & Voith, V. L. (1983). Attitudes of cat owners toward cats. Feline Practice, 13, 21–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geisler, A. M. (2004). Companion animals in palliative care: stories from the bedside. The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 21(4), 285–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbey, A., McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (2007). A longitudinal test of the belief that companion animal ownership can help reduce loneliness. ANTHROZOÖS, 20(4), 345–353. doi:10.2752/089279307x245473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, M. J., Ng, A., Ursano, R. J., Holloway, H., Fullerton, C., & Casper, J. (2004). Psychological impact of the animal-human bond in disaster preparedness and response. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 10(6), 368–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B. (1999). Health benefits and health cost savings due to pets: preliminary estimates from an Australian national survey. Social Indicators Research, 47(2), 233–243. doi:10.1023/A:1006892908532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B. (2003). Pet ownership: good for health? Medical Journal of Australia, 179(9), 460–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B., & Grabka, M. (2007). Pets and human health in Germany and Australia: National longitudinal results. Social Indicators Research, 80(2), 297–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, H. (2010). Some we love, some we hate, some we eat: Why it’s so hard to think straight about animals. New York: Harper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, H. (2011). The impact of pets on human health and psychological well-being: facto, fiction, or hypothesis? Current Directions Psychological Science, 20, 236–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holcomb, R., Williams, R. C., & Richards, P. S. (1985). The elements of attachment: relationship maintainance and intimacy. Journal of Delta Society, 9, 28–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, T. P., Garrity, T. F., & Stallones, L. (1992). Psychometric evaluation of the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). ANTHROZOÖS, 5(3), 160–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kafer, R., Lago, D., Wamboldt, P., & Harrington, F. (1995). The Pet Relationship Scale: replication of psychometric properties in random samples and association with attitudes toward wild animals. ANTHROZOÖS, 5, 93–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellert, S. (1985). Effects of having pets at home on children’s attitudes toward popular and unpopular animals. Journal of Environmental Education, 3, 29–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellert, S., & Berry, J. (1987). Attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors toward wildlife as affected by gender. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 15(3), 336–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerns, K. A., Tomich, P. L., Aspelmeier, J. E., & Contreras, J. M. (2000). Attachment-based assessments of parent–child relationships in middle childhood. Developmental Psychology, 36(5), 614.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, A. H., & Kidd, R. M. (1980). Personality characteristics and preferences in pet ownership. Psychological Reports, 46, 939–949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, A. H., & Kidd, R. M. (1990). Factors in children’s attitudes toward pets. Psychological Reports, 66(3 Pt 1), 775–786.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, P. (1993). A handbook of psychological testing. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruger, K., McCune, S., & Merrill, R. (2012). WALTHMAN pocket book of human-animal interactions. Leicester: Beyond Design Solutions Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurdek, L. A. (2008). Pet dogs as attachment figures. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(2), 247–266. doi:10.1177/0265407507087958.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, D., McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (1998). Dogs for the disabled: benefits to recipients and welfare of the dog. Applied Animal Behavioural Science, 59(1), 49–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsden, P. V., & Wright, J. D. (2010). Handbook of survey research. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, F., & Farnum, J. (2002). Animal-assisted therapy for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 24(6), 657–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCardle, P., McCune, S., Griffin, J. A., Esposito, L., & Freund, L. S. (2011). Animals in our lives: human-animal interaction in family, community, & therapeutic settings. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (1995). The end of a relationship: Coping with pet loss. In I. Robinson (Ed.), The Waltham book of human–animal interaction: Benefits and responsibilities of pet ownership (pp. 127–143). Oxford: Pergamon.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (2000). Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: robustness of the effect. British Journal of Psychology, 91(Pt 1), 61–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNicholas, J., Gilbey, A., Rennie, A., Ahmedzai, S., Dono, J. A., & Ormerod, E. (2005). Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues. British Medical Journal, 331(7527), 1252–1254. doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melson, F. (1990). Studying Children’s Attachment to their Pets: A Conceptual and Methodological Review. ANTHROZOÖS, 4(2), 9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melson, G. F., Peet, S. & Sparks, C. (1991). Children’s attachment to their pets: links to socio-emotional development. Children’s Environments Quarterly, 8(2), 55–65. 

