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Journal of European Psychology Students, Vol. 3, 2012 16 difficulties, some studies concerning the human-pet attachment and interpersonal closeness have been performed. Beck and Madresh (2008) tried to extend the application of the standard model of adult attachment to the relationship with pets. The structure of the dimensions of insecurity measured with the Experience in Close Relationships – Revised questionnaire (ECR- R; Fraley et al., 2000) and Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) was similar for pet and partner relationships, but ratings of pet relationships correlated little or not at all with the ratings of partner relationships. Relationships with pets were more secure on every measure. The research of Quinn (2005) has shown similar results – the pet attachment construct measured with the Companion Animal Bonding Scale (CABS; Poresky, Hendrix, Mosier, & Samuelson, 1987) was not significantly correlated with attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, anxiety, or depression. Because dogs and cats comprise the vast majority of animals kept as pets, instruments for assessing attachment primarily reflect the types of interactions possible with these two species. A study of pet attachment in the general population reported no differences between dog owners and cat owners, although dog owners and cat owners as individual groups scored significantly higher than owners of other pets (Vizek Vidović, Vlahović Stetić, & Bratko, 1999). Other previous studies (Zasloff, 1996; Winefield, Black, & Chur- Hansen, 2008) showed that dog owners are more attached to their pets than cat owners. Those results could be a consequence of the fact that in pet attachment instruments, some items only described activities typical of dogs. When items more descriptive of dog behavior were eliminated, dog owners and cat owners showed similar scores on the Comfort from Companion Animals Scale (CCAS; Zasloff, 1996). Winefield et al. (2008) reached similar conclusions – on a scale measuring the emotional aspect of the owner-pet relationship there were no significant differences between cat owners and dog owners. Notably, the alternative explanation of emerging differences on pet attachment scales between cat owners and dog owners, which claims that cat owners and dog owners have different personalities or expectations of their pet is contradicted in Serpell's research (1996), where participants showed no differences in describing the ideal despite whether if they described a dog or a cat. Conversely, Serpell (1996) found differences in cat and dog behavior – he describes cats as more unpredictable and distrustful. Other authors like Valentinčič (2003) note that dogs demand more individual care than other companion animals. A study of veterinary hospital clients reported significantly higher scores among dog owners on the Relationship Maintenance subscale of the Pet Attachment Survey (PAS; Holcomb, Williams, & Richards, 1985), but found no differences between dog owners and cat owners on the Intimacy subscale of the same instrument. „Relationship maintenance‟ was defined by various types of physical and interactive behaviors such as training, grooming, and obedience of the animal, while „intimacy‟ was defined by attitudes and feelings such as regarding the pet as a family member, enjoying physical closeness, and seeking comfort in the animal. Similar results on the PAS subscales were obtained in a study of pet ownership and generativity (concern for the next generation) among young adults (Marks, Koepke, & Bradley, 1994). In the study of Winefield et al. (2008) and Quinn (2005) women reported higher attachment levels to pets than men. Vizek Vidović et al. (1999) also found higher pet attachment levels in girls (based on a study on a population of primary school students from Zagreb). Social support According to Van Houte and Jarvis (1995) pet-owner relationships can serve as a substitute for other social relationships. Companionship - a commonly stated reason for pet ownership - is regarded as theoretically distinct from social support because it does not offer extrinsic support but provides intrinsic rewards, such as shared pleasure in recreation, relaxation, and uncensored spontaneity, all of which add to quality of life (McNicholas et al., 2005). There is some evidence that people who score high on pet attachment indices have fewer social networks (Stallones, Marx, Garrity, & Johnson, 1990) and more prevalent negative life events, such as bereavement (Nynke, 1990,

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