Jun 24
Marquee Arts (fka Michigan Theater) Ann Arbor, MI
TicketsDr. Bill Chopik
Associate Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University
Kedi— Pets and the emotional benefits of our co-existence
Program Description
What are the tangible, and emotional, benefits of cats on humans? Do humans serve cats’ will, or do cats serve ours? What are the psychological/behavioral effects of cats on humans. How can other cities adopt similar practices of caring for cats?
Film Synopsis
A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
Hundreds of thousands of cats have roamed the metropolis of Istanbul freely for thousands of years, wandering in and out of people's lives, impacting them in ways only an animal who lives between the worlds of the wild and the tamed can. Cats and their kittens bring joy and purpose to those they choose, giving people an opportunity to reflect on life and their place in it. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to ourselves.
About the Speaker
Dr. Bill Chopik (he/his/him) is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University. He studies how close relationships—and the people in them—change over time and across situations. Dr. Chopik’s work examines phenomena as broad as how relationships and social institutions shape development and as focused as the mechanisms that underlie the link between close relationships and health. In 2017, Dr. Chopik was recognized as one of Forbes Magazine’s Top 30 Scientists Under 30 and has since been recognized as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science.