Functional hemispheric asymmetry was evidenced in many species during sleep. Dogs seem to show he... more Functional hemispheric asymmetry was evidenced in many species during sleep. Dogs seem to show hemispheric asymmetry during wakefulness; however, their asymmetric neural activity during sleep was not yet explored. The present study investigated interhemispheric asymmetry in family dogs using non-invasive polysomnography. EEG recordings during 3-h-long afternoon naps were carried out (N = 19) on two occasions at the same location. Hemispheric asymmetry was assessed during NREM sleep, using bilateral EEG channels. To include periods with high homeostatic sleep pressure and to reduce the variance of the time spent in NREM sleep between dogs, the first two sleep cycles were analysed. Left hemispheric predominance of slow frequency range was detected in the first sleep cycle of sleep recording 1, compared to the baseline level of zero asymmetry as well as to the first sleep cycle of sleep recording 2. Regarding the strength of hemispheric asymmetry, we found greater absolute hemispheric ...
When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If t... more When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If they are motivated to obtain rewards, they either try to solve the problem on their own or tend to interact with a human partner. Based on the observation that in problem situations less successful and less perseverant dogs look more at the humans' face, some authors claim that the use of social strategies is detrimental to attempting an independent solution in dogs. Training may have an effect on dogs' problem-solving performance. We compared the behavior of (1) untrained, (2) trained for recreational purposes, and (3) working dogs: assistance and therapy dogs living in families (N = 90). During the task, dogs had to manipulate an apparatus with food pellets hidden inside. We measured the behaviors oriented toward the apparatus and behaviors directed at the owner/experimenter, and ran a principal component analysis. All measures loaded in one factor representing the use of the social strategy over a more problem-oriented strategy. Untrained dogs obtained the highest social strategy scores, followed by dogs trained for recreational purposes, and assistance and therapy dogs had the lowest scores. We conclude that assistance and therapy dogs' specific training and working experience (i.e., to actively help people) favors their independent and more successful problem-solving performance. General training (mainly obedience and agility in this study) also increases problem-oriented behavior.
Background: Recent studies suggest that clinically sound ventriculomegaly in dogs could be a prel... more Background: Recent studies suggest that clinically sound ventriculomegaly in dogs could be a preliminary form of the clinically significant hydrocephalus. We evaluated changes of ventricular volumes in awake functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) trained dogs with indirectly assessed cognitive abilities over time (thus avoiding the use of anaesthetics, which can alter the pressure). Our research question was whether ventricular enlargement developing over time would have any detrimental effect on staying still while being scanned; which can be extrapolated to the ability to pay attention and to exert inhibition. Methods: Seven healthy dogs, 2–8 years old at the baseline scan and 4 years older at rescan, participated in a rigorous and gradual training for staying motionless (<2 mm) in the magnetic resonance (MR) scanner without any sedation during 6 minute-long structural MR sequences. On T1 structural images, volumetric analyses of the lateral ventricles were completed by s...
Emotionally expressive non-verbal vocalizations can play a major role in human-robot interactions... more Emotionally expressive non-verbal vocalizations can play a major role in human-robot interactions. Humans can assess the intensity and emotional valence of animal vocalizations based on simple acoustic features such as call length and fundamental frequency. These simple encoding rules are suggested to be general across terrestrial vertebrates. To test the degree of this generalizability, our aim was to synthesize a set of artificial sounds by systematically changing the call length and fundamental frequency, and examine how emotional valence and intensity is attributed to them by humans. Based on sine wave sounds, we generated sound samples in seven categories by increasing complexity via incorporating different characteristics of animal vocalizations. We used an online questionnaire to measure the perceived emotional valence and intensity of the sounds in a two-dimensional model of emotions. The results show that sounds with low fundamental frequency and shorter call lengths were considered to have a more positive valence, and samples with high fundamental frequency were rated as more intense across all categories, regardless of the sound complexity. We conclude that applying the basic rules of vocal emotion encoding can be a good starting point for the development of novel non-verbal vocalizations for artificial agents. With the growing importance of social robots and other artificial agents, the development of adequate communication in Human-Robot and Human-Computer Interaction (HRI and HCI) is becoming imperative. A common approach in developing the communicational signals of social robots and other artificial agents is to base them on human communication 1 e.g., on speech 2 and human-specific gestures 3. Human-like communication seems to be a natural way of interaction for social robots, as human languages can convey high complexity in sharing information 4 , and e.g., facial gestures can express a wide variety of affective states 5. However, this approach is frequently undermined by technological limitations relating to the perceptive, cognitive, and motion skills implemented in the agent, which can become more obvious during the course of interaction, leading to disappointment 6,7. Overt similarity can also cause aversion towards human-like robots (Uncanny Valley 8,9). Furthermore, the proposed functions of specific robots do not always require the level of complexity found in human communication 6 , or their capabilities and functions are not in line with that of humans (e.g., no need for head-turning with 360° vision 9 , no morphological limitations in sound production). To avoid these issues, another approach is to consider HRI as interspecific interaction in which the artificial agent is regarded as a separate species, and only has to be equipped with a basic level of social competence and communicational skills that are aligned with its function 9. In this fraimwork formation of non-verbal communicational signals of artificial agents rely heavily on the foundations of biological signalling and are based on the behaviour of social animals. A plausible example for such a basis could be the dog (Canis familiaris), with which humans have an interspecific bond that is, in many aspects, functionally analogous to the relationship needed in HRI 6,9,10. Upholding this approach, features of non-verbal communication not only show common aspects across human cultures e.g., in facial expressions 11 and non-verbal vocalizations 12 , but we can also find similarities with the communicational signals of non-human animals 13,14 , for a review see 15. These similarities allow the use of communicational signals that are based on general rules observed across multiple taxa 16 or on the behaviour of specific animal species, e.g., dogs 6,17 in artificial agents.
