Some people base a significant portion of their identity around their affinity for either cats or dogs, describing themselves as a "cat person" or a "dog person". This builds on the perceived dichotomy between cats and dogs as pets in society. The two terms refer to people's self-identification, regardless of what pets they actually own, if any.
A 2010 study at the University of Texas found that those who identified as "dog people" tended to be more social and outgoing, whereas "cat people" tended to be more neurotic and "open," meaning creative, philosophical, or nontraditional. In a 2014 study at Carroll University, Wisconsin, people who said they were dog lovers were found to be more energetic and outgoing, and tended to follow rules closely, while cat lovers were more introverted, open-minded and sensitive. Cat people also tended to be non-conformists, as well as scoring higher on intelligence tests than dog lovers.