Introduction: Migration to a new culture is a stressful process and much research has been conducted in the search for strategies to facilitate successful acculturation. Meanwhile, companion animals have been found, in many stressful circumstances, to provide owners with psychological and social support. This study addressed the question of whether pet-ownership is beneficial in assisting acculturating individuals.
Methodology: A sample of 134 adults (19 males, 48 females, 1 other) residing in Australia, whose origins were Vietnamese, were recruited. The survey comprised of demographic and pet-ownership questions and four scales: Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS); Vancouver Index of Acculturation Scale; Revised Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (SCAS-R); and Pet Attitude Scale-Modified (PAS-M). Pet owners (n = 22) also completed Cat/Dog-Owner’s Perceived Relationship Scale (C/DORS). Analyses were planned to test hypotheses regarding the effects of several factors on acculturation outcomes and to explore effects of pet-ownership on satisfaction with life after controlling for other relevant variables.
Main Results: ANOVA tests suggested that participants who adopted integration and marginalisation strategies, respectively, had the highest and lowest means scores on both the SWLS and the SCAS-R. Path analysis suggested that more positive attitudes towards the host culture were correlated with higher SCAS-R scores (p < .001, r = .61, SE = .07), which, in turn, predicted higher SWLS scores (p < .05, r = .25, SE = .06). Although very few participants owned pets, after controlling for the effects of acculturation strategy and the SCAS-R on the SWLS, pet-ownership remained significantly associated with higher SWLS (p < .05, r = .18, SE = 1.19).
Principal Conclusions and Implications for Field: The findings confirm previous studies in suggesting a protective role for adopting an integration acculturation strategy. They also identify that more positive attitudes towards the host culture predict better sociocultural adaptation, which, in turn, leads to greater satisfaction with life. The study also tentatively identified a positive role for pets, although, given the extremely low number of pet owners recruited, it was concluded that barriers to pet ownership affecting acculturating individuals require further research.