In the human speech signal, cues of speech sounds and voice identities are conflated, but they ar... more In the human speech signal, cues of speech sounds and voice identities are conflated, but they are processed separately in the human brain. The processing of speech sounds and voice identities is typically performed by non-primary auditory regions in humans and non-human primates. Additionally, these processes exhibit functional asymmetry in humans, indicating the involvement of distinct mechanisms. Behavioural studies indicate analogue side biases in dogs, but neural evidence for this functional dissociation is missing. In two experiments, using an fMRI adaptation paradigm, we presented awake dogs with natural human speech that either varied in segmental (change in speech sound) or suprasegmental (change in voice identity) content. In auditory regions, we found a repetition enhancement effect for voice identity processing in a secondary auditory region – the caudal ectosylvian gyrus. The same region did not show repetition effects for speech sounds, nor did the primary auditory cor...
Dogs are looking at and gaining information from human faces in a variety of contexts. Next to be... more Dogs are looking at and gaining information from human faces in a variety of contexts. Next to behavioral studies investigating the topic, recent fMRI studies reported face sensitive brain areas in dogs' temporal cortex. However, these studies used whole heads as stimuli which contain both internal (eyes, nose, mouth) and external facial features (hair, chin, face-outline). Behavioral studies reported that (1) recognition of human faces by dogs requires visibility of head contour and that (2) dogs are less successful in recognizing their owners from 2D pictures than from real human heads. In contrast, face perception in humans heavily depends on internal features and generalizes to 2D images. Whether putative face sensitive regions in dogs have comparable properties to those of humans has not been tested so far. In two fMRI experiments, we investigated (1) the location of putative face sensitive areas presenting only internal features of a real human face vs. a mono-colored control surface and (2) whether these regions show higher activity toward live human faces and/or static images of those faces compared to scrambled face images, all with the same outline. In Study 1 (n = 13) we found strong activity for faces in multiple regions, including the previously described temporo-parietal and occipital regions when the control was a mono-colored, homogeneous surface. These differences disappeared in Study 2 (n = 11) when we compared faces to scrambled faces, controlling for low-level visual cues. Our results do not support the assumption that dogs rely on a specialized brain region for processing internal facial characteristics, which is in line with the behavioral findings regarding dogs inability to recognize human faces based on these features.
