New U of A tool decodes pet talk and may help explain how pets affect our well-being
Every "good girl," every "who wants a treat," every one-sided debate with the cat – University of Arizona researchers have found a way to measure it all.
The researchers developed the first reliable tool to analyze how people talk to their pets on a day-to-day basis. They found that one-tenth of the total time that pet owners spend talking is with their pets, and that no two owners sound quite alike. These findings may hold clues to why pets affect the well-being of some owners more than others.
"So many people who own a pet say, 'I know this pet makes a difference in my life,' and yet the studies keep coming up mixed," said Dr. Emily Bray, the study's senior author and an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. "We need objective data on what people are actually saying and how they are interacting with their pets to begin exploring why."
Dr. Emily Bray
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, is a collaboration between the U of A College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Psychology.