By Ed Yeates
<!-- ===================[ STORY BODY : RICH TEXT ]================= -->
SALT LAKE CITY -- Do you prefer a cat or a dog; and whichever you pick, what does that say about you? A research team at the University of Texas at Austin recently pulled off an interesting study that matches personality types with a choice of pets.


Are you outgoing and gregarious?
  • Do you like to hang out with others, or do you savor your own space and prefer being independent?
  • Are you even a bit unorthodox?
Researchers at UT Austin used their own Internet based Personality Project to find out whether personality traits of more than 4,000 participants matched up with their animals. "I think the study is fascinating," says Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.


The study shows dog people score high on extroversion. They're outgoing and social.

"Pet parents and dogs mimic each other, and they tend to like what each other likes," says dog owner Barbara Hughes.

Barbara's dog has his own room in the house. She's painted portraits of a long line of dogs she and her husband have raised over the years.

But what about cats?
The study finds that while dog people are extroverts, cat folks tend to be a bit nontraditional. They're often creative and philosophical. They may cherish their own space.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10825765