Be Better. Be Well: Animals as Conduits for Stress Management; An Examination of How Pets Act as a Form of Pet-Related Social Support (PRSS) Between Work Stress and Well-Being

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Organization Development & Change (D.O.D.C.)

Department

Organization Development

First Advisor

Michael Zickar (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Daniel Wiegmann (Other)

Third Advisor

David Haeseen Park (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Margaret Brooks (Committee Member)

Abstract

Companion animals are increasingly recognized as important sources of emotional support and well-being. Although prior research has demonstrated positive associations between pet ownership and mental health outcomes, limited research has examined whether pet-related social support (PRSS) buffers the negative effects of work stress on well-being. Guided by the Conservation of Resources Theory, this study investigated the extent to which PRSS moderates the relationship between work stress and well-being among employed adults. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 603 employed adults in the United States, including 388 pet owners and 215 non-pet owners. Measures included work stress, general stress, perceived social support, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, job satisfaction, pet-related social support, pet attachment, and perceived pet-related spending. Pearson correlations, independent-samples t-tests, hierarchical moderation analyses using PROCESS Model 1, and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to evaluate the study hypotheses. Open-ended responses from pet owners were also analyzed using thematic coding procedures. Results indicated that work stress was significantly and negatively associated with both life satisfaction and psychological well-being. Contrary to expectations, pet-related social support did not significantly moderate the relationship between work stress and well-being outcome. Similarly, pet attachment did not significantly strengthen the relationship between work stress and well-being. Pet owners reported significantly greater levels of general social support and life satisfaction than non-pet owners, although no significant differences were observed for psychological well-being, general stress, or job satisfaction. Perceived pet-related spending was not significantly associated with either well-being measure. Exploratory analyses demonstrated that both life satisfaction and psychological well-being were significant predictors of job satisfaction; however, pet-related social support did not moderate these relationships. Open text response findings revealed that most pet owners described their companion animals as highly supportive sources of emotional comfort, companionship, stress relief, and unconditional support. These findings suggest that while companion animals may contribute positively to perceived social support and life satisfaction, pet-related social support did not function as a significant stress-buffering mechanism in the present study. Implications for occupational well-being, human-animal interaction research, and future investigations of pet-related support systems are discussed.

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