The Animal in You
The Animal in You is a 1995 non-fiction book by Roy Feinson, which posits a biological basis as to why people tend to exhibit personality traits similar to animal species. The book hypothesizes that through the process of convergent evolution, people adopt a niche set of behaviors enabling them to cope with their particular social milieu in the same way as individual animal species adapt to their environments. The book has been translated into ten different languages,[1] including Mandarin, Japanese, Czech, Hebrew and French, and has been featured on CNN, The Dr. Phil Show[2] and CBS The Talk[3][4][5][6]
Author | Roy Feinson |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English, Various |
Subject | Personality Test |
Genre | Psychology, biology |
Publisher | St. Martin's Griffin |
Publication date | 1995 |
Media type | Paperback |
ISBN | 978-0312180409 |
Followed by | Animal Attraction |
The Personality Test
The Animal in You features a personality test of nine questions that collapses to one of 45 possible personality types. After readers answer the questions about their personality and physical attributes, the test returns a number corresponding to one of the 45 animal personality types, appearing in a look-up table. The underlying mechanisms for these types of tests are trivial for modern software based Internet tests, but this is the first known example of a book-based test able to resolve over 20 categories. The test is augmented by an interdependent weighting scheme wherein each question is assigned a different weight depending on how the other questions are answered.
The Animals
The animal personalities are broken down into the broad categories shown below.
Carnivores
Traits: Powerful, Optimistic, Territorial, Courageous, Fastidious, Athletic, Adventurous, Energetic, Attractive, Fun, Loving, Talented, Flamboyant, World Travelers, Loyal
- Otter
- Wolf
- Sea Lion
- Wild Dog
- Walrus
- Lion
- Shark
- Tiger
- Bear
- Fox
- Wild Cat
- Badger
- Weasel
- Dog.
Optimistic
Herbivores
Traits: Sociable, Hard Working, Sober, Friendly, Family Oriented, Organized, Reliable, Methodical, Conservative
- Baboon
- Elephant
- Bison
- Giraffe
- Cottontail
- Gorilla
- Deer
- Rhinoceros
- Hippo
- Sable
- Horse
- Sheep
- Mountain Goat
- Warthog
- Zebra.
Rodents & Insectivores
Traits: Small, Creative, Thrifty, Active, Resilient, Cautious, Socially, loving, Bright
- Mole
- Bat
- Porcupine
- Beaver
- Prairie Dog
- Shrew
- Mouse
Birds
Traits: Energetic, Attractive, Fun-Loving, Talented, Flamboyant, World Travelers
- Penguin
- Eagle
- Rooster
- Owl
- Swan
- Peacock
- Vulture
Reptiles
Traits: Artistic Creative Quick Tempered Moody Quirky Unpredictable
- Crocodile
- Snake
Animal Attraction
"Animal Attraction" was a sequel to "Animal In You," published by St. Martin's Griffin Press in 1999. This book explored the types relationships suggested by the different personality types.
Citations in Academic Articles
Pets and People: Companions in Commerce? Holbrook.[7]
Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing. Wallpach, Woodside.[8]
Are Birds of a Feather Flocking to the Beach? Black.[9]
References
- "Author's Website with Different Languages Featured". www.royfeinson.com.
- "The Dr Phil Show". CBS Television Production. 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- The Talk. "Test your animal instinct by taking 'The Animal In You' Personality Quiz here". Retrieved September 7, 2013.
- Feinson, Roy (1998). The Animal In You: Discover Your Animal Type and Unlock the Secrets of Your Personality Paperback– March 15, 1998. ISBN 0312180403.
- "The Animal in You". goodreads.com. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Jacks, Beth Boswell. "Searching For The Inner Animal". usads.ms11.net. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- Holbrook, Morris B. (2008). "Pets and People: Companions in Commerce?". Journal of Business Research. 61 (5): 546–552. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.07.010.
- von Wallpach, Sylvia; Woodside, Arch G. (2009). "Chapter 8 Enacted internal branding: Theory, practice, and an experiential learning case study of an Austrian B2B company". Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing. Vol. 15. Emerald Insight. pp. 389–428. doi:10.1108/S1069-0964(2009)0000015012. ISBN 978-1-84855-670-6.
- "Are Birds of a Feather Flocking to the Beach?". The Coastal Business Journal. 2016.
External links
- Official website The book's website was one of the earliest comprehensive personality tests available on the web and receives over "1,000,000 unique visitors per year".