A comparative study reveals dogs' superior empathy toward human emotions compared to pigs.
The study, published in the journal Animal Behaviour, compared the reactions of dogs and mini pigs to human sounds of crying and cooing, investigating their ability to perceive and respond to human emotions, known as "emotional contagion."
Dogs exhibited more stress and vocalized more in response to crying, suggesting they can recognize the negative emotional content and empathize with human suffering. Pigs responded with more stress and vocalizations to cooing, indicating potential differences in emotional perception across species.
The findings suggest that differences in evolutionary origins and domestication purposes between species can influence their ability to perceive and exhibit emotional contagion, with companion animals like dogs potentially having stronger emotional contagion with humans than livestock animals like pigs.
While both dogs and pigs could differentiate between human crying and neutral vocal sounds, pigs displayed more stress behaviors in response to neutral, unusual human sounds like humming, revealing the role of human vocalizations in their domestication process.
The study used a unique citizen science approach, involving pet owners from various countries, to record their animals in a home environment while playing these sounds.
The study suggests that the domestication of dogs and human-dog bonding over millennia have led to dogs reacting emotionally to human sounds, particularly crying, which has likely remained a consistent sound throughout evolution, aiding in dogs recognizing and reacting to it.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Nature, Terra, Newsweek, G4media, Anda, Sciencenet, Elciudadano, Diariopanorama, Confirmado, Biobiochile, Larazon, Hurriyet, 24, Noticiasdelaciencia, Greendex, Egeszsegkalauz, Hellosajto.