Being A Fan Of Dogs Or Cats Could Define Your Personality
Dogs and cats are not only separated by an ancient enmity Their customs are also very different and one can sense that their way of understanding the world is also different.
Dogs tend to be gregarious, just as wolves are, and appreciate displays of affection that even the most uninhibited people may consider inappropriate. Cats are much more independent, more unpredictable and do not always welcome caresses and hugs.
Being a fan of dogs or cats could define your personality
It is clear that they are different animals, because they do not have many reasons to be alike. They are not exactly like water and oil, but they have not been carved by evolution to be inseparable companions, and their way of behavior has developed to adapt to different environments and in different ways.
However, These obvious differences that exist between dogs and felines could translate into subtle differences in personality and the ideology of his “fans”.
Some people insist that any human being can be defined depending on their answer to the following question: “Do you like dogs or cats more?”
The answer to this question, whatever it may be, admits few nuances and will hardly provide as much information about someone as a personal interview. However, it is easy to think that, since dogs and cats act so differently, the personalities of their caregivers may also be different.
But… to what extent is this true? Does simply preferring one animal or another say enough about people to be able to construct two personality profiles? Some studies give reason to think so.
Correlations
Anyone who is interested in psychology, sociology or economics knows that there is an immense ocean of research in which the craziest correlations are shown. Virtually any data series can be compared with another to see if there are relationships between them, and the world of cats and dogs could not be left out, taking into account the money it moves and the interest it generates.
If there are already market studies that attempt to draw the profile of the typical coffee capsule consumer, it is easy to imagine Why are there studies that attempt to define people’s personalities according to their degree of love for dogs or cats? However, the correlations found between the preference for one or another animal and the scores in psychological tests do have a minimum theoretical support: the description of the “personality” of one or another species and the degree to which they complement the human that fills the response forms.
Are you dominant? This cat is not for you
Two researchers hypothesized that dominant people tend to prefer dogs These people would be more likely to prefer animals that are more dependent on them, more predictable and more sensitive to a system of punishments and rewards. The results seemed to prove them partly right.
The group of dog lovers obtained higher scores than cat fans in competitiveness and Social Dominance Orientation , which implies that its members are more accepting of social inequality and hierarchical systems. However, dog and cat lovers showed no differences in their assertiveness and narcissism scores, something that was not contemplated in the initial hypothesis.
Neither dogs nor cats are known for wanting to stay at home, but the latter go for walks on their own. That means the relationship between humans and cats is more domestic and that the responsibility of caring for one of these animals does not imply having to go out to the park every day to meet other pet owners. If one of the two animals is more related to the social, as we humans understand it, it is the dog.
Does this mean that dog lovers are more appreciative of new, unforeseen social contacts? It could be, according to research led by Samuel D. Gosling, Carlson J. Sandy and Jeff Potter. This team found correlations between people’s preference between dogs or cats and their personality scores according to the Big Five test, or 5 big personality traits. Volunteers who preferred dogs scored high on extraversion, friendliness, and responsibility/organization. Cat fans, meanwhile, scored higher on the two remaining personality dimensions: neuroticism and openness to experience.
The main course: the level of intelligence
Psychologist Denise Guastello, from Carroll University, participated in a study that sought to address differences in intelligence scores between supporters of one animal or another.
Cat fans obtained a higher score on intelligence tests, thus fulfilling the stereotype that associates introversion and higher IQ. However, this would only apply to people, since in general terms cats do not show signs of being more intelligent than dogs.
In short, if statistics are given a voice, they seem to be able to speak in favor of Some psychological differences between dog and cat supporters However, it is not yet known whether these differences are due only to cultural factors, too small sample sizes of volunteers, or whether they reflect more or less solid psychological mechanisms.
Thus, the issue cannot be settled and decided that these psychological profiles are immovable. The preference for dogs or felines may trigger passions, but these should be set aside when interpreting the results.
