Give a Dog a Bad Name and Hang Him: Evaluating Big, Black Dog Syndrome
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Lucinda Woodward in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Jennifer Milliken in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Sonya Humy in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two studies examined human perceptions of dog personality attributes based upon exposure to pictures of dogs of select breeds. The proposed hypotheses evaluated the validity of “big, black dog syndrome”—whereby large, black dog breeds are reportedly spurned for adoption due to negatively perceived personality attributes—by assessing each dog’s relative trait dominance and affiliation based upon a taxonomy drawn from the eight-factor interpersonal circumplex. Results of two separate studies indicated that among participants’ ratings, breed-specific differences were more powerful predictors of interpersonal trait attributions than the color or size of the dog. In general, with the exception of the golden retriever, black labs were perceived as consistently less dominant and less hostile than other large breeds, contrary to the assumption that large, black dogs are viewed negatively.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Bar-Hillel M. The base-rate fallacy in probability judgments Acta Psychologica 1980 44 3 211 233
-
Beaver B. V. Clinical classification of canine aggression Applied Animal Ethology 1983 10 1-2 35 43 10.1016/0304-3762(83)90110-4
-
‘Big black dog’ syndrome leaves them homeless Associated Press Newswire 2008 April 9
-
Brownlow S. Seeing is believing: Facial appearance, credibility, and attitude change Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 2005 16 2 101 115 10.1007/BF00990325
-
Budaev S. V. How many dimensions are needed to describe temperament in animals: A factor reanalysis of two data sets International Journal of Comparative Psychology 1998 11 1 17 29
-
“Contrary to ordinary” : The black pearls of the dog world 2008 June 17 Retrieved February 2, 2009, from: http://www.blackpearldogs.com.
-
Dingemanse N. J. & Reale D. Natural selection and animal personality Behaviour 2005 142 9-10 1165 1190 10.1163/156853905774539445
-
Draper T. W. Canine analogs of human personality factors The Journal of General Psychology 1995 122 3 241 252
-
Frank M. G. & Gilovich T. The dark side of self- and social perception: Black uniforms and aggression in professional sports Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1988 54 1 74 85
-
Gosling S. D. & John O. P. Personality dimensions in nonhuman animals: A cross-species review Current Directions in Psychological Science 1999 8 3 69 75 10.1111/1467-8721.00017
-
Gosling S. D., Kwan V. S. & John O. P. A dog’s got personality: A cross-species comparative approach to personality judgments in dogs and humans Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003 85 6 1161 1169 10.1037/0022-3514.85.6.1161
-
Gosling S. D. & Vazire S. Are we barking up the right tree? Evaluating a comparative approach to personality Journal of Research in Personality 2002 36 6 607 614 10.1016/S0092-6566(02)00511-1
-
Hart B. L. & Hart L. A. Anderson R. K., Hart B. L. & Hart L. A. Selecting the best companion animal: Breed and gender specific behavioral profiles The pet connection: Its influence on our health and quality of life 1984 Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press 180 193
-
Henry W. P., Schacht T. E. & Strupp H. H. Structural analysis of social behavior: Application to a study of interpersonal process in differential psychotherapeutic outcome Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1986 56 4 27 31 10.1037/0022-006X.54.1.27
-
Jones A. C. & Gosling S. D. Temperament and personality in dogs (Canis familiaris): A review and evaluation of past research Applied Animal Behavior Science 2005 95 1-2 1 53 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.04.008
-
Kelley M. L., Vannostrand T. L., Shiflett C. L. & Chan J. S. Maternal perceptions of and sensitivity toward very low birthweight infants with and without postnatal headmolding Infant Mental Health Journal 1998 17 4 358 374 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0355(199624)17:4 <358::AID-IMHJ7>3.0.CO;2-I
-
Kiesler D. J. Contemporary interpersonal theory and research 1996 New York John Wiley
-
Ley J. & Bennett P. Understanding personality by understanding companion dogs Anthrozoös 2007 20 2 113 124 10.2752/175303707X207909
-
Ley J., Bennett P. & Coleman G. Personality dimensions that emerge in companion canines Applied Animal Behavior Science 2008 110 3-4 305 317 10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.016
-
McCrae R. R. & Costa P. T. Jr. The structure of interpersonal traits: Wiggins’s circumplex and the five-factor model Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1989 56 4 586 595
-
Mertens P. A. The concept of dominance and the treatment of aggression in multidog homes: A comment on van Kerkhove’s commentary Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 2004 7 4 287 291 10.1207/s15327604jaws0704_8
-
Nash H. FAQs on reproduction in dogs Pet education 2008 Retrieved November 7, 2008, from: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2109&aid=921.
