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Much has been written about the relationship between animals and humans. I have during the last 4 months, read with mounting interest the various psychological studies attempting to explain animal-human-nonhuman relationships, theoretical hypothesis of why the human-pet bond is one-sided [or not], plenty research on what we as humans receive from animals - from eggs to exotic dishes, enough to make me a vegetarian!
Kidd & Kidd (1987) states "The best that can be said is that sometimes, under some circumstances, and in some ways, human-animal relationships are analogous to animal-animal, or to human-human, or to human-object relationships". Finally, they conclude that although all the theories explain some of the human-animal bond, none of them adequately explain the bond because they all are incomplete.
I have to agree. Self-psychology, however, came up with the interesting concept of self-object. In self-psychology, two of the main concepts are "self" and "selfobject." To maintain a healthy sense of self, people need certain responses from the environment that will maintain and promote this sense of self. Animals for example, can be called selfobject functions. Research has shown that companion animals can have a calming effect on people, reduce heart-rate and so forth; and also, provide the unconditional love which is
becoming increasingly more elusive in our rat-race living. Companion animals may actually be able to provide consistent and trustworthy selfobjects in a way that humans or other things cannot.
To be defined as a selfobject, the animal or experience must "evoke, maintain and give cohesion to the self". In particular, it is the individual's inner experience of some aspect of the selfobject that is felt to maintain, bring out, or hold together the sense of self for example the supportive function the animal provides to the human is the selfobject function. The reliance or dependency on a selfobject can be quite intense and crucial to a person's sense of wellbeing…when separated the person experiences emptiness, depression, or
disintegration until re-united or an alternate selfobject is found.
Given the internal turmoil that is so often experienced when losing an important animal as a selfobject, it is easy to understand why people spend thousands on veterinary bills (or on Pet Medical Funds such as in my case) trying to keep their animal companions healthy and alive. In such a case, the person may be
(consciously or unconsciously) striving desperately to maintain the core of the whole personality by keeping the companion animal alive.
Self-psychology as a theory lends understanding to why people may place such a high value on their relationships with companion animals. People may be relying on the animal to mirror the love and joy in their world. In some cases, it becomes their only love and joy.
What Self-psychology, nor other theories really explain, is the bond between humans and wild animals (Kevin Richardson, the South African Lion Whisperer, might have something to add here: http://www.lionwhisperer.co.za).
Sometimes there simply forms a bond that is unexplainable. Unique to the individuals, and to the animals. The researcher Conrad Lorenzo attempted to explain Imprinting but still it does not explain to me personally why some humans tend to form bonds with animals (where there is no imprinting) that should in fact, be roaming wild and free. Animals such as Adari.
I have written before on Adari, the duck ("Duck loves mum best – can ducks re-imprint?" http://www.goodpsychology.net/1/archives/03-2013/1.html). I have pondered her connection to me in terms of possible secondary imprinting. What I have not considered, is the mutual bonding.
Adari is now about 4 months. She has learnt to fly. During the last 4 weeks I have moved my office outside (laptop, books, and so on) so I can keep an eye on her while working (In order to rehabilitate her successfully, she also needs to get to know her environment). And how we both love being together! Wednesday afternoon late she suddenly took off and did not come back as usual. I couldn't find her, even when stumbling through the dark and fighting through elephant dung and thorny trees with only a torch as companion until late night. I didn't care about the lions…. For that matter I was in such a mood I think any lion would have sidestepped me very carefully. The next morning found me crawling grit trying to track her (yes, really) and examining all types of aviary dung.
By Thursday mid-day, I was in total shock. Barely a month before, I have lost my father. I really did not see my way forward losing her as well. All I could think of was Adari dead, not being able to survive a night in the winter cold, believing her mother forsake her, I was not there to protect her. During the night each jackal or hyena call brought chills to my bones. I barely slept. Besides, my stingy and swollen eyes hurt too much. While the intention was always there to rehab her, it was way too soon for a 4-month juvenile who still thought it safe to curl up and sleep under the open skies during the day and at night, favoured crawling under the covers cuddling to her "mother's" tummy.
Friday morning 0615 she arrived. From far. Sneezing constantly and bone (wing?) -tired. She spent the whole day sleeping, and for me it was more than enough simply lying next to her, watching her.
The road forward? I don't know yet. This morning Adari unexpectedly jumped into the bath tub with me, splashing and playing (fortunately no pictures!) I have placed her in her original duck house outside, Monday the wings will be trimmed. .. not permanently, but until spring or summer and she is fully grown and can join her peers.
Psychologists may say what they will. Self-Psychology will probably have a ball analysing my need for Adari. For myself, animals functioning as mirroring selfobjects bring out my capacity to love and nurture. When any of them are sick, or threatened, I feel as if a part of myself is lost or has died. What I think I receive most from my animals is their unconditional love. And that I need, as I also have plenty unconditional love to return.
I still have no answers for the unique bond, though I believe I get more from her than she from me.
In the meantime, before you criticise or laugh at someone losing a beloved pet, think again. Understanding the selfobject functions the animal has been providing should make you more empathic toward those who mourn. They so often experience the animal as an integral part of themselves, more so than their
human partners. Losing these perceived aspects of oneself is so much more traumatic than simply losing the animal. Sometimes a companion animal may also be a person's strongest – or only- link to life
itself.
References
Kidd, A. H., & Kidd, R. M. (1987). Seeking a theory of the human/companion animal bond. Anthrozoös, 1 (3), 140-157.
Lagoni, L., Butler, C., & Hetts, S. (1994). The human-animal bond and grief. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders& Co.
