Personality Characteristics and Preferences in Pet Ownership

Abstract

The possibilities for matching pets to owners' personality-types for physical and psycho-social benefits were explored. It was hypothesized that self-identified dog-and cat-lovers would show significant differences on the autonomy, dominance, nuttutance, and aggression scales of the Edwards Personal Preference Test. 223 adults completed an experimenter-designed questionnaire and all of the specific Edwards Schedule A questions. An analysis of variance was applied to the scale scores transformed into standardized T scores for each of the Edwards scales. The Scheffe test showed that male cat-lovers were higher and all pet-lovers were lower in autonomy, that male pet-and dog-lovers were higher and female cat-lovers were lower in dominance, that fema!e pet-lovers were higher and all cat-lovers were lower in nurturance, and that male dog-lovers were higher and female dog-and cat-lovers were lower in aggression. The demonstrated differences in owner personality should facilitate matching pets and people to maximize the physical and psycho-social therapeutic benefits of pet ownership.Domestication of some animals for their utilitarian value probably occurred during the neolithic period, but it is impossible to pinpoint when their economic usefulness for hunting and food-gathering, for sporting and breeding, and for protection and survival was overwhelmed by their value simply as companions or pets. Lorenz ( 1954) suggests that wolf pups probably were the first to cuddle their way into the bosom of a neolithic family, while Hartley and Shames (1959) and Mugford (in press) indicate that the technological advances of the past century are the factors in shifting the value of most U. S. dogs and cats from the utilitarian to the psycho-social benefit, from economic practicality to the abstract value as companion or pet. The basic problem, of course, is in defining ualae.Since 1957, a small number of research projects began to evaluate the adverse and favorable effects on human welfare produced by pet-ownership. Carding (1974) described the severe sanitary and health problems in England produced by the huge numbers of uncontrolled domestic animals, chiefly cats 'Request reprints from A.

Personality Characteristics of Dog and Cat Persons

“…However, research suggests that preference for dogs or cats may be related to personality. Kidd and Kidd (1980) found that male cat lovers were higher on autonomy than were male dog lovers or female cat and dog lovers; male dog lovers were higher, and female cat lovers were lower, on dominance than the other groups; male and female catlovers were lower on nurturance than male and female dog lovers, and male dog-lovers were higher on aggression than the other groups. Edelson and Lester (1983) found that among males (but not among females), extraversion was related to a higher preference for dogs than for cats.…”

“…One possibility is that childhood pet ownership affects adult personality. Kidd and Kidd ( 1980) found that people tend to label themselves as loving the type of pet with which they grew up, and for many people the preference for one type of pet is exclusive: 40% of dog lovers indicated that they disliked cats, and 34% of cat lovers said that they disliked dogs. Kidd and Kidd suggest that an environment which produces a dominant and aggressive adult male may be created by parents who prefer dogs over cats; or it may be that dog-ownership by a child elicits responses from others that reinforce personality traits like dominance and aggression.…”

The Short Attachment to Pets Scale (SAPS) for Children and Young People: Development, Psychometric Qualities and Demographic and Health Associations

“…However, some have reported that as age increases, the attachment to pets seems to decrease (Davis and Juhasz 1985;Vanhoutte and Jarvis 1995;Vidovic et al 1999). Girls appear more attached to pets than boys (Brown 2003;Holcomb et al 1985;Kidd and Kidd 1980). There is a positive association between pet ownership in childhood and adulthood and greater attachment to pets (Crawford et al 2006;Vidovic et al 1999).…”

Pet Attachment Quastionnaire: Validity and Reliability Study

“…Çalışmanın bir diğer kısıtlılığı ise kadın-erkek dengesinin sağlanamamış olmasıdır. Farklı yaş gruplarıyla yapılan birçok araştırmada kadınların evcil hayvanlarına erkeklerden daha çok bağlandıkları bulgulanmıştır (Johnson, Garrity ve Stallones, 1992;Kidd ve Kidd, 1980; Vizek-Vidovic, Arambasic, Kerestes, Kuterovac-Jagodic ve Vlahovic-Stetic, 2001). Bu nedenle ileriki araştırmalarda kadın erkek dengesinin sağlanmasının önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir.…”