Psychosocial Aspects of Elder Women Living with Pets: An Alternative Social Interaction

Abstract

This study searched to apprehend the social representations about the interaction with pets elaborated by elders female, considering its benefits and risks. Took part 200 elders female, distributed into two groups, from the living or not with pets. It was applied a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Technique of Free Association of Words, from the stimulus-inductor “pet”, “benefits”, “risks”, “health”, “disease” and “myself”. The results shown that elders female that lived with pets supported the social representations of animals in alternative social interactions associated to lack of human affection. They expressed the absence of risks in contact with the animals, adopting defensive conduct in relation to stimulus, directed to search of mental balance, in silent fight to survive to anguish of solitude. It observed that net of meanings surpass the simple own of a mascot and assumed a stance concerning to movings of affects. It was discussed the limitations of study, suggesting the increase of sample and techniques of collect data, as mode to increase its range and its social applicability.