Spontaneous Trait Transference from Dogs to Owners

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2004

Department

Psychology

Abstract

This work found that participants attributed traits associated with breeds of dogs to their owners (indicating that a person may be perceived as more nervous if believed to own a Chihuahua, more heroic if believed to own a Collie, more aggressive if believed to own a Doberman, etc.). The findings further suggest that some people have folk theories that owners select breeds of dogs that resemble them dispositionally. When participants were unable to use this folk theory (when it was clear that the target people were not the dogs' owners and just randomly happened to share the same environment) those participants who owned dogs themselves still transferred traits; however those who did not own dogs themselves did not do so. These findings provide evidence of a novel associative effect in person impression and are discussed in terms of simple associative versus inferential processes. (c) 2004 International Society for Anthrozoology

Publication Title

Anthrozoös

Volume

17

Issue

3

First Page

225

Last Page

243

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