OVERVIEW
For my research proposal, I aim to find out the truth about what makes a person a “dog person” or a “cat person.” I hope to discover the certain characteristics, both psychological and sociological, these people possess in order to determine the factors that draw people towards either a dog or cat. I will do this by taking all factors into account, including psychological and sociological factors. The most common household pets are dogs and cats, which sort of puts society at a divide. However, there are more dog owners than cat owners, which leads to further questions. What makes a dog owner inclined to own a dog, and what makes a cat owner inclined to own a cat? I am personally interested in this subject as I have a dog at home, and had two previous to now. I, myself, have always been a dog lover, but I also like cats. Throughout this experiment I would also like to discover any benefits that come with owning a dog or a cat. I, being a dog person, am very curious to see the benefits of owning a dog. I also am very curious to find out whether there are any benefits of owning a cat as well.
I think this is a very unique and interesting topic that not many people have done before. Challenges may be faced when trying to discover sources from academic journals, as there aren’t many peer-reviewed sources relating to people’s animal preferences. I could also face some bias when it comes to people preferring dogs or cats, which may affect the overall experiment. I will try to decipher what psychological and sociological characteristics one has that inclines them to be either a dog owner or a cat owner.
Methodology
A numerous number of methods could be used to conduct this experiment, but I am simply focusing on the sociological and psychological aspects of what makes a person a dog lover or a cat lover. For my proposal, I think it would be most beneficial and accurate to conduct a survey. To begin, I would implement this survey at 10 animal shelters within a populated city. The first 100 people at each animal shelter to rescue a dog or cat would be given a survey. A large city has a lot of variation where many people of different age, gender, race and ethnicity live around one another. The reason why I think a survey would be so effective when given out at an animal shelter is because only the targeted population would be hit. The survey would only be given out to people after they rescue either a dog or a cat. People going into animal shelters will most likely rescue either a dog or a cat. Giving out this survey would allow me to specifically ask these people about their preferences.
The survey would consist of multiple questions relating to a person’s psychological and sociological characteristics. The first question on the survey would simply to ask the respondent if he/she is a dog lover, a cat lover, or both. Knowing this will make it clear as to what inclined them. The next question would ask the person’s age. This is important because age could have a large effect on a person’s love of either a dog or a cat. The survey would then continue with a question about the person’s gender; male, female, or prefer not to answer. I think this can be one of the most important questions when dealing with dogs and cats because of the stigmas surrounding them: “cat lady” and “a dog is a man’s best friend”. After these basic human traits, I would then ask the respondents questions dealing with their psychological and sociological aspects. The questions that I would ask would be as followed: “Do you consider yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert?”, “Do you consider yourself to be a leader or a follower?”, “Do you consider yourself to be easy-going or neurotic?”, “Do you live alone or with multiple people? If multiple, how many?”. I believe the answers to all of these questions will allow me to accurately depict the different characteristics possessed by dog owners and cat owners. After the 1,000 respondents have completed the survey, I would compare the answers of the dog lovers and the answers of the cat lovers. From here, I would be able to uncover the truth behind their answers, and decipher what they actually mean. This would then lead me to the conclusion of what psychological and sociological aspects incline a person to own a dog or cat.
Literature review
It is safe to say that a person would get a pet for some beneficial reason, whether it be a physical benefit or a mental health benefit, most pet owners get pets for the same reasons. There can be countless benefits to owning a pet. These include psychological benefits such as companionship, anxiety relief and relieving feelings of depression. It also includes physical health benefits. For example, in one of the few experimental studies on the benefits of owning a pet, Allen and Blascovich (1996) found that people with severe ambulatory disabilities who were given a service dog showed great improvement of health within 6 months of receiving the dog. They used ambulatory medical service less, and required fewer trips to urgent care facilities. This could be related to the fact that owning a pet, usually a dog, according to Rijken (2011) increased the owner’s physical health due to activity required to take care of the animal, like taking the animal for walks or runs. This sort of requires the owner to move around and increase their physical activity, which gives an overall better health. It has been researched and proven that owning a pet has benefits, but I am to discover the reason why a person chooses the kind of pet they wish.
