- Pet ownership causally increases life satisfaction, comparable to the benefits of marriage or social interactions.
- The study utilized an instrumental variable approach to reveal the statistically significant effect, estimating a 3 to 4 point increase on a 7-point scale.
- Cat owners scored higher on openness and conscientiousness but lower on extraversion compared to dog owners.
- Pet owners had higher scores on openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion compared with non-pet owners.
Source: Social Indicators Research
