Psychology Today

While most vegetarians don't have histories of psychiatric disorders, some studies have linked meat-avoidance with mental illness. But how strong is the link and why does it exist?

Research on members of the Internet dating site Match.com reveals the surprising importance dogs and cats can play in modern romance.

A recent Psychology Today post asked whether dog owners are better lovers. Let's look at what the new science of human-animal relationships actually reveals about the connection between love, sex, and pet-ownership.

A wildlife documentary film claims that Saudi Arabian baboons kidnap puppies and raise them as pets. Here a distinguished animal behaviorist explains why this behavior makes sense from a baboon's point of view—and why it is not a form of pet-keeping.

Temple Grandin told me that some (but not all) people with autism have a special way with animals. This new study examined the biological mechanisms behind the soothing effects Guinea pigs can have on children with autism spectrum disorders.

From an evolutionary point of view, the enjoyment of pain would seem to be maladaptive. Is there an animal analog of finding sexual satisfaction in being whipped, poked with needles, or having hot wax dripped on your skin?

How natural is a cloned cow or a chihuahua or a dolphin at Sea World? Is an outdoor cat more natural than an indoor cat? We developed a scale to measure perceptions of the "naturalness" of different animals. As you can see from this graph, our results were surprising.

I was shocked when my long-time vegetarian daughter asked me for suggestions about what types of meat she might enjoy. I should not have been surprised. According to new research, the vast majority of vegetarians and even vegans eventually return to meat-eating. Here are the implications for the animal rights movement.

In 1943, MGM released the movie Lassie Come Home. In the three years after the release of the movie, the number of Collies registered with the American Kennel Club jumped from about 2,000 to over 15,000 puppies a year. But was this sudden in the desire of Americans to live with a collie a coincidence or was it an example of the “dog movie star effect.”

New research examines the effect of sleeping with pets on their owner's health and happiness.

The present system governing the legal status of service dogs and emotional support animals is rife with abuse. Here's why:

The winner in Olympic speed skating is the person who gets to the finish line first. But in events like snowboarding and the Westminster Dog Show, determining who is “the best” is much more subjective. Here are four reasons why snowboard judging is better than dog show judging.

It is widely believed that newspaper reports of wanton animal cruelty elicit more public outrage than stories about child abuse. Two social scientists recently designed an experiment to see if this claim is true. Here is what they found.

Using the latest M.R.I. technology, a group of neuroscientists are exploring what goes on inside the heads of dogs. Their research is exciting, but the fact that a brain structure lights up when our canine friends are happy does not mean that "dogs are people, too."