Dogs Learn Morals and a Sense of Fairness From Living with Humans

Posted by Alex in Animal on September 4, 2008 at 5:06 pm


So, what have dogs learned from living with humans? Apparently morals and a sense of fairness:

During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.

When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.

But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing the game.

Dr Friederike Range, of the University of Vienna, who led the study, said: ‘Dogs show a strong aversion to inequity. I would prefer not to call it a sense of fairness, but others might.’

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COMMENT

6 comments to "Dogs Learn Morals and a Sense of Fairness From Living with Humans"

  1. red
    September 4th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    I’d apply this more to pack mentality than a sense of inequity really. The dog consistently receiving the treat is clearly the (scientist)alpha’s preferred dog and therefor the one second in line would simply give up until called upon.

    In a situation where that dog is alone however, he’s the apple of the alpha’s eye and thus there’s no status rules to worry about.

    Just my theory anyway.

  2. Ty
    September 4th, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    Poor doggy…

  3. Ty
    September 4th, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    They should repeat this experiment with domesticated wolves.

  4. Jaxx
    September 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm

    Wait, Wha?

    So the dog who was not getting rewarded stopped trying to get rewarded? No kidding.

    This is thought to be because the dog feels its unfair?

    Maybe if the dog who WAS getting rewarded stopped playing. Feeling guilty that the other dog was not being treated fairly.

    I think the dog is conditioned to know or think that no reward is coming, so why play. It has nothing to do with the other dog being rewarded.

    I will go read the article now to see if this experiment is completely off base.

  5. Xopl
    September 5th, 2008 at 1:41 pm

    The dog doesn’t feel injustice. This is simply Pavlov. The dog isn’t getting food so why bother doing the behavior? Anthropomorphizing animals is bad.

  6. Melissa
    September 5th, 2008 at 3:54 pm

    The really moral dogs would have been if one had been rewarded with a treat, and saw the one not being rewarded and shared with him.


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