Despite the importance of pets in people’s lives and the possible emotional value of purchasing a pet, there is a lack of niche pet marketplaces. There is also a gap in research regarding the design of online marketplaces for finding pets and how users experience them. With this thesis project, I aim to touch upon that gap and provide insights to build upon in future research. This is achieved by providing recommendations of features that can enhance the user experience by addressing existing needs and concerns. To answer the research questions, interviews and a workshop were conducted followed by an analysis. Based on the findings, prototypes were designed and evaluated. Finally, the results of the study are discussed from a user experience perspective. / Trots betydelsen som husdjur kan ha i människors liv och det möjliga känslomässiga värdet av att köpa ett husdjur så finns det brist på nischade marknadsplatser där man kan köpa djur. Det saknas även forskning kring utformningen av digitala marknadsplatser för djur och hur användare upplever dessa. Med denna studie strävar jag efter att beröra detta ämne och bidra med insikter att bygga vidare på i framtida forskning. Detta uppnås genom att tillhandahålla rekommendationer om funktioner som kan förbättra användarupplevelsen genom att ta hänsyn till befintliga behov och problem. För att svara på forskningsfrågorna genomfördes intervjuer och en workshop följt av en analys. Baserat på resultaten utvecklades prototyper som sedan även utvärderades. Slutligen diskuteras studiens resultat ur perspektivet för användarupplevelse.

El objetivo de esta investigación es explorar las representaciones mentales del vínculo humano-animal en adultos responsables del cuidado de mascotas caninas quienes pertenecen al sector socioeconómico medio limeño. Para tal propósito, desde el paradigma cualitativo, se utilizó un diseño fenomenológico a partir de un grupo heterogéneo, ubicado dentro de los tres estadíos del desarrollo humano adulto propuestos por Papalia et al. (2012). Los participantes oscilan entre 21 y 65 años, siendo los dueños y responsables totales de una mascota donde reconocen la existencia de un vínculo significativo, el cual tiene una duración mayor a dos años. Para recoger la información se utilizó la técnica de entrevista conversacional y guía conversacional. Los resultados evidenciaron que la mascota representa una figura de apego, que corresponde a una base segura caracterizada por los principios que rigen al vínculo humano-animal de Katcher(1993). Esta representa una fuente de apoyo y comprensión significativa en momentos de estrés y angustia, así como también influencia positivamente en el autoconcepto de los dueños al sentirse valorados, reconocidos y útiles. Este vínculo es capaz de impulsar la capacidad de agencia reflejado en emprendimientos en los participantes, así como resultar terapéutica, al facilitar el tránsito de experiencias de pérdidas. No obstante, fantasear con la pérdida de la mascota conlleva a proyectar sentimientos de tristeza, malestar e ira depositadas en las conductas del animal, percibiendo que esta pérdida podría desembocar una depresión. Esto revela cuán importante es comprender el vínculo humano-animal en nuestra sociedad, pues puede impactar desarrollando síntomas y padecimientos psicológicos. / The objective of this research is to explore the mental representations of the human-animal bond in adults responsible for the care of canine pets who belong to the middle socioeconomic sector of Lima. For this purpose, from the qualitative paradigm, a phenomenological design was used from a heterogeneous group, located within the three stages of adult human development proposed by Papalia et al.(2012). The participants range between 21 and 65 years, being the owners and total responsible for a pet where they recognize the existence of a significant bond, which lasts more than two years. To collect the information, the conversational interview and conversational guide technique was used. The results showed that the pet represents an attachment figure, which corresponds to a secure base characterized by the principles that govern the human-animal bond of Katcher (1993). This represents a source of significant support and understanding in times of stress and anguish, as well as a positive influence on the owners' self-concept by feeling valued, recognized and useful. This bond is capable of boosting the agency capacity reflected in entrepreneurship in the participants, as well as being therapeutic, by facilitating the transit of experiences of loss. However, fantasizing about the loss of the pet leads to projecting feelings of sadness, discomfort and anger deposited in the behavior of the animal, perceiving that this loss could lead to depression. This reveals how important it is to understand the human-animal bond in our society, as it can impact developing symptoms and psychological ailments. / Tesis

"Bloodlines" is a collection of personal essays that focus on the process of remembering, imagining, and reflecting on the past through the lens of a perpetually shifting present. They consider situations ranging from mental and physical illnesses, from cancer to alcohol addiction, to career changes, to the often dysfunctional and displaced family ties that distance and adulthood have not severed. In "Searching," I write the narrative of the ongoing search for my birthmother, and how the search complicates the relationship with my adoptive mother, who always feared she’d lose me. Similarly, "Of Flesh and Blood" recounts and negotiates how hereditary and environmental factors have shaped my identity. Loss and betrayal are weaved throughout "Flight Patterns" when I trace the links between relationships among my family and my pets. In "Signs and Stars" and "Seeing Stars," I search for ways of dealing with my cancer diagnosis and alcoholism, weaving through my past as I fight for recovery. By exploring the subjective nature of memory and circumstance through sensory, expositional, structural, and even written documentation, I have attempted to capture what is, for me, the tenuous hold on intertwined moments in time by creating a palimpsest of perspectives.