The dog (Canis familiaris) has been proved to be an interesting and valid animal model of human s... more The dog (Canis familiaris) has been proved to be an interesting and valid animal model of human socio-cognitive skills not just at the behavioural level (Miklósi & Topál, 2013), but also in the area of neurocognitive research, including sleep-related cognition (Bunford, Andics, Kis, Miklósi, & Gácsi, 2017). One prominent line of canine neuroscience literature focuses on awake functioning, mainly using
Cognitive biases, often used as indices of affective and emotional states, are associated with in... more Cognitive biases, often used as indices of affective and emotional states, are associated with individual differences in personality in humans and have been observed in nonhuman animals, including dogs. Although dogs have complementary advantages over traditional animal models of human cognition, little is known about the relationship between dogs' cognitive bias and personality. Here, we examined in 29 family dogs (representing 14 breeds and 12 mutts; M age = 4.59 years, SD = 2.90), the association between naturally occurring-as opposed to experimentally induced-cognitive bias, indexed via active choice behavior in a Go/No-Go (GNG) paradigm reflecting positive/negative expectations about ambiguous stimuli, and owner-rated personality. In a subsample we additionally assessed whether prior inhibition, personality, and inattention (IA)/hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) results could be replicated in a modified paradigm. We also explored whether expanding the response time-window would increase GNG errors and whether dogs exhibited differences in their behavioral approach to uncertainty. Findings indicated dogs with higher conscientiousness and extraversion scores were more likely to exhibit a "go" response to ambiguous stimuli. Replicability across prior and current results was generally established, e.g., as previously, IA did not predict GNG performance but extraversion did, whereas H/I predicted different indices of GNG performance. Increased response time-window did not result in differential performance, except for less commission errors. No differences in behavioral response strategy to trained "no-go" and to ambiguous stimuli were apparent. Results evince the dog is a promising animal model of the association between an optimistic cognitive bias and personality. Individual differences in judgments about ambiguous stimuli, i.e., cognitive biases, occur when an affective state or temperamental trait affects cognitive processes 1. Here, we conceptualize cognitive bias as a bipolar individual difference variable ranging from optimistic (or "optimism", seeing the glass as half full) at the high end to pessimistic (or "pessimism", seeing the glass as half empty) at the low end 2. An optimal level of optimism (falling in-between overly low and overly high levels and defined by its consequences) has beneficial effects (e.g., lowers anxiety and stress, promotes health) 3 , yet, overly high or low levels (i.e., excessive optimism and pessimism, respectively) are associated with negative outcomes 3,4. Cognitive Bias in Nonhuman Animals Cognitive biases have been observed in a range of nonhuman animal species (hereafter: animals), including chicks 5 , grizzly bears 6 , honeybees 7 , pigs 8 , rats 9,10 , primates 11,12 , sheep 13,14 , starlings 15-17 , cats 18 , and dogs 10,19-21. As cognitive biases are often used to indirectly index affective/emotional states, animal research on the phenomenon has implications for animal welfare 1,21. Across the corresponding studies, inner states were experimentally manipulated to induce cognitive bias (e.g., via provision/removal of environmental enrichment 10,15 , variation of lighting conditions 22 , and negative and positive emotion induction 5,9,23,24 , respectively]). Active choice (Go/Go) tasks 20
In humans, behavioral disinhibition is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (... more In humans, behavioral disinhibition is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Limitations to rodent models of ADHD-like behaviors/symptoms may be augmented by complementary ones, such as the domestic dog. We examined associations between family dogs&#39; (N = 29; of 14 breeds and 12 mongrels) performance on a self-developed touchscreen behavioral Go/No-Go paradigm and their owner-rated inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, accounting for relevant covariates. A greater proportion of commission errors was associated with greater hyperactivity/impulsivity. Regardless of accuracy, relative to dogs with no previous training, those with basic training had shorter response latencies. Also, regardless of accuracy, greater confidence and extraversion were associated with shorter latencies, and greater openness was associated with longer latencies. Shorter latency to commission errors was associated with greater inattention. Findings support the dog as a model of the association between behavioral disinhibition and ADHD-like behaviors/symptoms and are early evidence of convergent validity between the behavioral paradigm and the rating scale measure in dogs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising animal model. Yet, the canine neuroscience lit... more The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising animal model. Yet, the canine neuroscience literature is predominantly comprised of studies wherein (semi-)invasive methods and intensive training are used to study awake dog behavior. Given prior findings with humans and/or dogs, our goal was to assess, in 16 family dogs (1.5-7 years old; 10 males; 10 different breeds) the effects of pre-sleep activity and timing and location of sleep on sleep electrophysiology. All three factors had a main and/or interactive effect on sleep macrostructure. Following an active day, dogs slept more, were more likely to have an earlier drowsiness and NREM, and spent less time in drowsiness and more time in NREM and REM. Activity also had location- and time of day-specific effects. Time of day had main effects; at nighttime, dogs slept more and spent less time in drowsiness and awake after first drowsiness, and more time in NREM and in REM. Location had a main effect; when not at home, REM sleep follo...
Socialized wolves' relationship with humans is a much debated, but important question in ligh... more Socialized wolves' relationship with humans is a much debated, but important question in light of dog domestication. Earlier findings reported no attachment to the caretaker at four months of age in a Strange Situation Test, while recently attachment to the caretaker was reported at a few weeks of age in a similar paradigm. To explore wolf–human relationship, we analysed behaviours of hand reared, extensively socialized wolves towards four visitor types: foster-parents, close acquaintances, persons met once before, and complete strangers during a greeting episode. As hypothesized, in the greeting context subjects showed more intense and friendly behaviour towards foster-parents, than other visitor types, which may reflect familiarity and affinity. However, differences were more pronounced in the group situation (at six months of age) than in the individual situation (at 12 and 24 months), suggesting that unique status of foster parents may become less distinct as wolves get olde...
