In the social context of urbanization exacerbating the "loneliness epidemic" and the transformation of pets' roles from instrumental to emotional, this paper systematically reviews the application progress of attachment theory in cross-species relationships. Based on the core framework of Bowlby's attachment theory, this study integrates multidisciplinary perspectives of neurobiology, psychology, and ethics, and critically reviews existing results from a dual-dimensional perspective of time and topic through literature analysis and topic modeling. This paper found that human-pet attachment is based on a neurobiological foundation shared by mammals (oxytocin-cortisol bidirectional regulation, synchronous activation of the prefrontal-limbic system), and pets significantly improve insecure attachment through desocialized interactions, regular behaviors, and low-intensity emotional expressions. However, the validity of the scale transplantation is questionable, and the emotional overload of pets highlights ethical risks. In the future, it is necessary to develop cross-species attachment-specific tools, build a "neuro-ethical" dual-track assessment framework, and promote policy norms to balance human emotional needs and animal welfare.
Yuhan Lu (Mon,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: