狗真的能判断人品吗？

Summary: Many dog lovers think dogs can sense who's trustworthy, but research shows it's more complex. A study of 40 pet dogs tested if they form opinions of humans by observing how humans treat another dog. Surprisingly, dogs didn't clearly prefer a generous person over a selfish one, even after direct interaction. This shows gaps in understanding how dogs judge human behavior and future research needs more diverse samples.

Key Facts:

• No Clear Preference: Pet dogs didn't prefer generous humans in tests.
• Direct & Indirect Interactions: Dogs didn't form opinions even after observing and direct experience.
• Research Implications: Findings suggest methodological and experiential factors need more study. Source: University of Kyoto

Many trust dogs' instincts about humans. If dogs like you, dog lovers may think you're safe and trustworthy; if not, some may question you. But whether and how dogs evaluate people socially is a mystery.

Studies show some social animals can form opinions of humans through direct or third - party interaction. Dogs, with their close relationship to humans, have been studied but results are inconsistent. It seems reasonable to think dogs evaluate people socially, but we don't know yet.

Previous research in Austria found pack - living dogs and wolves didn't form opinions of humans after direct and indirect experience. So a new study with 40 pet dogs was done to see if age and development affect how they form opinions of humans.

Dogs first observed two humans interacting with a dog demonstrator (one generous, one selfish). Then the dogs interacted with the two humans while researchers analyzed their behavior. Results showed dogs of all ages didn't prefer the generous person.

The corresponding researcher says reputation formation may be more complex than thought. This study shows methodological challenges in understanding dogs' evaluation of humans. The researcher thinks methodological challenges in the experimental design may explain the negative findings.

The research team says future research should compare dogs of all ages from different populations and experiences, including free - ranging, service, and police dogs.

Author: Whitney Hubbell Source: Kyoto University Contact: Whitney Hubbell – Kyoto University Image: Credited to Neuroscience News Question: Do dogs form reputations of humans? Answer: No effect of age after indirect and direct experience in a food - giving situation. Given their relationship with humans, there's interest in whether dogs can socially evaluate humans, but findings are mixed. In the study, dogs observed two humans interact with a dog demonstrator. Results showed dogs didn't prefer the generous partner, and their behavior didn't exceed chance levels after indirect or direct experience.