'Cooperative' and 'independent' dog breeds may not react differently to
unfair outcomes

Date:
June 17, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Cooperative-worker dog breeds do not appear to respond more
negatively to unfair outcomes than do independent-worker breeds,
according to a new study. Although the sample size was small,
the results do not support the hypothesis that inequity aversion
and cooperation co-evolved.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Cooperative worker dog breeds do not appear to respond more negatively to unfair outcomes than do independent worker breeds, according to a study published June 17 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jim McGetrick
of the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, and colleagues. Although
the sample size was small, the results do not support the hypothesis
that inequity aversion and cooperation co-evolved.


==========================================================================
Dogs and many other animals display inequity aversion -- negative
responses to unfair outcomes -- which is thought to contribute to
the maintenance of cooperation. But only limited evidence supports the hypothesis that cooperation and inequity aversion co-evolved. Dogs provide
a suitable model species to test this hypothesis because breeds vary in
the extent to which they were selected for cooperativeness. In the new
study, McGetrick and colleagues examined the responses of 12 dogs from cooperative worker breeds (e.g.: Australian shepherds, border collies,
Labrador retrievers, and rough collies), which work in continuous visual contact with humans, and 12 dogs from independent worker breeds (e.g.:
akita inus, basenji, Siberian huskies, shiba inus). In the paw task,
the experimenter alternately asked two dogs to give their paw, but only
one dog was always rewarded.

Dogs belonging to both breed groups displayed inequity aversion, and
there was no significant difference between the groups in the extent
of the negative response to inequity or in the impact of the inequity
on subsequent social behaviors. But there were some differences between
the breed groups. For example, dogs from independent breeds gave their
paw fewer times than did dogs from cooperative breeds, especially in the unrewarded conditions. In addition, dogs from cooperative breeds spent
more time close to their partners when allowed to freely interact than
did dogs from independent breeds.

According to the authors, the findings provide some evidence for basic
breed group differences in the tendency to work without rewards, and
possibly in general sociability, which could offer fruitful areas of investigation for future studies focused on understanding dog breed differences.

The authors add: Cooperative worker breeds tended to work for longer
than independent worker breeds in our task. This may indicate a history
of selection, in cooperative worker breeds, for increased motivation to
work with humans.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jim McGetrick, De'sire'e Brucks, Sarah Marshall-Pescini, Friederike
Range. No evidence for a relationship between breed cooperativeness
and inequity aversion in dogs. PLOS ONE, 2020; 15 (6): e0233067 DOI:
10.1371/ journal.pone.0233067 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200617150038.htm

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