Thesis Bachelor of Science in Psychology University of Rizal System-Morong 2023

This study, entitled "Exploring the Relevance of Pet Ownership to Academic Stress and Psychological Well-Being of Students," was conducted during the school year 2023-2024. Existing literature has provided inconsistent results, and there needs to be more research specifically focused on the influence of pet ownership on students' psychological well-being, knowing that they have had unique experiences as students encountering academic stress. This study aims to further explore the relevance of pet ownership to students' psychological well-being and academic stress. Six respondents are university students and pet owners residing in Rizal, determined using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The study used an Explanatory Sequential research design to gather data and determine the relevance of pet ownership to psychological well-being and academic stress. An 18-item version of Ryff's psychological well-being scale has been used to identify the respondents' psychological well-being level. Meanwhile, the 21-item Lakaev academic stress response scale (LASRS) has been used to determine the level of academic stress. A researcher-made interview questionnaire was used to learn about the respondents' experiences with their pets. The collected data were then interpreted and summarized. The study revealed that the respondents displayed strong psychological well-being despite facing high academic stress. The researchers found that being a pet owner played a significant role in this, as it helped the respondents develop a sense of responsibility, independence, and personal growth. Owning a pet also provided a sense of purpose and control, facilitated the development of interpersonal relationships, and boosted the respondents' self-worth. These findings suggest that pet ownership contributes to positive psychological well-being among students, even in high-stress academic environments. For general recommendations, the researchers suggest limiting the respondents to having a single, specific type of pet. Also, it is recommended that universities implement pet-related activities after examination day to be administered by the school organizations to improve students' well-being.