# Affective Regulation and Trait Anger Personalities: The Buffering Effect of the Companion Animal Bond

## TL;DR

This study explores how bonding with companion animals can help people with high trait anger manage their emotions better.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying the buffering role of the companion animal bond in mitigating affective dysregulation linked to trait anger.

## Key findings

- Strong bonds with companion animals reduce the impact of trait anger on affective dysregulation.
- Low bonding with animals increases the risk of emotional dysregulation in individuals with high trait anger.
- The human–animal bond may facilitate adaptive emotional regulation and reduce anger-related behaviors.

## Abstract

Emotional dysregulation involving anger can have severe consequences on the individual’s psychosocial and emotional functioning. This study aimed to investigate the role that the companion animal bond and the personality dimension of trait anger play in explaining affective dysregulation. A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 365 participants. Using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, a moderated model was tested to analyze the hypothesis that affective dysregulation depends on trait anger and that the companion animal bond moderates the relationship between trait anger and affective dysregulation. The results showed that the effect of trait anger on affective dysregulation increases especially when the degree of bonding to an animal companion is low, suggesting that a strong bond to a companion animal may protect individuals with trait anger from the likelihood of experiencing affective regulation problems. The psychological, health-related, and educational implications of the current anthrozoological study include the potential of the human–animal bond in acting as a facilitator of adaptive affective regulation processes, which can reduce the levels of uncontrolled anger-related emotions and the subsequent risk of out-of-control behaviors.