“Man's best friend:” How the presence of a dog reduces mental distress after social exclusion

A substantial amount of research shows that social exclusion is a threat to mental health. In the research reported here, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of a companion animal can serve as a buffer against these adverse effects. In a controlled laboratory experiment, we found that only socially excluded participants who did not work in the presence of a dog reported lower mental well-being compared with socially excluded participants who performed in the presence of a dog and participants who were not socially excluded. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

► Social exclusion is perceived as highly threatening to individuals' mental health.
► Presence of companion animals buffers the adverse effects of social exclusion.
► Participants were either socially excluded or included.
► Participants performed either in the presence or absence of a dog.
► Absence of a dog decreased mental well-being in socially excluded participants.