A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science in beautiful downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin focused on the personalities of dog owners versus cat owners. Which group is more sociable and outgoing? Which group is more conformist and which is composed of free thinkers? Which is more intelligent?

Hehehe…like throwing gasoline on a fire.

The never ending dog vs. cat debate.
Photo credit to myjoyofliving.com blog

The Association for Psychological Science is a serious group so we need to pay attention even if they have strange tastes in meeting venues.

These are the guys that published two other milestone studies in animal/human interaction: “The Meat Paradox: How Carnivores Think About Dinner” and “Scientists Prove You Really Can Tell What Your Dog Is Feeling By Looking At Its Face.”

The most recent research found there are significant personality differences between dog and cat people.

Quelle surprise.

I think the best summary of the study was contributed by The Onion:

One can always trust the science in The Onion.

Dog folk are more energetic and outgoing. Cat folk are more introverted yet more open-minded and sensitive. Dog people follow rules while cat people are non-conformists.

Admittedly, the study was based on the survey responses of 600 college students. I found it interesting they could get 600 college kids to put down their beer, pizza, pumpkin spice frappucinos and iPhones long enough to get a response but I digress.

It all comes down to attitude.

Apparently dog owners think companionship is their pets’ most attractive quality while cat owners like the affection they receive from their cats. The study acknowledged that the college kids may simply have projected their own personalities on to their animals which seems to make sense. I mean, a cat is the far better choice if you live in a basement apartment whiling away the hours playing World of Warcraft.

On the other hand, the personality differences among owners might relate to the types of environments cat or dog people prefer.

For example, a dog person is likely to be livelier simply because they go outside, walk their pooch, and chat with fellow strollers whereas the more introverted and sensitive cat person stays home and reads a book.

This recent study bolsters the findings from earlier research. A 2010 study of more than 4,500 people found that dog lovers tend to be more extroverted and conscientious.

As to which group is more intelligent? I think Maltese owners topped the list but I could be wrong.

OK, maybe not the best example.