Hemispheric Specialization in Dogs for Processing Different Acoustic Stimuli
Author Information
Author(s): Marcello Siniscalchi, Angelo Quaranta, Lesley J. Rogers
Primary Institution: Department of Animal Production, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Hypothesis
Do dogs use different hemispheres to process different acoustic stimuli?
Conclusion
Dogs usually process their species-typical vocalizations using the left hemisphere and thunderstorm sounds using the right hemisphere.
Supporting Evidence
- Dogs turned their heads to the right side in response to conspecific vocalizations.
- Dogs showed a left side turning bias when responding to thunderstorm sounds.
- Significant differences in head-orienting responses were observed based on the type of sound presented.
Takeaway
Dogs listen to different sounds with different sides of their brains; they use the left side for their own barks and the right side for scary sounds like thunderstorms.
Methodology
The study involved 14 dogs that were presented with playbacks of a thunderstorm and their vocalizations to observe head-turning responses.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of dogs and their previous experiences with sounds was not controlled.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small sample size of 14 dogs and may not generalize to all breeds or individual dogs.
Participant Demographics
14 domestic dogs of various breeds, aged 2 to 13 years, including 8 females and 6 males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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