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Bakgrund: Stress kan definieras som ett mått av en individs interaktion med dennes omgivning. En väl individanpassad miljö ger bättre förutsättningar för att uppleva en låg stress och kunna hantera stressfaktorer på ett för individen mer adekvat sätt. Husdjur kan skapa positiva känslor och reducera stressreaktioner och därmed även påverka individens hälsa positivt. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka självupplevd stress hos vuxna samt analysera om det finns skillnader i självupplevd stress och hantering avseende om individen har husdjur eller inte. Metod: En enkätstudie delades ut via sociala medier. 112 individer besvarade frågor om upplevd stress med Perceived Stress Scale - 14 samt sju bakgrundsfrågor, utformade för att kunna besvara tvärsnittsstudiens syfte. Resultat: Ingen signifikant skillnad kunde påvisas i de totala stress- och hanteringsnivåerna hos respondenterna relaterat till om de ägde husdjur eller inte. 91,14% (n=72) av husdjursägarna ansåg att deras husdjur hade en positiv inverkan på deras självupplevda stress. Husdjursägarnas hanteringsnivå av stress var signifikant (p=0,016) bättre om respondenten hade en positiv inställning till att äga husdjur. Av dem som inte ägde husdjur menade signifikant (p=0,019) fler deltagare att upplevelsen av att äga ett husdjur skulle vara positiv. Andelen kvinnor och heltidsarbetande bland respondenterna var övervägande. Resultatet av analysen visar att den övervägande delen av samtliga deltagare upplevde en låg total stressnivå (p=0,027). Diskussion: Att som distriktssköterska kunna uppmuntra patienter till att skaffa ett husdjur, besöka/vara nära ett djur eller ordinera ett assistansdjur/vårddjur, skulle kunna bidra till en förbättrad psykisk och fysisk hälsa hos patienten. Slutsats: Att ha ett husdjur inverkar positivt på den självupplevda stressen. Resultatet från denna studie kan användas i omvårdnadspraxis genom en uppmuntran till att ha närhet till djur i förebyggande och rehabiliterande/stressreducerande syfte. / Background: Stress can be defined as a measure of an individual's interaction with their environment. A well-adapted environment provides better conditions for experiencing low stress and being able to manage stress factors in a way that is more adequate for the individual. Pets can create positive emotions and reduce stress reactions and thus also affect the individual's health positively. Aim: The aim was to investigate self-perceived stress in adults and analyze whether there are differences in self-perceived stress and management regarding whether the individual has pets or not. Method: A questionnaire study was distributed via social media. 112 individuals answered questions about perceived stress with Perceived Stress Scale - 14 and seven background questions, designed to be able to answer the purpose of the cross-sectional study. Results: No significant differences could bedetected in the total stress and stress management levels of the respondents related to whether they owned pets or not. 91.14% (n = 72) of the pet owners considered that their pets had a positive impact on their self-perceived stress. The pet owners' level of stress management was significantly (p = 0.016) better if they had a positive attitude towards owning pets. Of those who did not own a pet, significantly (p = 0.019) more participants thought that the experience of owning a pet would be positive. The proportion of women and full-time workers among the respondents was predominant. The results of the analysis show that the vast majority of all participants experienced a low total stress level (p = 0.027). Discussion: Being able to encourage patients as a district nurse to acquire a pet, visit/be close to an animal or prescribe an assistance animal/care animal, could contribute to an improved mental and physical health of the patient. Conclusion: Having a pet has a positive effect on self-perceived stress. The results from this study can be used in nursing practice through an encouragement to be close to animals for preventive and rehabilitative/stress-reducing purposes. / <p>Godkännandedatum: 2021-12-06</p>

