psychology
That’s why people who talk to their pets are smarter
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For many of us, pets are as much a part of the family as people are. Of course we talk to them too. do you find it funny According to science, this can even indicate special intelligence!
Do you sometimes have long conversations with your cat or dog? Cats in particular are often very communicative and enthusiastically mew their answers when we speak to them. Even if we can’t know for sure what they’re telling us – we understand them! Some people may find it a little odd when others talk to animals, or even think of them as being mentally insane. But according to science, the opposite is the case: If you humanize animals, you are probably even more intelligent!
Anthropomorphism: That’s why we humanize animals and objects
dr Nicholas Epley is a professor of behavioral psychology at the University of Chicago and deals with anthropomorphism, i.e. the humanization of non-human things, such as animals or even objects. The expert explains to “yourtango.com” that historically, anthropomorphizing has often been seen as a sign of childish behavior or stupidity. “It’s a by-product of the makeup that makes humans intelligent in a unique way. No other species has that makeup.”
According to Epley, we humanize things and beings in our everyday lives all the time – even if we often don’t even notice it. In addition to the conversations with our cat, this can be the car, which we give a name, or the coffee machine, which we angrily scold when it wants to be descaled again. But why are we doing this? The behavioral psychologist cites three possible reasons:
- We see faces everywhere.
- We assume that things we like have thoughts.
- We combine human qualities with unpredictability.
And all of these reasons are a sign of our inherent tendency to see other human traits everywhere. And that is closely linked to our social intelligence.
Study shows what humanizing does to us
One could Study by the British Newcastle University showed that people in a cafeteria were more likely to separate waste when a poster with human eyes was hung over the bins. When a picture of flowers adorned the wall, they showed themselves to be much more lazy about recycling. So if we suspect a human, intelligent presence, this has a positive effect on our behavior.
So the next time you’re having a lively discussion with your cat—or your fridge—don’t worry: Not only is this deeply human, but it also shows that your social intelligence is at its best.
Sources used: yourtango.com, staff.ncl.ac.uk