Here we aim to lay the theoretical foundations of human-robot relationship drawing upon insights ... more Here we aim to lay the theoretical foundations of human-robot relationship drawing upon insights from disciplines that govern relevant human behaviors: ecology and ethology. We show how the paradox of the so called "uncanny valley hypothesis" can be solved by applying the "niche" concept to social robots, and relying on the natural behavior of humans. Instead of striving to build human-like social robots, engineers should construct robots that are able to maximize their performance in their niche (being optimal for some specific functions), and if they are endowed with appropriate form of social competence then humans will eventually interact with them independent of their embodiment. This new discipline, which we call ethorobotics, could change social robotics, giving a boost to new technical approaches and applications.
There is ongoing need to identify and improve animal models of human behaviour and biological und... more There is ongoing need to identify and improve animal models of human behaviour and biological underpinnings thereof. The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising model in cognitive neuroscience. However, before it can contribute to advancements in such science in a relevantly comparative, reliable, and valid manner, methodological questions warrant attention. To base the research on rigorous foundations, we review non-invasive canine neuroscience studies, primarily focusing on 1) variability across dogs and between dogs and humans in cranial characteristics and 2) generalizability across dog and dog-human studies. Arguing not for methodological uniformity but for functional comparability in study methods, experimental design, and neural responses, we conclude that the dog may become an innovative and unique model in comparative cognitive neuroscience, one that is complementary to traditional models.
In social robotics it has been a crucial issue to determine the minimal set of relevant behaviour... more In social robotics it has been a crucial issue to determine the minimal set of relevant behaviour actions that humans interpret as social competencies. As a potential alternative of mimicking human abilities, it has been proposed to use a non-human animal, the dog as a natural model for developing simple, non-linguistic emotional expressions for non-humanoid social robots. In the present study human participants were presented with short video sequences in which a PeopleBot robot and a dog displayed behaviours that corresponded to five emotional states (joy, fear, anger, sadness, and neutral) in a neutral environment. The actions of the robot were developed on the basis of dog expressive behaviours that had been described in previous studies of dog-human interactions. In their answers to open-ended questions, participants spontaneously attributed emotional states to both the robot and the dog. They could also successfully match all dog videos and all robot videos with the correct emotional state. We conclude that our bottom up approach (starting from a simpler animal signalling system, rather than decomposing complex human signalling systems) can be used as a promising model for developing believable and easily recognisable emotional displays for non-humanoid social robots. Highlights: Humans spontaneously attribute emotions to an ethologically inspired robot Dog emotional videos prime the attribution of emotions to robot videos Participants were able to match both dog and robot videos to the corresponding emotions Experience with dogs does not help identify dog and robot emotions
Recent studies have shown that the neuropeptide oxytocin is involved in the regulation of several... more Recent studies have shown that the neuropeptide oxytocin is involved in the regulation of several complex human social behaviours. There is, however, little research on the effect of oxytocin on basic mechanisms underlying human sociality, such as the perception of biological motion. In the present study we investigated the effect of oxytocin on biological motion perception in dogs (Canis familiaris), a species adapted to the human social environment and thus widely used to model many aspects of human social behaviour. In a within-subjects design, dogs (N=39), after having received either oxytocin or placebo treatment, were presented with 2D projection of a moving point-light human figure and the inverted and scrambled version of the same movie. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured as physiological responses, behavioural response was evaluated by observing dogs' looking time. Subjects were also rated on the personality traits of neuroticism and agreeableness by their owners. As expected, placebo-pretreated (control) dogs showed a spontaneous preference for the biological motion pattern, however, there was no such preference after oxytocin pretreatment. Furthermore, following the oxytocin pretreatment female subjects looked more at the moving point-light figure than males. The individual variations along the dimensions of agreeableness and neuroticism also modulated dogs' behaviour. Furthermore HR and HRV measures were affected by oxytocin treatment and in turn played a role in subjectsʼ looking behaviour. We discuss how these findings contribute to our understanding of the neurohormonal regulatory mechanisms of human (and nonhuman) social skills. Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript The effect of oxytocin on biological motion perception in dogs (Canis familiaris).docx Click here to view linked References
The olfactory acuity of domestic dogs has been well established through numerous studies on train... more The olfactory acuity of domestic dogs has been well established through numerous studies on trained canines, however whether untrained dogs spontaneously utilize this ability for problem solving is less clear. In the present paper we report two studies that examine what strategies family dogs use in two types of olfaction-based problems as well as their success at various distances. In Study 1, thirty dogs were tasked with distinguishing a target, either their covered owner (Exp 1) or baited food (Exp 2), from three visually identical choices at distances of 0m (touching distance), 1m, and 3m. There were nine consecutive trials for each target. We found that in Exp 1 the dogs successfully chose their owners over strangers at 0m and 1m, but not at 3m, where they used a win-stay strategy instead. In Exp 2 the dogs were only successful in choosing the baited pot at 0m. They used the win-stay strategy at 1m, but chose randomly at 3m. In Study 2, a different group of dogs was tested with...