  • Miltiades, H., & Shearer, J. (2011). Attachment to Pet Dogs and Depression in Rural Older Adults. ANTHROZOÖS, 24(2), 147–154. doi:10.2752/175303711x12998632257585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muldoon, J., & Williams, J. (2010). Developing questions for the HBSC study: Findings from the Defra- funded project ‘Promoting a Duty of Care towards animals among young people’. (pp. 1–9): University of Edinburgh.

  • Muldoon, J., Williams, J., Lawrence, L., Lakestani, N., & Currie, C. (2009). Promoting a ‘Duty of Care’ towards animals among children and young people: a literature review and findings from initial research to inform the development of interventions http://www.cahru.org/publications/reports.

  • Muldoon, J., Williams, J., & Lawrence, A. (2014). Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’: Children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets. Childhood. doi:10.1177/0907568214524457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munsell, K. L., Canfield, M., Templer, D. I., Tangan, K., & Arikawa, H. (2004). Modification of the Pet Attitude Scale. Society & Animals, 12(2), 137–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, K. R., & Myors, B. (2004). Statistical power analysis: A simple and general model for traditional and modern hypothesis tests (2nd ed.). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nafstad, P., Magnus, P., Gaarder, P. I., & Jaakkola, J. J. K. (2001). Exposure to pets and atopy-related diseases in the first 4 years of life. Allergy, 56(4), 307–312. doi:10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00881.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nebbe, L. (2001). The elementary school counselor and the HCAB. In P. Salloto (Ed.), Pet Assisted therapy: A loving intervention and a emerging profession: leading to a friendlier, healthier, and more peaceful world. Norton: D.J. Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • NRS (2012). Urban Rural Classification, 2012. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About/Methodology/UrbanRuralClassification/Urban–rural-Classification-2011-12/Urban–rural-2011-2012-PDF. Accessed 20/11/2013 2013.

  • Nunnaly, J. (1978). Psychometric Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Haire, M. (2010). Companion animals and human health: Benefits, challenges, and the road ahead. Journal of Veterinary Behavior-Clinical Applications and Research, 5(5), 226–234. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2010.02.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odendaal, J. S. J., & Meintjes, R. A. (2003). Neurophysiological correlates of affiliative behaviour between humans and dogs. Veterinary Journal, 165(3), 296–301. doi:10.1016/S1090-0233(02)00237-X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ownby, D. R., Johnson, C. C., & Peterson, E. L. (2002). Exposure to dogs and cats in the first year of life and risk of allergic sensitization at 6 to 7 years of age. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(8), 963–972. doi:10.1001/jama.288.8.963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, G. B., Gayed, A., Owen, C. A., Hyett, M. P., Hilton, T. M., & Heruc, G. A. (2010). Survival following an acute coronary syndrome: a pet theory put to the test. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 121(1), 65–70. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01410.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poresky, R. H., & Daniels, A. M. (1998). Demographics of pet presence and attachment. ANTHROZOOS, 11(4), 236–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prato-Previde, E., Fallani, G., & Valsecchi, P. (2006). Gender differences in owners interacting with pet dogs: An observational study. Ethology, 112(1), 64–73. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01123.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prokop, P., & Tunnicliffe, S. D. (2010). Effects of having pets at home on children’s attitudes toward popular and unpopular animals. ANTHROZOÖS, 1, 21–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ravens-Sieberer, U., Erhart, M., Rajmil, L., Herdman, M., Auquier, P., Bruil, J., et al. (2010). Reliability, construct and criterion validity of the KIDSCREEN-10 score: a short measure for children and adolescents’ well-being and health-related quality of life. Quality of Life Research, 19(10), 1487–1500. doi:10.1007/s11136-010-9706-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, C., Freeman, J., Samdal, O., Schnohr, C. W., de Looze, M. E., Nic Gabhainn, S., et al. (2009). The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: methodological developments and current tensions. International Journal of Public Health, 54(Suppl 2), 140–150. doi:10.1007/s00038-009-5405-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rynearson, E. K. (1978). Humans and Pets and Attachment. British Journal of Psychiatry, 133(Dec), 550–555. doi:10.1192/bjp.133.6.550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Serpell, J. A., & Paul, E. S. (2011). Pets in the family: An evolutionary perspective. In C. Salmon & T. Shackelford (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Family Psychology (pp. 297–309). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, J. M. (1995). Pet ownership and the importance of pets among adolescents. ANTHROZOÖS, 8(4), 217–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobo, E. J., Eng, B., & Kassity-Krich, N. (2006). Canine Visitation (Pet) Therapy: Pilot Data on Decreases in Child Pain Perception. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 24(1), 51–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sprinkle, J. E. (2008). Animals, empathy, and violence: Can animals be used to convey principles of prosocial behavior to children? Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 1, 47–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Staats, S., Miller, D., Carnot, M. J., Rada, K., & Turnes, J. (1996). The Miller-Rada Commitment to Pets Scale. ANTHROZOÖS, 9, 88–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, H., Steele, M., & Fonagy, P. (1996). Associations among attachment classifications of mothers, fathers, and their infants. Child Development, 67(2), 541–555.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, L. T. (1990). Attachment to pets among eighth graders. ANTHROZOÖS, 3, 177–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straatman, I., Hanson, E. K. S., Endenburg, N., & Mol, J. A. (1997). The influence of a dog on male students during a stressor. ANTHROZOÖS, 10(4), 191–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Streiner, D., & Norman, G. (2003). Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to their Development and Use. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using Multivariate Statistics (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Templer, D. I., Salter, C. A., Dickey, S., Baldwin, R., & Veleber, D. M. (1981). The construction of a pet attitude scale. Psychological Record, 31, 343–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanhoutte, B. A., & Jarvis, P. A. (1995). The Role of Pets in Preadolescent Psychosocial Development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16(3), 463–479. doi:10.1016/0193-3973(95)90030-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vidovic, V., Stetic, V., & Bratko, D. (1999). Pet ownership, type of pet and socio-emotional development of school children. ANTHROZOÖS, 12(4), 211–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vittinghoff, E., Shiboski, S., & McCulloch, C. E. (2005). Regression methods in biostatistics: Springer.

