A group of scientists from the University of Liverpool and John Moores University analyzed the behavior of domestic cats, based on the testimony of 2,042 families, and concluded that: These pets likely have an ‘element of psychopathy’.
In the study published in the journal Journal of research in personality, the researchers used a A tool for assessing the mental stability of cats a call “CAT-Tri +”. It is the first of its kind to detect psychopathy and according to the scientists, It may be helpful in improving the relationships between a cat and its human family.
The tool consists of a 46-statement test – people had to agree or not about their pets – on 5 different aspects:Daring”, which is related to social dominance and lower levels of fear; The “purification“, which refers to problems of self-control;” the bad ”, which is characterized, for example, by the lack of“ empathy ”; hatred towards other pets; Finally Hate towards humans.
“My cat is torturing its prey rather than killing it directly,” “My cat is making a loud noise (eg, meow) for no apparent reason” or “My cat is very irritable (eg, acts in an exaggerated and uncoordinated manner)” were some of the statements in the questionnaire Through which researchers sought to assess the psychological state of cats.
The results provide insight into the structure of tertiary psychopathy in cats. The study concluded, referring to the tripartite model, which defines psychopathy as a complex disorder Of three main features: daring, disposition of daring and pettiness.
The study’s lead researcher, Rebecca Evans, explained that This psychopathic trait was useful for our ‘pet ancestors’ In terms of ‘getting resources, like a meal, The Area and opportunities mating“.
better strap
In the face of the pettiness of cats, A few days ago, another study was published – In this case it was done by psychologists from the Universities of Sussex and Portsmouth – that Show for the first time how Establish a better relationship with these animals. Tools, according to scientists, are given through the use of gaze, because pets are “sensitive to human cues, even those representing different emotional states.”
The report, from the team led by Dr Tasmin Humphrey and Professor Karen McComb, states that “Eyes are important for expressing feelings, and the The act of staring at them It is associated with positive emotional communication in a variety of species.”
A total of 21 cats from 14 different households were included in the research and 14 different owners participated. Of the total number of cats, there were 10 males and 11 females. Pets were photographed during tests with and without human contact stimuli in order to compare both scenarios. The first experiment I showed That before their owners blink slowly, cats also respond by blinking and staring repeatedly.
In the second phase of the experiment, moving forward with the hypothesis, the researchers attempted to perform slow blinking themselves. As a result, the cats were more likely to approach her after this interaction. It wasn’t when they tested a reaction with a neutral expression.