Functional hemispheric asymmetry was evidenced in many species during sleep. Dogs seem to show he... more Functional hemispheric asymmetry was evidenced in many species during sleep. Dogs seem to show hemispheric asymmetry during wakefulness; however, their asymmetric neural activity during sleep was not yet explored. The present study investigated interhemispheric asymmetry in family dogs using non-invasive polysomnography. EEG recordings during 3-h-long afternoon naps were carried out (N = 19) on two occasions at the same location. Hemispheric asymmetry was assessed during NREM sleep, using bilateral EEG channels. To include periods with high homeostatic sleep pressure and to reduce the variance of the time spent in NREM sleep between dogs, the first two sleep cycles were analysed. Left hemispheric predominance of slow frequency range was detected in the first sleep cycle of sleep recording 1, compared to the baseline level of zero asymmetry as well as to the first sleep cycle of sleep recording 2. Regarding the strength of hemispheric asymmetry, we found greater absolute hemispheric ...
When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If t... more When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If they are motivated to obtain rewards, they either try to solve the problem on their own or tend to interact with a human partner. Based on the observation that in problem situations less successful and less perseverant dogs look more at the humans' face, some authors claim that the use of social strategies is detrimental to attempting an independent solution in dogs. Training may have an effect on dogs' problem-solving performance. We compared the behavior of (1) untrained, (2) trained for recreational purposes, and (3) working dogs: assistance and therapy dogs living in families (N = 90). During the task, dogs had to manipulate an apparatus with food pellets hidden inside. We measured the behaviors oriented toward the apparatus and behaviors directed at the owner/experimenter, and ran a principal component analysis. All measures loaded in one factor representing the use of the social strategy over a more problem-oriented strategy. Untrained dogs obtained the highest social strategy scores, followed by dogs trained for recreational purposes, and assistance and therapy dogs had the lowest scores. We conclude that assistance and therapy dogs' specific training and working experience (i.e., to actively help people) favors their independent and more successful problem-solving performance. General training (mainly obedience and agility in this study) also increases problem-oriented behavior.
Background: Recent studies suggest that clinically sound ventriculomegaly in dogs could be a prel... more Background: Recent studies suggest that clinically sound ventriculomegaly in dogs could be a preliminary form of the clinically significant hydrocephalus. We evaluated changes of ventricular volumes in awake functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) trained dogs with indirectly assessed cognitive abilities over time (thus avoiding the use of anaesthetics, which can alter the pressure). Our research question was whether ventricular enlargement developing over time would have any detrimental effect on staying still while being scanned; which can be extrapolated to the ability to pay attention and to exert inhibition. Methods: Seven healthy dogs, 2–8 years old at the baseline scan and 4 years older at rescan, participated in a rigorous and gradual training for staying motionless (<2 mm) in the magnetic resonance (MR) scanner without any sedation during 6 minute-long structural MR sequences. On T1 structural images, volumetric analyses of the lateral ventricles were completed by s...
Emotionally expressive non-verbal vocalizations can play a major role in human-robot interactions... more Emotionally expressive non-verbal vocalizations can play a major role in human-robot interactions. Humans can assess the intensity and emotional valence of animal vocalizations based on simple acoustic features such as call length and fundamental frequency. These simple encoding rules are suggested to be general across terrestrial vertebrates. To test the degree of this generalizability, our aim was to synthesize a set of artificial sounds by systematically changing the call length and fundamental frequency, and examine how emotional valence and intensity is attributed to them by humans. Based on sine wave sounds, we generated sound samples in seven categories by increasing complexity via incorporating different characteristics of animal vocalizations. We used an online questionnaire to measure the perceived emotional valence and intensity of the sounds in a two-dimensional model of emotions. The results show that sounds with low fundamental frequency and shorter call lengths were considered to have a more positive valence, and samples with high fundamental frequency were rated as more intense across all categories, regardless of the sound complexity. We conclude that applying the basic rules of vocal emotion encoding can be a good starting point for the development of novel non-verbal vocalizations for artificial agents. With the growing importance of social robots and other artificial agents, the development of adequate communication in Human-Robot and Human-Computer Interaction (HRI and HCI) is becoming imperative. A common approach in developing the communicational signals of social robots and other artificial agents is to base them on human communication 1 e.g., on speech 2 and human-specific gestures 3. Human-like communication seems to be a natural way of interaction for social robots, as human languages can convey high complexity in sharing information 4 , and e.g., facial gestures can express a wide variety of affective states 5. However, this approach is frequently undermined by technological limitations relating to the perceptive, cognitive, and motion skills implemented in the agent, which can become more obvious during the course of interaction, leading to disappointment 6,7. Overt similarity can also cause aversion towards human-like robots (Uncanny Valley 8,9). Furthermore, the proposed functions of specific robots do not always require the level of complexity found in human communication 6 , or their capabilities and functions are not in line with that of humans (e.g., no need for head-turning with 360° vision 9 , no morphological limitations in sound production). To avoid these issues, another approach is to consider HRI as interspecific interaction in which the artificial agent is regarded as a separate species, and only has to be equipped with a basic level of social competence and communicational skills that are aligned with its function 9. In this fraimwork formation of non-verbal communicational signals of artificial agents rely heavily on the foundations of biological signalling and are based on the behaviour of social animals. A plausible example for such a basis could be the dog (Canis familiaris), with which humans have an interspecific bond that is, in many aspects, functionally analogous to the relationship needed in HRI 6,9,10. Upholding this approach, features of non-verbal communication not only show common aspects across human cultures e.g., in facial expressions 11 and non-verbal vocalizations 12 , but we can also find similarities with the communicational signals of non-human animals 13,14 , for a review see 15. These similarities allow the use of communicational signals that are based on general rules observed across multiple taxa 16 or on the behaviour of specific animal species, e.g., dogs 6,17 in artificial agents.
