Effects of pet anthropomorphism on the intention to travel with pets

Abstract

This study sought to develop a causal conceptual framework from a socio-psychological perspective to investigate whether pet anthropomorphism affects the intention to travel with pets. The results showed that appearance, conscious emotionality, willingness to adapt, and specialty purchase significantly positively affected guilt for unaccompanied pets, except for moral virtue and cognitive experience. This study provides empirical evidence on which antecedents of pet anthropomorphism influence pet travel intention significantly or not significantly. Moving beyond the existing literature, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making process for participating in pet-accompanied travel.