Anthropomorphism vs. Personification

Tubby the Tuba 1963

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human-like characteristics, feelings, and behaviours to non-human characters such as animals, Gods, and supernatural creatures. Anthropomorphism is a similar literary device to personification.

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONIFICATION AND ANTHROPOMORPHISM?

anthrop = human

morph = shape

stinky-cheese
Doctor Le Quack from Courage The Cowardly Dog
A view into ordinary lives 1887 Theodor Kittelsen
A view into ordinary lives 1887 Theodor Kittelsen
Weird Tales for September 1946
Pierre Probst (1913-2007) introduced Caroline And Her Friends to the French public in 1952
Pierre Probst (1913-2007) introduced Caroline And Her Friends to the French public in 1952
Postcard c. 1950s for Mainzer cats illustrator Eugen Hartung 1897-1973
Postcard c. 1950s for Mainzer cats illustrator Eugen Hartung 1897-1973
Mr Woodchuck by L. FRANK BAUM writing as Laura Bancroft
Mr Woodchuck by L. FRANK BAUM writing as Laura Bancroft

In pop culture the two terms seem to be used interchangeably. See, for instance, 10 Movies That Will Traumatise Your Child With Anthropomorphism from io9.

The Flowers Personified by French Caricaturist and illustrator (Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard), nom de plume J.J Grandville, 1847
The Flowers Personified by French Caricaturist and illustrator (Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard), nom de plume J.J Grandville, 1847
Mother Earth’s Children The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrations by M.T.Ross 1914
Mother Earth’s Children The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables by Elizabeth Gordon. Illustrations by M.T.Ross 1914

But some people like to maintain a distinction, despite the overlapping usage. I like this explanation:

Both personification and anthropomorphization assert intangible human characteristics — such as consciousness and thought — onto an inanimate object, entity or animal. The difference is that anthropomorphization imposes physical or tangible human characteristics onto the subject to suggest an embodiment of the human form.

from the wordreference.com forum

Personification pretends (for literary effect) to ascribe one or two human attributes (especially thoughts, feelings, intentions) to non-human things.

Anthropomorphism turns non-humans into humans completely — such as Bugs Bunny, the animals of Aesop’s fables, the three bears who chased Goldilocks, or the Uncle Remus characters.

Another way of looking at anthropomorphism is that it is actually talking about humans — but pretends that they are shaped like animals.

This is a popular device in children’s literature, fairy tales, and comic strips. One benefit is that the characters don’t have any race or gender, so all children everywhere can identify with them. [For more on that see Why So Many Animals In Picturebooks?]

from someone at Yahoo answers.
Elmer Cecil Stoner Mr Peanut
The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949
The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949
The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949
The Animals’ Conference Erich Kastner Walter Trier translated by Zita de Schauensee based on an idea by Jella Lepman 1949 4