• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.101-114
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• 2023

Pets are increasingly becoming vital companions in human life, prompting researchers to focus on understanding the grief experiences of pet owners. Unlike other forms of loss, pet loss often leads to complicated grief, characterized by intense and prolonged sorrow. This is likely due to the comparatively lower societal value placed on the human-pet relationship, which may restrict pet owners from feeling truly understood by others. The subjective perception of these "social constraints" significantly hampers the process of recovering from pet loss and contributes to the development of complicated grief. In this study, we hypothesize that the perceived social constraints could intensify the transition from the initial shock of pet loss to complicated grief. The results confirm that pet owners' perceived social constraints play a moderating role in the relationship between the shock of pet loss and complicated grief. Notably, pet owners experience heightened levels of complicated grief when perceiving greater social barriers and constraints. By highlighting the pivotal role of perceived social constraints in comprehending the experiences of pet loss and grief, this study underscores the importance of social awareness and improvement.