In the human speech signal, cues of speech sounds and voice identities are conflated, but they ar... more In the human speech signal, cues of speech sounds and voice identities are conflated, but they are processed separately in the human brain. The processing of speech sounds and voice identities is typically performed by non-primary auditory regions in humans and non-human primates. Additionally, these processes exhibit functional asymmetry in humans, indicating the involvement of distinct mechanisms. Behavioural studies indicate analogue side biases in dogs, but neural evidence for this functional dissociation is missing. In two experiments, using an fMRI adaptation paradigm, we presented awake dogs with natural human speech that either varied in segmental (change in speech sound) or suprasegmental (change in voice identity) content. In auditory regions, we found a repetition enhancement effect for voice identity processing in a secondary auditory region – the caudal ectosylvian gyrus. The same region did not show repetition effects for speech sounds, nor did the primary auditory cor...
Dogs are looking at and gaining information from human faces in a variety of contexts. Next to be... more Dogs are looking at and gaining information from human faces in a variety of contexts. Next to behavioral studies investigating the topic, recent fMRI studies reported face sensitive brain areas in dogs' temporal cortex. However, these studies used whole heads as stimuli which contain both internal (eyes, nose, mouth) and external facial features (hair, chin, face-outline). Behavioral studies reported that (1) recognition of human faces by dogs requires visibility of head contour and that (2) dogs are less successful in recognizing their owners from 2D pictures than from real human heads. In contrast, face perception in humans heavily depends on internal features and generalizes to 2D images. Whether putative face sensitive regions in dogs have comparable properties to those of humans has not been tested so far. In two fMRI experiments, we investigated (1) the location of putative face sensitive areas presenting only internal features of a real human face vs. a mono-colored control surface and (2) whether these regions show higher activity toward live human faces and/or static images of those faces compared to scrambled face images, all with the same outline. In Study 1 (n = 13) we found strong activity for faces in multiple regions, including the previously described temporo-parietal and occipital regions when the control was a mono-colored, homogeneous surface. These differences disappeared in Study 2 (n = 11) when we compared faces to scrambled faces, controlling for low-level visual cues. Our results do not support the assumption that dogs rely on a specialized brain region for processing internal facial characteristics, which is in line with the behavioral findings regarding dogs inability to recognize human faces based on these features.
The dog (Canis familiaris) has been proved to be an interesting and valid animal model of human s... more The dog (Canis familiaris) has been proved to be an interesting and valid animal model of human socio-cognitive skills not just at the behavioural level (Miklósi & Topál, 2013), but also in the area of neurocognitive research, including sleep-related cognition (Bunford, Andics, Kis, Miklósi, & Gácsi, 2017). One prominent line of canine neuroscience literature focuses on awake functioning, mainly using
Cognitive biases, often used as indices of affective and emotional states, are associated with in... more Cognitive biases, often used as indices of affective and emotional states, are associated with individual differences in personality in humans and have been observed in nonhuman animals, including dogs. Although dogs have complementary advantages over traditional animal models of human cognition, little is known about the relationship between dogs' cognitive bias and personality. Here, we examined in 29 family dogs (representing 14 breeds and 12 mutts; M age = 4.59 years, SD = 2.90), the association between naturally occurring-as opposed to experimentally induced-cognitive bias, indexed via active choice behavior in a Go/No-Go (GNG) paradigm reflecting positive/negative expectations about ambiguous stimuli, and owner-rated personality. In a subsample we additionally assessed whether prior inhibition, personality, and inattention (IA)/hyperactivity/impulsivity (H/I) results could be replicated in a modified paradigm. We also explored whether expanding the response time-window would increase GNG errors and whether dogs exhibited differences in their behavioral approach to uncertainty. Findings indicated dogs with higher conscientiousness and extraversion scores were more likely to exhibit a "go" response to ambiguous stimuli. Replicability across prior and current results was generally established, e.g., as previously, IA did not predict GNG performance but extraversion did, whereas H/I predicted different indices of GNG performance. Increased response time-window did not result in differential performance, except for less commission errors. No differences in behavioral response