养宠物有益于人们的心理健康
Pets can serve as important sources of social and emotional support for "everyday people," not just individuals facing significant health challenges, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. And, the study found, pet owners were just as close to key people in their lives as to their animals, indicating no evidence that relationships with pets came at the expense of relationships with other people, or that people relied more on pets when their human social support was poorer.
Psychologists at Miami University and Saint Louis University conducted three experiments to examine the potential benefits of pet ownership among what they called everyday people. The results of the current study were reported in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology1, published online by APA.
"We observed evidence that pet owners fared better, both in terms of well-being2 outcomes and individual differences, than non-owners on several dimensions," said lead researcher Allen R. McConnell, PhD, of Miami University in Ohio. "Specifically, pet owners had greater self-esteem, were more physically3 fit, tended to be less lonely, were more conscientious4（认真的） , were more extraverted, tended to be less fearful and tended to be less preoccupied5 than non-owners."
Until now, most research into the benefits of pets has been correlational6, meaning it looked at the relationship between two variables but didn't show that one caused the other. For example, prior research showed that elderly Medicare patients with pets had fewer doctor visits than similar patients without pets, or that HIV-positive men with pets were less depressed7 than those without.
In this study, 217 people (79 percent women, mean age 31, mean annual family income $77,000) answered surveys aimed at determining whether pet owners in the group differed from people who didn't have pets in the areas of well-being, personality type and attachment8 style. Several differences between the groups emerged, and in all cases, pet owners were happier, healthier and better adjusted than were non-owners.
A second experiment, involving 56 dog owners (91 percent of whom were women, with a mean age of 42 and average annual family income of $65,000), examined whether pet owners benefit more when their pet is perceived to fulfill9 their social needs better. This study found greater well-being among owners whose dogs increased their feelings of belonging, self-esteem and meaningful existence.
The last study, comprising 97 undergraduates with an average age of 19, found that pets can make people feel better after experiencing rejection10. Subjects were asked to write about a time when they felt excluded. Then they were asked to write about their favorite pet, or to write about their favorite friend, or to draw a map of their campus. The researchers found that writing about pets was just as effective as writing about a friend when it came to staving off（避开，延缓） feelings of rejection.
"[T]he present work presents considerable evidence that pets benefit the lives of their owners, both psychologically and physically, by serving as an important source of social support," the researchers wrote. "Whereas past work has focused primarily on pet owners facing significant health challenges … the present study establishes that there are many positive consequences for everyday people who own pets."
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1 psychology n.心理，心理学，心理状态
参考例句：
She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。 He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。 2 well-being n.安康，安乐，幸福参考例句：
He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。 My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。 3 physically adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律参考例句：
He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。 Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。 4 conscientious adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的参考例句：
He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。 He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。 5 preoccupied adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)参考例句：
He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。 The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》 6 correlational 相关的参考例句：
Systematic research if anything tends to support such correlational data. 系统研究一下，如果有任何倾向支持这种相关性的数据。 A descriptive correlational method of investigation was implemented. 样本是高雄地区129位产后六周的产妇接受问卷调查。 7 depressed adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。 8 attachment n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附参考例句：
She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。 She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。 9 fulfill vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意参考例句：
If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。 This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。 10 rejection n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃参考例句：
He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。 The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。相关知识
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