People who own dogs have different personal characteristics than people who own cats. They could also have different backgrounds as well, which could influence a decision. This also applies simply to pet owners and non-pet owners. Not many studies have been conducted to discover this difference, but some have. For example, Jessica Saunders (2017) found that overall, pet owners are more likely to be: single, females or married, young, white, live in a rural area, live in homes, and belong to a household where everyone is employed full time. This can shed light on many things. Single individuals would be more likely to own a pet because they are feeling lonely and they could be looking for some sort of companionship.
People who live in homes are more likely to own a pet because many apartment complexes and town homes do not allow pets to live on the property. Households in which the parents both have full time jobs are more likely to own a pet as well, most likely because their parents are gone often, and wanted the kids to not feel lonely. McConnell and Brown (2011) found that pet owners had greater self-esteem, greater levels of exercise and fitness, and they tended to be less lonely than non-owners. It was shown in general that pet owners were described as more conscientious and also more neurotic. The reason behind this is because people who tend to be more conscientious usually show more affection to their pet, which is why they would have a pet and non-conscientious people would not.
Now that we know that there is an established difference in personality between pet owners and non-pet owners, we can assume there is also a difference in personality between dog owners and cat owners. According to the American Pet Products Association, sixty-two percent of Americans own at least one pet, and people have often been thought of as identifying with their choice of pet. A study 4,565 volunteers from the University of Texas at Austin found that “dog lovers” were more extroverted, more agreeable, more conscientious, and overall more fun to be around (Hubbard, 2015). Denise Guastello, professor of psychology at Carroll University in Wisconsin said, “It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they’re going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog.” This brings me to the first main difference between dog owners and cat owners.
Cat owners were found to possess solitude much more than dog owners. People who own cats are much more inclined to stay at home and be with their cat, by themselves with nobody else. This correlated with the idea that cat owners are introverts, meaning they would rather enjoy the company of themselves and their pet, typically a cat, rather than going out and being in social situations. According to Stanley Coren PhD (2010), he found that cat owners were one-third more likely to live alone than dog owners and twice as likely to live in an apartment or flat. Living in an apartment or a flat, there is no outdoor space to run and exercise. Although this is not a problem for cats, because most are indoor cats, it could contribute to negative health consequences of the cat owner. The cat owner would not be required to take the cat for a walk or a run, meaning the owner does not get exercise. This could also contribute to the fact that cat owners are introverts. If they do not need to take their cat out, there is no need to go outside and possibly meet new people.
Stanley Coren (2010) also discovered that cat owners were relatively low in dominance. This means that they are not very assertive or dominant, and tend to have a low confidence level. This makes sense because cats are relatively independent, and require much less attention than dogs. It can be concluded that cats are typically solitary, and since their owners tend to be as well, they are a perfect match.
While cat owners are described as being solitary and not very outgoing, dog owners are the exact opposite. They tend to be very social and outgoing. Dogs, like their owners, are very social beings. According to Hubbard (2015), dogs heavily depend on social interaction, unlike cats. This means that dogs require much more attention and care than cats do. One of the responsibilities of owning a dog is to frequently take them for walks or runs. Chances are, more than one person is out taking their dog for a run, which increases the person’s chance in meeting someone new or another dog owner. Quite often, the two dog owners would stop and talk, allowing their dogs to interact with one another. This is a healthy benefit for both the dog and owner in the sense that they are both interacting with another person or dog.
According to a study done at Miami University on the effects of social needs fulfillment on dog owners and non-pet owners, dog owners that had a strong bond with their dogs were less likely to be lonely or depressed, and likely to be more stable and happier with their lives and accomplishments. Hubbard (2015) predicts that the reason behind this is that the feeling of respect and unconditional love, received from these owner’s dogs, boosted their confidence in social interactions.