Wolf, E. S. (1988). Treating the self: Elements of clinical self psychology. New York: The Guilford Press.
Kidd & Kidd (1987) states "The best that can be said is that sometimes, under some circumstances, and in some ways, human-animal relationships are analogous to animal-animal, or to human-human, or to human-object relationships". Finally, they conclude that although all the theories explain some of the human-animal bond, none of them adequately explain the bond because they all are incomplete.
I have to agree. Self-psychology, however, came up with the interesting concept of self-object. In self-psychology, two of the main concepts are "self" and "selfobject." To maintain a healthy sense of self, people need certain responses from the environment that will maintain and promote this sense of self. Animals for example, can be called selfobject functions. Research has shown that companion animals can have a calming effect on people, reduce heart-rate and so forth; and also, provide the unconditional love which is
becoming increasingly more elusive in our rat-race living. Companion animals may actually be able to provide consistent and trustworthy selfobjects in a way that humans or other things cannot.
To be defined as a selfobject, the animal or experience must "evoke, maintain and give cohesion to the self". In particular, it is the individual's inner experience of some aspect of the selfobject that is felt to maintain, bring out, or hold together the sense of self for example the supportive function the animal provides to the human is the selfobject function. The reliance or dependency on a selfobject can be quite intense and crucial to a person's sense of wellbeing…when separated the person experiences emptiness, depression, or
disintegration until re-united or an alternate selfobject is found.
Given the internal turmoil that is so often experienced when losing an important animal as a selfobject, it is easy to understand why people spend thousands on veterinary bills (or on Pet Medical Funds such as in my case) trying to keep their animal companions healthy and alive. In such a case, the person may be
(consciously or unconsciously) striving desperately to maintain the core of the whole personality by keeping the companion animal alive.
Self-psychology as a theory lends understanding to why people may place such a high value on their relationships with companion animals. People may be relying on the animal to mirror the love and joy in their world. In some cases, it becomes their only love and joy.
What Self-psychology, nor other theories really explain, is the bond between humans and wild animals (Kevin Richardson, the South African Lion Whisperer, might have something to add here: http://www.lionwhisperer.co.za).
Sometimes there simply forms a bond that is unexplainable. Unique to the individuals, and to the animals. The researcher Conrad Lorenzo attempted to explain Imprinting but still it does not explain to me personally why some humans tend to form bonds with animals (where there is no imprinting) that should in fact, be roaming wild and free. Animals such as Adari.
I have written before on Adari, the duck ("Duck loves mum best – can ducks re-imprint?" http://www.goodpsychology.net/1/archives/03-2013/1.html). I have pondered her connection to me in terms of possible secondary imprinting. What I have not considered, is the mutual bonding.
Adari is now about 4 months. She has learnt to fly. During the last 4 weeks I have moved my office outside (laptop, books, and so on) so I can keep an eye on her while working (In order to rehabilitate her successfully, she also needs to get to know her environment). And how we both love being together! Wednesday afternoon late she suddenly took off and did not come back as usual. I couldn't find her, even when stumbling through the dark and fighting through elephant dung and thorny trees with only a torch as companion until late night. I didn't care about the lions…. For that matter I was in such a mood I think any lion would have sidestepped me very carefully. The next morning found me crawling grit trying to track her (yes, really) and examining all types of aviary dung.
By Thursday mid-day, I was in total shock. Barely a month before, I have lost my father. I really did not see my way forward losing her as well. All I could think of was Adari dead, not being able to survive a night in the winter cold, believing her mother forsake her, I was not there to protect her. During the night each jackal or hyena call brought chills to my bones. I barely slept. Besides, my stingy and swollen eyes hurt too much. While the intention was always there to rehab her, it was way too soon for a 4-month juvenile who still thought it safe to curl up and sleep under the open skies during the day and at night, favoured crawling under the covers cuddling to her "mother's" tummy.
Friday morning 0615 she arrived. From far. Sneezing constantly and bone (wing?) -tired. She spent the whole day sleeping, and for me it was more than enough simply lying next to her, watching her.
The road forward? I don't know yet. This morning Adari unexpectedly jumped into the bath tub with me, splashing and playing (fortunately no pictures!) I have placed her in her original duck house outside, Monday the wings will be trimmed. .. not permanently, but until spring or summer and she is fully grown and can join her peers.
Psychologists may say what they will. Self-Psychology will probably have a ball analysing my need for Adari. For myself, animals functioning as mirroring selfobjects bring out my capacity to love and nurture. When any of them are sick, or threatened, I feel as if a part of myself is lost or has died. What I think I receive most from my animals is their unconditional love. And that I need, as I also have plenty unconditional love to return.
I still have no answers for the unique bond, though I believe I get more from her than she from me.
In the meantime, before you criticise or laugh at someone losing a beloved pet, think again. Understanding the selfobject functions the animal has been providing should make you more empathic toward those who mourn. They so often experience the animal as an integral part of themselves, more so than their
human partners. Losing these perceived aspects of oneself is so much more traumatic than simply losing the animal. Sometimes a companion animal may also be a person's strongest – or only- link to life
itself.
References
Kidd, A. H., & Kidd, R. M. (1987). Seeking a theory of the human/companion animal bond. Anthrozoös, 1 (3), 140-157.
Lagoni, L., Butler, C., & Hetts, S. (1994). The human-animal bond and grief. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders& Co.
Wolf, E. S. (1988). Treating the self: Elements of clinical self psychology. New York: The Guilford Press.
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