Abstract
The authors studied adolescent‐pet bonding and bereavement following pet loss. Three hypotheses were entertained: (a) Adolescents who are highly bonded to a pet experience more intense grief when it dies than do those less bonded: (b) degree of bonding, when measured by self‐disclosure, is greater for girls than for boys; and (c) intensity of bereavement is greater for girls than for boys. To test the hypotheses and provide descriptive data about bonding to various species, 55 adolescents who had recently experienced pet death were administered background questionnaires, Companion Animal Bonding Scales (Poresky, Hendrix, & Mosier, 1987), Pet Attitude Scales (Poresky, Hendrix, & Mosier, 1988), and Texas Inventory of Grief Scales (Faschingbauer, 1981). Results supported the hypotheses. Suggestions for counselors are offered.
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