With the increasing popularity of pet ownership globally, the emotional bond between humans and pets is deepening, extending the classic interpersonal relationship concept of social dominance to this relationship.
This study, based on social dominan...
With the increasing popularity of pet ownership globally, the emotional bond between humans and pets is deepening, extending the classic interpersonal relationship concept of social dominance to this relationship.
This study, based on social dominance theory, empirically analyzes the impact of pet-free time and pet-human social dominance tendencies on compensatory consumption intentions and examines the mediating role of pet-related guilt. Furthermore, this study examines the interaction between pet-free time and social dominance tendencies and explores the pathways through which these factors influence compensatory consumption intentions.
This study collected data through a questionnaire survey of 232 pet owners in China and used regression analysis to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that the interaction between pet-free time and pet-human social dominance tendencies influences pets' compensatory consumption intentions, and pet-related guilt serves as a mediating factor in this process.
This research has significant academic and practical implications. It extends the application of social dominance theory to the field of human-animal relationships, providing practical guidance for the pet industry to accurately understand consumers' compensatory consumption motivations and develop differentiated marketing strategies.