Being a fan of dogs or cats could define your personality

Are you more of a dog or cat person? Science has found remarkable differences between the two.

Dogs and cats are not only separated by a millenary enmity.. Their habits are also very different and it can be intuited that their way of understanding the world is also very different.

Dogs tend to be gregarious, just as wolves are, and appreciate displays of affection that even the most uninhibited people may find unwelcome. Cats are much more independent, more unpredictable and do not always welcome cuddles and hugs.

Being a fan of dogs or cats could define your personality.

It's clear that they are different animals, because they don't have much to be alike either. They are not exactly like oil and water, but neither have they been carved by evolution to be inseparable companions, and their way of behaving has evolved to adapt to different environments and in different ways.

However, these obvious differences that exist between canines and felines could translate into subtle differences in the personality and ideology of their "fans". and ideology of their "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 better?" . 

The answer to this question, whatever it is, admits few nuances and will hardly provide as much information about someone as a personal interview. However, it is easy to think that, being that dogs and cats act so differently, the personality of their caregivers may also be different.

But... to what extent is this true? Does the simple fact of preferring one animal or the other say enough about people to construct two personality profiles? Some studies give reason to think so.

Correlations

Anyone with an interest in psychology, sociology or economics knows that there is a vast ocean of research showing the craziest correlations. Virtually any data series can be compared with another to see if there are relationships between them, and the world of dogs and cats could not be left out, considering the money it moves and the interest it generates.

If there are already market studies that try to profile the typical coffee capsule consumer, it is easy to imagine why there are studies that try to profile the typical coffee capsule consumer. why there are studies that try to define people's personalities according to whether they like cats or dogs.. However, the correlations found between preference for one or the other animal and scores on psychological tests do have a minimum of theoretical support: the description of the "personality" of one or the other species and the degree to which they complement the human who fills in the answer 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 fanciers scored higher higher scores than cat fanciers on Competitiveness and Social Dominance Orientation than cat fanciers. Social Dominance Orientationwhich implies that they 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.

Cat friends are more introverted

Neither dogs nor cats are characterized by wanting to stay indoors, but the latter go for walks on their own. This means that the relationship between humans and cats is more domestic and that the responsibility of caring for one of these animals does not mean having to go out to the park every day to meet other pet owners. If one of the two animals is more socially related, as we humans understand it, it is the dog.

Does this mean that dog lovers appreciate new and unexpected social contacts more? It might, according to research conducted 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 on the Big Five personality traits test. Volunteers who preferred dogs scored high on extraversion, agreeableness, and responsibility/organization. Cat lovers, meanwhile, scored higher on the two remaining personality dimensions: neuroticism and openness to experience.

The highlight: the level of intelligence

Psychologist Denise Guastello of Carroll University was involved in a study that sought to address differences in intelligence scores between supporters of one animal or the other.

Cat lovers scored higher 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.

All in all, if you give the statistics 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 a sample of volunteers, or whether they reflect more or less robust psychological mechanisms.

Thus, it is not possible to settle the issue and decide that these psychological profiles are immovable. Passions may be aroused by a preference for dogs or felines, but these should be set aside when interpreting the results.

Bibliographical references:

• Alba, B. and Haslam, N. Dog People and Cat People Differ on Dominance-Related Traits. Anthrozoos (link).
• Gosling, S. D., Sandy, C. J. and Potter, J. (2010). Personalities of Self-Identified Dog People and Cat People. Anthrozoo, 23(2), pp. 213 - 222.