-
Paunonen S. V., Ewan K., Earthy J., Lefave S. & Goldberg H. Facial features as personality cues Journal of Personality 2001 67 3 555 583 10.1111/1467-6494.00065
-
Podberscek A. L. & Gosling S. D. Podberscek A. L., Paul E. S. & Serpell J. A. Personality research on pets and their owners: Conceptual issues and review Companion animals and us: Exploring the relationships between people and pets 2000 Cambridge, U.K. Cambridge University Press. 143 181
-
Saetre P., Strandberg E., Sundgren P. E., Pettersson U., Jazin E. & Bergstrom T. F. The genetic contribution to canine personality Genes, Brain, and Behavior 2006 5 3 240 248 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2005.00155.x
-
Svartberg K. A comparison of behaviour in test and in everyday life: Evidence of three consistent boldness-related personality traits in dogs Applied Animal Behavior Science 2005 91 1-2 103 128 10.1016/j.applanim.2004.08.030
-
Svartberg K., Tapper I., Temrin H., Radesater T. & Thorman S. Consistency of personality traits in dogs Animal Behavior 2005 69 2 283 291 10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.04.011
-
Van den Berg L., Schilder M. B. H., de Vries H., Leegwater P. A. J. & van Oost B. A. Phenotyping of aggressive behavior in golden retriever dogs with a questionnaire Behavioral Genetics 2006 36 6 882 902 10.1007/s10519-006-9089-0
-
Wiggins J. S. A psychological taxonomy of trait-descriptive terms: The interpersonal domain Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1979 37 3 39 412 10.1037/0022-3514.37.3.395
-
Wiggins J. S. Grove W. & Cicchetti D. Agency and communion as conceptual coordinates for the understanding and measurement of interpersonal behavior Thinking clearly about psychology: Vol. 2. Personality and psychopathology 1991 Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press 89 113
-
Woodward L. E. & Bauer A. L. People and their pets: A relational perspective on interpersonal complementarity and attachment in companion animal owners Society & Animals 2007 15 2 169 189 10.1163/156853007X187117
-
Wright J. C., Smith A., Daniel K. & Adkins K. Dog breed stereotype and exposure to negative behavior: Effects of perceptions on adoptability Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 2007 10 3 255 265
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1561 | 270 | 41 |
| Full Text Views | 236 | 35 | 3 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 239 | 76 | 3 |
Give a Dog a Bad Name and Hang Him: Evaluating Big, Black Dog Syndrome
In: Society & AnimalsSearch for other papers by Lucinda Woodward in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Jennifer Milliken in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Sonya Humy in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Two studies examined human perceptions of dog personality attributes based upon exposure to pictures of dogs of select breeds. The proposed hypotheses evaluated the validity of “big, black dog syndrome”—whereby large, black dog breeds are reportedly spurned for adoption due to negatively perceived personality attributes—by assessing each dog’s relative trait dominance and affiliation based upon a taxonomy drawn from the eight-factor interpersonal circumplex. Results of two separate studies indicated that among participants’ ratings, breed-specific differences were more powerful predictors of interpersonal trait attributions than the color or size of the dog. In general, with the exception of the golden retriever, black labs were perceived as consistently less dominant and less hostile than other large breeds, contrary to the assumption that large, black dogs are viewed negatively.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1561 | 270 | 41 |
| Full Text Views | 236 | 35 | 3 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 239 | 76 | 3 |