TY - JOUR
T1 - A Dog's Got Personality
T2 - A Cross-Species Comparative Approach to Personality Judgments in Dogs and Humans
AU - Gosling, Samuel D.
AU - Kwan, Virginia S.Y.
AU - John, Oliver P.
PY - 2003/12
Y1 - 2003/12
N2 - This research offers a blueprint for how a cross-species comparative approach can be realized empirically. In a single design, parallel procedures and instruments were used in 2 species, dogs (Canis familiaris) and humans (Homo sapiens), to test whether personality differences exist and can be judged in dogs as accurately as in humans. Personality judgments of humans and dogs were compared on 3 accuracy criteria: internal consistency, consensus, and correspondence. Results showed that, on all 3 criteria, judgments of dogs were as accurate as judgments of humans. These findings are consistent with the evolutionary continuity hypothesis and suggest an important conclusion not widely considered by either personality or animal researchers: Personality differences do exist and can be measured in animals other than humans.
AB - This research offers a blueprint for how a cross-species comparative approach can be realized empirically. In a single design, parallel procedures and instruments were used in 2 species, dogs (Canis familiaris) and humans (Homo sapiens), to test whether personality differences exist and can be judged in dogs as accurately as in humans. Personality judgments of humans and dogs were compared on 3 accuracy criteria: internal consistency, consensus, and correspondence. Results showed that, on all 3 criteria, judgments of dogs were as accurate as judgments of humans. These findings are consistent with the evolutionary continuity hypothesis and suggest an important conclusion not widely considered by either personality or animal researchers: Personality differences do exist and can be measured in animals other than humans.
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U2 - 10.1037/0022-3514.85.6.1161
DO - 10.1037/0022-3514.85.6.1161
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14674821
AN - SCOPUS:0347622601
SN - 0022-3514
VL - 85
SP - 1161
EP - 1169
JO - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
IS - 6
ER -