“An Examination of the Death and Dying of Companion Animals” explores the human-animal relationship as enacted in the home by becoming interspecies families. In particular, these relationships are considered when companion animals are dying and in need of special care and attention. This work provides historical and cultural context for how humans attend to animals in death and dying through the history of pet keeping and a complex literature review to explore the intersections of death and dying and religion, and human-animal studies. Specifically, models for companion animal end-of-life care replicate those services for humans by providing palliative care and a myriad of other treatments to attend to the suffering of aging and terminal pets. In addition to examining the creation of companion animal hospice and how it has quickly grown since the early 2000s, this work also confronts questions of euthanasia as a burdensome decision-making process. The decision to euthanize a loved one is fraught with ambiguity, uncertainty, and, at times, guilt. These experiences are idiosyncratic and by creating a discourse and popular platform through which to share these instances of death and dying, this project contributes to the newly established death positivity movement in drawing attention to caring for dead bodies in the home. This project ends by exploring after-death-care for companion animals. Burial and cremation are still, for the most part, how human families dispose of companion animal bodies. In addition to these more traditional forms of disposition, companion humans are also starting to preserve their companion animal bodies through taxidermy and freeze-drying. Though still considered grotesque by many companion humans, companion animal body preservation is just one example of new and reimagined mourning rituals. It is through these rituals and the recognition of this particular grief that the human-animal relationship in the home is seen in a new, complicated, ambiguous and intimate light. / Religion

Bakgrund   Kognitiv sjukdom är ett samlingsbegrepp för neurologiska sjukdomstillstånd och är en av de tio vanligaste dödsorsakerna globalt. Antalet drabbade beräknas öka då jordens befolkning blir allt äldre och det finns inte någon farmakologisk behandling som kan bota eller bromsa förloppet. Nästan alla som har en kognitiv sjukdom drabbas av beteendemässiga och psykiska symtom vid demens (BPSD). Några av symtomen som ingår i BPSD är agitation, depression och ångest som tillsammans utgör undergruppen emotionella funktioner. Ny teknik är på frammarsch bland annat i formen av mekaniska sällskapsdjur. Ett led för att öka komforten hos patienter med påverkade emotionella funktioner är att öka kunskapen om mekaniska sällskapsdjur i omvårdnaden. Syfte Syftet var att belysa den påverkan som mekaniska sällskapsdjur har på emotionell funktion hos patienter med kognitiv sjukdom på särskilda boenden. Metod En icke-systematisk litteraturöversikt där 12 vetenskapliga originalartiklar från databaserna PubMed och CINAHL inkluderades. Artiklarnas ansatser var både kvalitativa och kvantitativa. Artiklarna granskades relaterat till deras kvalitet utifrån Sophiahemmet Högskolas bedömningsunderlag för vetenskaplig klassificering och kvalitet. Resultatet sammanställdes med integrerad dataanalys för att besvara syftet. Resultat Resultatet visade att interventioner med mekaniska sällskapsdjur signifikant minskade depression hos patienter med kognitiva sjukdomar. Gällande agitation och ångest sågs en viss positiv påverkan av interventionen. Om patienten redan innan hade hög agitation steg agitationen ännu mer i samband med interventionen med mekaniskt sällskapsdjur. Därtill sågs en ökning av emotionellt engagemang. Slutsats Resultatet är inte helt entydigt men det finns stöd för att mekaniska sällskapsdjur kan ha varierande påverkan på den emotionella funktionen hos patienter med kognitiv sjukdom och BPSD. Mekaniska sällskapsdjur utgör inte en intervention som passar alla men med individuell avvägning kan den ha eftersträvansvärda effekter. / Background Major Neurocognitive Disorder is an umbrella term for neurological conditions and is globally one of the ten most common causes of death. The number of people affected is expected to increase as the world's population ages and there is no pharmacological treatment to cure or slow the progression. Almost everyone who has a cognitive disorder experience behavioral and psychological symptom of dementia (BPSD). Some of the symptoms included in BPSD are agitation, depression and anxiety, which together form the subset of emotional functions. New technology is on the rise, with one example being the emergence of mechanical pets. One way to increase the comfort of patients with affected emotional functions is to increase knowledge about robotic pets in the field of nursing care. Aim The aim was to highlight the impact of robotic pets as a nursing intervention on the emotional function in people with neurocognitive disorders in residential care homes. Method A non-systematic literature review in which 12 original scientific articles from the databases PubMed and CINAHL were included. The articles’ approaches were both qualitative and quantitative. The articles were reviewed in relation to their quality in accordance with Sophiahemmet University’s assessment basis for scientific classification and quality. The results were synthesized using integrated data analysis to answer the purpose. Results The results showed that interventions with robotic pets significantly reduced depression in patients with cognitive disorders. Regarding agitation and anxiety, some positive impact of the intervention was seen. If the patient already had high agitation, agitation increased even more with the robotic pet intervention. There was also an increase in emotional engagement.  Conclusions The results are not entirely unambiguous, but there is support that robotic pets can have varying effects on the emotional function of patients with neurocognitive disorder and BPSD. Mechanical pets are not a one-size-fits-all intervention, but with individual consideration, they can have desirable effects.