Another personality trait that a cat owner often possesses over a dog owner is open-mindedness. This could show that cat owners are usually people who are more imaginative and artistically inclined. A study conducted by Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas in Austin showed that cat owners are eleven percent more open to new ideas than dog owners. This means that they are more inclined to try new things, be adventurous and explore. However, these findings slightly contradict with Stanley Coren’s findings. Coren asked cat owners, “If you had adequate living space and there were no objections from other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?” He asked the exact same question to dog owners about a kitten. He found that 68% of the cat owners would not admit the puppy into their house, but 70% of dog owners said they would admit the kitten into their house. I believe that this contradicts with the statement that cat owners are more open-minded than dog owners.
In conclusion, dog owners and cat owners possess different personality traits, which inclines them to own that certain animal. Dog lovers are typically social, dominant, and active while cat lovers are more antisocial, neurotic, and submissive people.
CHALLENGES
While conducting my research on this topic, it is likely there will be some challenges when doing so. One challenge that could be a problem is the fact that the survey does not have a scale. For example, asking people if they are an introvert or extrovert. Some people may identify as being both, or being one in a certain situation and another in a different situation. Not having a scale forces people to make a decision on one of the answers, even if they do not completely agree with their answer. This could harm the data by giving unreliable answers, leading to a mistake in the conclusion of my research.
Another problem that may arise, and is likely, is bias. Some people taking the survey may not want to admit that they are neurotic or an introvert, and therefore put the other answer. This could greatly harm my research by giving me skewed data, and outliers. These surveys that show bias would have to be discarded, and would take away a sample. Also, some people identify as both a dog and cat lover, not just one of them. It is likely that there will be at least a handful of people taking that survey that identify as this. If they love both dogs and cats, and then continue to answer the following questions, then the data that they provide me will contradict itself. This could become a major problem because it would be almost impossible to distinguish which personality type fits the owner of a dog or a cat.
One more problem may be that the respondent is neither a dog lover nor a cat lover. I predict that the chances of this happening is very small, but could happen. A person could be accompanying a friend who is rescuing an animal or there to just look around at other pets other than dogs or cats.
Issues may also arise due to the location of where the survey is being given. By giving the survey to multiple shelters within a city, I am trying to maximize the variation of the data that will be collected. However, this particular city may be more biased towards dogs or biased towards cats, so that will have to be considered. Some of the respondents may also lack educational knowledge. For example, some of the people taking the survey could be young kids who don’t know much. Uneducated people taking the survey may not know what some of the words mean like introvert or neurotic, which could lead to inconclusive results. Throughout my research, it is possible that I will face some of these challenges, but none of them are so massive that they cannot be overcome.
ROLE OF THEORY
The role of theory in any research endeavor is extremely important but it is especially important when dealing with the social sciences. Theory is used to create one’s null hypothesis, which is then proved or disproved according to the data and conclusions found. It provides a definition of the relationships between all of the variables so that the reader can understand the theorized relationships between them. While conducting research you will receive many different statistics and data based on your research question. These numbers are then interpreted to come to a general conclusion about your topic. But how is it possible to come to a conclusion when given numbers? The answer is theory.
Theory gives the ability for researchers to come to conclusions and interpret what the numbers actually mean. There is always a theory behind every research proposal, because without it there would be no point in conducting the research, the only thing you would get is data. If someone were to look at the data I had collected all they would see is numbers. It would be impossible for them to know why or my reasoning behind the study. This is why all research studies need theory and data to be able to be understood. Theory plays an extremely vital role in all case studies, and it does in mine as well.
Theories are in a sense, abstract, which is why they need to be accompanied by data in order to be utilized. If theory is not integrated within a research experiment then that experiment will leave many people with unanswered questions. The key role of theory is to help explain and answer questions based on statistical analysis of data, and to better understand the conclusion that is made from that data. It is safe to say that theory plays and immense role in research projects, and research cannot be done without theory.
