Table 6. Regression outcomes for Aim 2 (predicting veteran-service dog bond), after variable selection by elastic net.
| Predictor | Association with veteran-service dog bond | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closeness (IOS) | Interactions (MDORS) | Perceived Emotional Closeness (MDORS) | Perceived Costs (MDORS) | Attachment (LAPS) | |||||||
| B | SE | B | SE | B | SE | B | SE | B | SE | ||
| Dog Demographics | Age | - | - | - | - | - | - | -1.36 | 0.99 | - | - |
| Dog History | Previous Placement | - | - | - | - | - | - | -2.51 | 3.41 | - | - |
| Dog Temperament | Food Motivation | - | - | - | - | 3.54 | 2.07 | - | - | 5.81 | 3.97 |
| Approach Excitability | -0.38* | 0.18 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Veteran Baseline Characteristics | Gender Identity | - | - | -0.69 | 1.14 | -0.84 | 1.80 | - | - | -3.51 | 3.30 |
| Marital Status | - | - | - | - | 0.65 | 1.42 | - | - | - | - | |
| Veteran Personality | Openness | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.87 | 1.46 |
| Model | N | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | |||||
| R2 | 0.07* | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.12 | ||||||
Note. IOS = Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale. LAPS = Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. MDORS = Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale. Table excludes variables that were not selected by elastic net for any of the outcomes. Regression coefficients (B) and standard errors (SE) are unstandardized, Huber-White robust estimates where all variables have been entered into models as standardized z-scores. For categorical independent variables (dog previous placement, food motivation; human gender identity, marital status), coefficients represent the point difference of the entered category (dog had previous placement, high food motivation; human male, single) compared to the reference category (dog had no previous placement, low food motivation; human not male, not single). For continuous independent variables (all remaining), coefficients represent the change in points for the dependent variable associated with one standard deviation increase in the independent variable. Predictors not selected by elastic net for any of the outcomes included variables for dog demographics (sex, weight), dog history (source, time with provider), dog temperament (touch sensitivity, sound sensitivity, surface sensitivity, orienting to the trainer), veteran baseline characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, PTSD, depression, anxiety), and veteran personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability).
- = Predictor was not selected by elastic net for that outcome
***p < .001
**p < .010
*p < .050