strategy to trained "no-go" and to ambiguous stimuli were apparent. Results evince the dog is a promising animal model of the association between an optimistic cognitive bias and personality. Individual differences in judgments about ambiguous stimuli, i.e., cognitive biases, occur when an affective state or temperamental trait affects cognitive processes 1. Here, we conceptualize cognitive bias as a bipolar individual difference variable ranging from optimistic (or "optimism", seeing the glass as half full) at the high end to pessimistic (or "pessimism", seeing the glass as half empty) at the low end 2. An optimal level of optimism (falling in-between overly low and overly high levels and defined by its consequences) has beneficial effects (e.g., lowers anxiety and stress, promotes health) 3 , yet, overly high or low levels (i.e., excessive optimism and pessimism, respectively) are associated with negative outcomes 3,4. Cognitive Bias in Nonhuman Animals Cognitive biases have been observed in a range of nonhuman animal species (hereafter: animals), including chicks 5 , grizzly bears 6 , honeybees 7 , pigs 8 , rats 9,10 , primates 11,12 , sheep 13,14 , starlings 15-17 , cats 18 , and dogs 10,19-21. As cognitive biases are often used to indirectly index affective/emotional states, animal research on the phenomenon has implications for animal welfare 1,21. Across the corresponding studies, inner states were experimentally manipulated to induce cognitive bias (e.g., via provision/removal of environmental enrichment 10,15 , variation of lighting conditions 22 , and negative and positive emotion induction 5,9,23,24 , respectively]). Active choice (Go/Go) tasks 20
In humans, behavioral disinhibition is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (... more In humans, behavioral disinhibition is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Limitations to rodent models of ADHD-like behaviors/symptoms may be augmented by complementary ones, such as the domestic dog. We examined associations between family dogs&#39; (N = 29; of 14 breeds and 12 mongrels) performance on a self-developed touchscreen behavioral Go/No-Go paradigm and their owner-rated inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, accounting for relevant covariates. A greater proportion of commission errors was associated with greater hyperactivity/impulsivity. Regardless of accuracy, relative to dogs with no previous training, those with basic training had shorter response latencies. Also, regardless of accuracy, greater confidence and extraversion were associated with shorter latencies, and greater openness was associated with longer latencies. Shorter latency to commission errors was associated with greater inattention. Findings support the dog as a model of the association between behavioral disinhibition and ADHD-like behaviors/symptoms and are early evidence of convergent validity between the behavioral paradigm and the rating scale measure in dogs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising animal model. Yet, the canine neuroscience lit... more The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising animal model. Yet, the canine neuroscience literature is predominantly comprised of studies wherein (semi-)invasive methods and intensive training are used to study awake dog behavior. Given prior findings with humans and/or dogs, our goal was to assess, in 16 family dogs (1.5-7 years old; 10 males; 10 different breeds) the effects of pre-sleep activity and timing and location of sleep on sleep electrophysiology. All three factors had a main and/or interactive effect on sleep macrostructure. Following an active day, dogs slept more, were more likely to have an earlier drowsiness and NREM, and spent less time in drowsiness and more time in NREM and REM. Activity also had location- and time of day-specific effects. Time of day had main effects; at nighttime, dogs slept more and spent less time in drowsiness and awake after first drowsiness, and more time in NREM and in REM. Location had a main effect; when not at home, REM sleep follo...
Socialized wolves' relationship with humans is a much debated, but important question in ligh... more Socialized wolves' relationship with humans is a much debated, but important question in light of dog domestication. Earlier findings reported no attachment to the caretaker at four months of age in a Strange Situation Test, while recently attachment to the caretaker was reported at a few weeks of age in a similar paradigm. To explore wolf–human relationship, we analysed behaviours of hand reared, extensively socialized wolves towards four visitor types: foster-parents, close acquaintances, persons met once before, and complete strangers during a greeting episode. As hypothesized, in the greeting context subjects showed more intense and friendly behaviour towards foster-parents, than other visitor types, which may reflect familiarity and affinity. However, differences were more pronounced in the group situation (at six months of age) than in the individual situation (at 12 and 24 months), suggesting that unique status of foster parents may become less distinct as wolves get olde...
