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Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kaminski, J; Nitzschner, M; Wobber, V; Tennie, C; Bräuer, J; Call, J; Tomasello, M
Published in: Animal Behaviour
January 1, 2011

Range et al. (2007, Current Biology, 17, 868-872) found that dogs, Canis familiaris, copy others' means to achieve a goal more often when those means are the rational solution to a problem than when they are irrational. In our first experiment, we added a further control condition and failed to replicate this result, suggesting that dogs in the previous study may have been distracted in the irrational condition rather than selectively attending to the irrational nature of the action. In a second experiment, the demonstrator used an unusual means (an extended leg) to communicate the location of food, either rationally (her hands were occupied) or irrationally (she could have used her hand). Dogs succeeded in finding the food irrespective of whether the leg action was rational or irrational. Our results suggest that dogs do not distinguish rational from irrational acts, instead simply being proficient at monitoring human behavioural patterns. © 2010 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Animal Behaviour

DOI

ISSN

0003-3472

Publication Date

January 1, 2011

Volume

81

Issue

1

Start / End Page

195 / 203

Related Subject Headings

  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 30 Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
 

Citation

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Kaminski, J., Nitzschner, M., Wobber, V., Tennie, C., Bräuer, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2011). Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts? Animal Behaviour, 81(1), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.001
Kaminski, J., M. Nitzschner, V. Wobber, C. Tennie, J. Bräuer, J. Call, and M. Tomasello. “Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts?Animal Behaviour 81, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.001.
Kaminski J, Nitzschner M, Wobber V, Tennie C, Bräuer J, Call J, et al. Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts? Animal Behaviour. 2011 Jan 1;81(1):195–203.
Kaminski, J., et al. “Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts?Animal Behaviour, vol. 81, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 195–203. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.001.
Kaminski J, Nitzschner M, Wobber V, Tennie C, Bräuer J, Call J, Tomasello M. Do dogs distinguish rational from irrational acts? Animal Behaviour. 2011 Jan 1;81(1):195–203.
Journal cover image

Published In

Animal Behaviour

DOI

ISSN

0003-3472

Publication Date

January 1, 2011

Volume

81

Issue

1

Start / End Page

195 / 203

Related Subject Headings

  • Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology
  • 52 Psychology
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 30 Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences