“My Pet is More-Than-Animal to Me”: Personality Profiles in the Context of Attachment to Companion Animals
“My Pet is More-Than-Animal to Me”: Personality Profiles in the Context of Attachment to Companion Animals
Author(s): MAGDALENA Agnieszka KOTUSSubject(s): Psychology, Personality Psychology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: personality; companion animals; attachment; the Big Five; profiles
Summary/Abstract: The study aims to explore the configurations of personality traits in the context of attachment to companion animals. A total of 426 Polish participants (aged 18–77; M = 32.08, SD = 10.53) completed online measures of Big Five traits, Attachment to Pets, and demographic data. Cluster analysis identified personality-based groups. The first cluster is characterized by sociability, openness to new experiences, and emotional stability, showing lower pet attachment. The second cluster is characterized by neuroticism, closeness to novelty, and socializing. The third cluster is characterized by low openness to experience, persistence, and a need for predictability. Both latter clusters showed higher pet attachment. Findings indicate that personality profiles differentiate individuals regarding their attachment to nonhuman animals.
Journal: ZOOPHILOLOGICA. Polish Journal of Animal Studies
- Issue Year: 1/2026
- Issue No: 17
- Page Range: 1-22
- Page Count: 22
- Language: English