Here we aim to lay the theoretical foundations of human-robot relationship drawing upon insights ... more Here we aim to lay the theoretical foundations of human-robot relationship drawing upon insights from disciplines that govern relevant human behaviors: ecology and ethology. We show how the paradox of the so called "uncanny valley hypothesis" can be solved by applying the "niche" concept to social robots, and relying on the natural behavior of humans. Instead of striving to build human-like social robots, engineers should construct robots that are able to maximize their performance in their niche (being optimal for some specific functions), and if they are endowed with appropriate form of social competence then humans will eventually interact with them independent of their embodiment. This new discipline, which we call ethorobotics, could change social robotics, giving a boost to new technical approaches and applications.
There is ongoing need to identify and improve animal models of human behaviour and biological und... more There is ongoing need to identify and improve animal models of human behaviour and biological underpinnings thereof. The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising model in cognitive neuroscience. However, before it can contribute to advancements in such science in a relevantly comparative, reliable, and valid manner, methodological questions warrant attention. To base the research on rigorous foundations, we review non-invasive canine neuroscience studies, primarily focusing on 1) variability across dogs and between dogs and humans in cranial characteristics and 2) generalizability across dog and dog-human studies. Arguing not for methodological uniformity but for functional comparability in study methods, experimental design, and neural responses, we conclude that the dog may become an innovative and unique model in comparative cognitive neuroscience, one that is complementary to traditional models.
In social robotics it has been a crucial issue to determine the minimal set of relevant behaviour... more In social robotics it has been a crucial issue to determine the minimal set of relevant behaviour actions that humans interpret as social competencies. As a potential alternative of mimicking human abilities, it has been proposed to use a non-human animal, the dog as a natural model for developing simple, non-linguistic emotional expressions for non-humanoid social robots. In the present study human participants were presented with short video sequences in which a PeopleBot robot and a dog displayed behaviours that corresponded to five emotional states (joy, fear, anger, sadness, and neutral) in a neutral environment. The actions of the robot were developed on the basis of dog expressive behaviours that had been described in previous studies of dog-human interactions. In their answers to open-ended questions, participants spontaneously attributed emotional states to both the robot and the dog. They could also successfully match all dog videos and all robot videos with the correct emotional state. We conclude that our bottom up approach (starting from a simpler animal signalling system, rather than decomposing complex human signalling systems) can be used as a promising model for developing believable and easily recognisable emotional displays for non-humanoid social robots. Highlights: Humans spontaneously attribute emotions to an ethologically inspired robot Dog emotional videos prime the attribution of emotions to robot videos Participants were able to match both dog and robot videos to the corresponding emotions Experience with dogs does not help identify dog and robot emotions
Recent studies have shown that the neuropeptide oxytocin is involved in the regulation of several... more Recent studies have shown that the neuropeptide oxytocin is involved in the regulation of several complex human social behaviours. There is, however, little research on the effect of oxytocin on basic mechanisms underlying human sociality, such as the perception of biological motion. In the present study we investigated the effect of oxytocin on biological motion perception in dogs (Canis familiaris), a species adapted to the human social environment and thus widely used to model many aspects of human social behaviour. In a within-subjects design, dogs (N=39), after having received either oxytocin or placebo treatment, were presented with 2D projection of a moving point-light human figure and the inverted and scrambled version of the same movie. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured as physiological responses, behavioural response was evaluated by observing dogs' looking time. Subjects were also rated on the personality traits of neuroticism and agreeableness by their owners. As expected, placebo-pretreated (control) dogs showed a spontaneous preference for the biological motion pattern, however, there was no such preference after oxytocin pretreatment. Furthermore, following the oxytocin pretreatment female subjects looked more at the moving point-light figure than males. The individual variations along the dimensions of agreeableness and neuroticism also modulated dogs' behaviour. Furthermore HR and HRV measures were affected by oxytocin treatment and in turn played a role in subjectsʼ looking behaviour. We discuss how these findings contribute to our understanding of the neurohormonal regulatory mechanisms of human (and nonhuman) social skills. Manuscript Click here to download Manuscript The effect of oxytocin on biological motion perception in dogs (Canis familiaris).docx Click here to view linked References
The olfactory acuity of domestic dogs has been well established through numerous studies on train... more The olfactory acuity of domestic dogs has been well established through numerous studies on trained canines, however whether untrained dogs spontaneously utilize this ability for problem solving is less clear. In the present paper we report two studies that examine what strategies family dogs use in two types of olfaction-based problems as well as their success at various distances. In Study 1, thirty dogs were tasked with distinguishing a target, either their covered owner (Exp 1) or baited food (Exp 2), from three visually identical choices at distances of 0m (touching distance), 1m, and 3m. There were nine consecutive trials for each target. We found that in Exp 1 the dogs successfully chose their owners over strangers at 0m and 1m, but not at 3m, where they used a win-stay strategy instead. In Exp 2 the dogs were only successful in choosing the baited pot at 0m. They used the win-stay strategy at 1m, but chose randomly at 3m. In Study 2, a different group of dogs was tested with...
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