For centuries humans and animals have shared their lives. However, it is only in recent decades that the phenomenon of the human-animal bond and the possible therapeutic implications thereof has begun to be explored. Due to this exploration, many research programmes have sprung up around the world, investigating the implementation of animals as an intervention in various institutions. These programmes have produced overwhelmingly positive and encouraging results. However, the research remains sparse where the significance of a naturally occurring human-animal bond is concerned. From within an ecosystemic worldview, the relationship between humans and animals in the wider family system has not been extensively investigated. This dissertation explores such a relationship, investigating the meanings and experiences within the relationship, and how this relationship and significant systems around it impact one another. The implications and possible therapeutic nature of this type of relationship will be considered. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

For centuries humans and animals have shared their lives. However, it is only in recent decades that the phenomenon of the human-animal bond and the possible therapeutic implications thereof has begun to be explored. Due to this exploration, many research programmes have sprung up around the world, investigating the implementation of animals as an intervention in various institutions. These programmes have produced overwhelmingly positive and encouraging results. However, the research remains sparse where the significance of a naturally occurring human-animal bond is concerned. From within an ecosystemic worldview, the relationship between humans and animals in the wider family system has not been extensively investigated. This dissertation explores such a relationship, investigating the meanings and experiences within the relationship, and how this relationship and significant systems around it impact one another. The implications and possible therapeutic nature of this type of relationship will be considered. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

I denna studie har vi undersökt husdjurens roll och påverkan på våldsutsattas uppbrott från relationer där det förekommit våld. Vi har genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med personal på skyddade boenden och kvinnojourer tagit del av vad de har för kunskap, erfarenhet och egna resonemang kring mäns våld mot kvinnor och barn samt uppbrottsprocessen där det finns husdjur med i bilden. Genom en tematisk analys tog vi oss närmare respondenternas arbetssätt, personliga- och organisatoriska förutsättningar samt utmaningar i arbetet med våldsutsatta och deras husdjur. Resultatet visar på en varierande kunskapsnivå och syn på husdjurens betydelse. Det vi kan se i studien är att husdjuren inte är uteslutna från våld i hemmet och våldet är både ett straffrättsligt lindrigt och ett känslomässigt effektivt sätt att skada även de tvåbenta i hushållet. Husdjuren kan vara en starkt kvarhållande faktor och möjligheten att rädda husdjuren från våldsutövaren kan vara en fråga om liv och död för husdjuren. För människorna som ändå lyckas lämna utan att ta med sig djuret kan det innebära stora trauman, känslor av skuld och skam samt en risk att hon till slut väljer att gå tillbaka till förövaren.Vi har tagit del av respondenternas tankar och förslag på framtida lösningar och önskemål. Studien visar att problemet med djurens utsatthet i våldsamma relationer är något som på flera sätt ingår i ett aktivt förändringsarbete på flera boenden just nu och med hjälp av kunskap och förståelse går det att rädda liv. / In this study we have examined the role and effect that pets have on victims of violence’s process of separation from relationships where violence exists. With semi-structured interviews with the staff from shelters and women’s shelters, we learnt more about their experience, knowledge, and reasoning around the violence in relationships and breakups where pets are present. Through a thematic analysis we have approached the respondents’ work procedures, organizational- and personal conditions as well as challenges in the work with victims of violence and their pets. The results show a varying knowledge level and view of the importance of pets. The study shows that the animals are not excluded from the domestic violence and that the violence is both punitively cheap but also an emotionally effective way to also harm the two-legged in the household. The animals can be a strong detaining factor and the opportunity of saving the animals from the perpetrator can be a matter of life and death for the animal. For the people that still manage to leave without bringing the animal with them it can amount to large trauma, feelings of guilt and shame, and that she in the end chooses to go back. We also got to take part of the respondents' thoughts and suggestions for future solutions and wishes. The study also shows that the problem with vulnerability of animals is something that in many ways is part of an active work for change in several shelters at this moment and that with the help of knowledge and understanding it is possible to save lives.