A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON LONELINESS AND WELL-BEING IN PET OWNER AND NON-PET OWNER HOUSEWIVES IN MIDDLE ADULTHOOD
In the present cross-cultural study Well-being has always been an important concept for study and research. It is said to determine psycho-social functional of individuals. The objective of the study is to see if there is any difference in the level of loneliness and well-being. And to see if there is any relation between loneliness and well-being in pet owner and non-pet-owner middle adulthood housewives. In the present study 60 middle adulthood women within the age group of 40 to 60 years was included. They were divided into two groups Pet owners (N=30) and non- pet owner (N=30). They were selected on the basis of the criteria of inclusion and then all the women interested in the study were requested to fill in responses for loneliness and well-being scale. To fulfill the objectives, UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, D, Peplau, L.A. & Ferguson, M. L. 1978), and Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale- ( Ryff 1989). Then the data was subjected to appropriate statistical analysis such as descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test). Pearson correlation was also computed in this case. The result of the present study showed that both the group (Pet owner and non-pet owner middle adulthood housewife) differs significantly in well-being but not in loneliness. Here non-pet owner group has significantly low well-being. Where there is no such difference in loneliness in both the groups. Where correlation is considered between loneliness and well-being, it is positively correlated in pet owner group but negatively correlated in non-pet owner group and is higher in this group.
Keywords: Loneliness, Well-being, Pet owner, Housewife, Middle Adulthood