  • Vockell, E., & Hodal, F. (1980). Developing humane attitudes: What does research tell us. Humane Education, 2, 19–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wardle, J., Robb, K., & Johnson, F. (2002). Assessing socioeconomic status in adolescents: the validity of a home affluence scale. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 56(8), 595–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb, T. L., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Does changing behavioral intentions engender behaviour change? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 132(2), 249–268. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.2.249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, I. B., & Craighead, W. E. (2010). The corsini encyclopedia of psychology (Vol. 4): Wiley.

  • Westgarth, C., Heron, J., Ness, A. R., Bundred, P., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., et al. (2010). Family Pet Ownership during Childhood: Findings from a UK Birth Cohort and Implications for Public Health Research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(10), 3704–3729. doi:10.3390/ijerph7103704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westgarth, C., Boddy, L. M., Stratton, G., German, A. J., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., et al. (2013). Pet ownership, dog types and attachment to pets in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK. BMC Veterinary Research, 9, 102. doi:10.1186/1746-6148-9-102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. M., Muldoon, J., & Lawrence, A. (2010). Children and their pets: Exploring the relationships between pet ownership, pet attitudes, attachment to pets and empathy. Education and Health, 28(1), 12–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, J. D., Kritz-Silverstein, D., Morton, D. J., Wingard, D. L., & Barrett-Connor, E. (2007). Pet ownership and blood pressure in old age. Epidemiology, 18(5), 613–618. doi:10.1097/Ede.0b013e3181271398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zilcha-Mano, S., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2011). An attachment perspective on human-pet relationships: Conceptualization and assessment of pet attachment orientations. Journal of Research in Personality, 45(4), 345–357. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2011.04.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The findings presented belong to “An investigation of 13–17 year olds’ attitudes and behaviour to animals and development and testing of interventions to promote the concept of Duty of Care”(SMDO-ZGLD15) which was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The national HBSC teams in England and Scotland are acknowledged as is the International HBSC Study (Dorothy Currie).

Competing interests

The authors declare not competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit (CAHRU), University of St Andrew, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TF, UK

    Ferran Marsa-Sambola, Janine Muldoon & Candace Currie

  2. Clinical Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Joanne Williams

  3. Scotland’s Rural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK

    Alistair Lawrence & Melanie Connor

Authors
  1. Ferran Marsa-Sambola
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Janine Muldoon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joanne Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alistair Lawrence
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Melanie Connor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Candace Currie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ferran Marsa-Sambola.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Marsa-Sambola, F., Muldoon, J., Williams, J. et al. The Short Attachment to Pets Scale (SAPS) for Children and Young People: Development, Psychometric Qualities and Demographic and Health Associations. Child Ind Res 9, 111–131 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-015-9303-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-015-9303-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation