During the last 10 days we published a series of posts that discussed the latest research on canine cognition, stimulated by a special issue of the Psychonomic Society’s journal Learning & Behavior. The digital event has now been given a permanent home at this portal, from which you can access all posts. Here is a […]
Many parents of three- and four-year old children learn very quickly that tantrums can be averted by dividing a cookie into two parts when the child “wants” two cookies or using two cups that are the same size when serving drinks. These tricks mediate the sense of equity or “fairness” that even young humans feel […]
Dogs’ undeniable loyalty to humans has allowed them to carve out a unique niche in our society, quite unlike the status of any other species. Once predominantly utilized as hunting companions and guardians, dogs are now ubiquitous in human life, offering faithful companionship and service. Thanks to their eagerness to cooperate with humans and unquestioning […]
Theory of mind refers to the ability of one person to infer the contents of another person’s mind by observing their behavior. The concept of theory of mind was advanced by Premack and Woodruff as early as 1978 to explain the behavior of chimpanzees. In a landmark article, Povinelli, Nelson, and Boysen reported the classic […]
According to some estimates, there are about 1 billion dogs sharing Planet Earth with us. Most live in largely unrestricted conditions as village or pariah dogs, while only a small percentage of the world’s dog population live independently from humans. Most dogs have to maintain regular connections with humans to share our resources, which is […]
Looking into the eyes of our new puppy, Kit Kat, it is hard not to feel as if she understands me. While I usually describe myself as a cat person, our family cats have never evoked the same feeling of “understanding” for me as our family dogs have, even though the cats arguably spend much […]
This post was co-authored by Ludwig Huber. We were guest editors of a special issue of Learning & Behavior that is entirely devoted to the cognitive (and sensory) abilities of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). The articles can be accessed from this landing page for free until 31 December 2018. As far as we know, apart […]
I live on an island that is famous for quite a few things, among them the apparent love affair between its human and canine inhabitants. According to an English journalist writing for a mainstream newspaper, “Many Englishmen reserve their deepest feelings for dogs and other dumb beasts.” (Her words, not mine). According to another journalist, […]
#psynom18 concluded nearly two weeks ago, and now that the Thanksgiving holiday is over, it is time for a brief report on some aspects of the annual meeting. We have already seen what our junior Psychonomes are up to. But there is more to cover: for example, the heroic work done by our volunteers who […]
Prosocial behaviors are behaviors that advantage others and include helping, cooperating, volunteering, comforting, and sharing. The bird pictured below sharing his catch with his friend or mate is an example of a prosocial behavior. In humans, prosocial behaviors tend to be directed more toward people we like than those we do not like. In the […]