FUTURE RESEARCH
If further research was to be conducted on this topic, I would choose the topic of social class. I would ask the question “Does social class have an effect on whether a person is a dog lover or a cat lover?”. I believe this does effect a person’s choice. A person who is lower class may lean toward owning a cat. I think this because while doing my research, I found that cats require less attention and not as much physical care. Since lower class residents have a lower income, they would be better off owning a cat because it would not require as many medical costs, etc. Lower class residents typically live in run-down neighborhoods as well. It might not be ideal to take a dog for a walk around these neighborhoods, so it might be more suitable for that person to stay indoors, playing with their cat. Cats also do not need as much attention as dogs, which is why a cat may be more suitable for a lower class household. It is hard to say which pet, dog or cat, a higher class citizen would own. I think they have the freedom to choose either or, unlike lower class citizens. Higher class residents would be able to afford a dog’s medical costs, not worry about taking them for walks, and would be able to give the dog all the attention it needs.
The second area of interest that I would like to look at would be location. The question that I would ask would be “Does the climate of one’s residency influence their decision to own either a dog or a cat?”. I believe this may have an effect on a person’s choice of whether to own a dog or a cat. From previous research, I discovered that cats are less energetic and active than dogs, and more inclined to stay indoors. Based off of this information, I would infer that people who live in colder climates, where it snows and is constantly cold, would prefer to own a cat. They would choose to own a cat because of its affinity for the indoors and home. In cold climates, people do not want to be outdoors walking their pets. It is more of a nuisance than it is exercising.
On the opposing side, I would think those living in warm climates would prefer to own dogs. Since it is sunny and warm almost every day, the owner would not mind taking his or her dog out for a walk. The would enjoy exercise, mingle with others, and satisfy their dog’s needs as well. Although this is true, I think those living in a warm climate would have a choice of either a dog or a cat. If they were to own a cat, they could choose whether or not to stay indoors, or to go outside with it and play. Overall, I think that those living in a warm climate would prefer to own a dog whereas those living in a cold climate would prefer to own a cat.
WORKS CITED
Coren, Stanley. “Personality Differences Between Dog and Cat Owners.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 17 Feb. 2010, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201002/personality-differences-between-dog-and-cat-owners.
III, Lorenzo Jensen. “17 Basic Differences Between Dog People And Cat People.” Thought Catalog, Thought Catalog, 28 June 2015, thoughtcatalog.com/lorenzo-jensen-iii/2015/06/17-basic-differences-between-dog-people-and-cat-people/
“Home.” Benefits of the Human-Animal Bond, petpartners.org/learn/benefits-human-animal- bond/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7MDPBRAFEiwAppdF9Hma-REqCRX1Tw6gzXaIUsq3KLrOvQDgMIqr46RzQuktMtCk5WexlRoCrGcQAvD_BwE
Rijken, Mieke. “Cats and Dogs…. Reconsidering the Relationship.” EBSCOHOST, 2011, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=a94a3b82-e1a9-427c-82d0-e2642625256d%40sessionmgr104+
Hubbard, Sylvia Booth. “What Your Pet Says About Your Personality.” Newsmax, Newsmax Inc. Newsmax Inc., 13 Nov. 2015, www.newsmax.com/Health/Headline/pet-personality-traits-owner/2015/11/13/id/702033/
Quinn, Paul. “Time Course of Visual Attention in Cats and Dogs.” Child Develpment, vol. 80, Feb. 2009, pp. 151–161., web.a.ebscohost.com.libproxy.udayton.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=4022f508-5abe-46d0-a8ff-eee99ef7af37%40sessionmgr4010.
Saunders J, Parast L, Babey SH, Miles JV (2017) Exploring the differences between pet and non-pet owners: Implications for human-animal interaction research and policy. PLoS ONE 12(6): e0179494. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179494
Johnson, Suzanne B. “Personality Characteristics and Self- Esteem in Pet Owners and Non-Owners.”International Journal of Psychology, 1991, pp. 1–12. EBSCOHOST, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=15&sid=679edaec-c517-4811-a5dd-c431d85afff1%40sessionmgr103.