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Cats or Dogs Test

Based on the research of Samuel D. Gosling, Ph.D., and Carson J. Sanday, Ph.D.

Dogs come when they’re called, cats take a message and get back to you later.

Dogs flatter their humans, humans have to flatter their cats.

Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

The schism between cat persons and dog persons is an age-old one, and much has been said to describe the divide. Using the scientific Big Five measure of personality, psychologists now believe they can predict what kind of person that would prefer to own a cat or a dog.

Does their model hold true for you? To find out what they would say about you, indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements below.

Question 1 of 30

I am someone who...

Perseveres until the task is finished.

Disagree
Agree

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The IDRlabs Cats or Dogs Test (IDR-CoDT©) was developed by IDRlabs International. The IDR-CoDT is based on research by psychologists Samuel Gosling, Carson Sandy, and Jeff Potter, in affiliation with the University of Texas. The IDR-CDT is not associated with these researchers or their associated institutions.

The IDRlabs Cats or Dogs Test utilized research from psychologists Samuel Gosling, Carson Sandy, and Jeff Potter to produce this free online test. This test also employs the Big Five Inventory (Oliver John, Laura Naumann, Christopher Soto, 2008), with its scales of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, in order to determine the likelihood of one’s being either a cat person or a dog person. IDRlabs International and the present IDRlabs Cats or Dogs Test are independent of the above-stated researchers and their respective academic institutions.

The Cats or Dogs Test was developed by professionals certified in the delivery and interpretation of various psychological instruments; who have worked in fields of psychology, including social psychology and personality testing. Despite their professional creation, free online tests such as the present one are only intended to be entertaining and educational first considerations of the construct being measured; they should, therefore, not be understood to provide a definitive answer regarding personal attitudes, beliefs, or any parts of one’s personality.

As the publishers of this free online test, which allows you to determine whether you are better suited to either cats or dogs based on five key personality traits, we have strived to make the test as reliable, valid, and comprehensive as possible by subjecting this test to statistical controls and validation. Though developed and statistically validated by professionals, free online tests such as this one should not be misunderstood as providing professional assessments, results, or recommendations of any kind. Individual test scores and accompanying personality snapshots of this free online test are provided “as-is” and should not be interpreted as providing services or warranties of any kind. For additional information about our Cats or Dogs Test and our other online psychological tests, please refer to the Terms of Service.

Why Use This Test?

1. Free. This online Cats or Dogs Test is delivered to you at no charge and will allow you to determine whether you are a cat person or a dog person, as informed by psychology researchers and the scientific publication, Anthrozoos.

2. Validity and reliability. Research supports that the Big Five measurement of personality has genuine psychometric characteristics and is both empirically reliable and valid. Research in many countries, and over several decades, has established that the Big Five Model is valid across cultures.

3. Unique. While there are other tests and quizzes available that assess a person’s suitability to either cats or dogs, this test is based on peer-reviewed university research.

4. Statistical controls. Anonymized results for the present test are logged into a database, with statistical analyses performed to ensure results are as valid and reliable as possible.

5. Created by professionals. This test has been created by research professionals experienced in psychological and personality testing.