The Genesis and Correlates of Attitudes Toward Pets

Pet Attitude Scale score (Templer, Salter, Dickey, Baldwin, and Veleber 1981) of adolescents was best predicted both in univariate and multivariate analyses by Pet Attitude Scale score of the adolescent's mother and by the presence or absence of a pet in the home. The pet attitude of daughters correlated more highly with the pet attitude of their mothers and their fathers than did the pet attitude of the sons. A noteworthy finding was the virtual absence of any relationship between pet attitude of fathers and pet attitude of sons. Other variables associated with higher pet attitudes of adolescents included not being afraid of animals, and on the Family Environment Scale, more expressiveness, more independence, less achievement orientation, and less control. Pet contact in school was not related to adolescent pet attitude.