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PloS one2011; 6(3); e18331; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018331

Do horses have a concept of person?

Abstract: Animals' ability for cross-modal recognition has recently received much interest. Captive or domestic animals seem able to perceive cues of human attention and appear to have a multisensory perception of humans. Results: Here, we used a task where horses have to remain immobile under a vocal order to test whether they are sensitive to the attentional state of the experimenter, but also whether they behave and respond differently to the familiar order when tested by a familiar or an unknown person. Horses' response varied according to the person's attentional state when the order was given by an unknown person: obedience levels were higher when the person giving the order was looking at the horse than when he was not attentive. More interesting is the finding that whatever the condition, horses monitored much more and for longer times the unknown person, as if they were surprised to hear the familiar order given by an unknown voice. Conclusions: These results suggest that recognition of humans may lie in a global, integrated, multisensory representation of specific individuals, that includes visual and vocal identity, but also expectations on the individual's behaviour in a familiar situation.
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Publication Date: 2011-03-30 PubMed ID: 21479184PubMed Central: PMC3068175DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018331Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigates whether horses can recognize individual humans and respond differently to them depending on their familiarity. The study concluded that horses might have a comprehensive, multisensory perception of people, enabling them to distinguish and respond differently to familiar and unknown humans.

Research Objective and Methods

  • The study aimed to understand the capability of horses to recognize and respond differently to the attentional state of a familiar or unknown person.
  • The scientists used a specific task whereby the horses were required to remain immobile following a vocal command.
  • The experiment evaluated how horses responded to an unknown person giving the command versus a familiar one, and whether the individual was paying attention to them or not.

Research Findings

  • The research found that horses’ obedience varied depending upon who was giving the order and their level of attention. The horses obeyed more when the command was given by an unknown person who was directly looking at them as compared to when the individual was not paying attention.
  • Interestingly, regardless of the circumstances, horses observed the unknown person more and for a longer time. This suggests horses might be surprised to hear a familiar command from an unfamiliar voice.

Conclusion of the Study

  • The outcomes of the study suggest that horses possibly have an integrated, multisensory perception of humans. This understanding includes not only visual and vocal identity recognition but also behavioral expectations.
  • In simpler terms, horses may have a concept of person, capable of recognizing a specific fullness of attributes that make up an individual, including looks, voice, and anticipated behavior.

Cite This Article

APA
Sankey C, Henry S, André N, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M. (2011). Do horses have a concept of person? PLoS One, 6(3), e18331. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018331

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 6
Issue: 3
Pages: e18331
PII: e18331

Researcher Affiliations

Sankey, Carol
  • Université de Rennes 1, Laboratoire d'Éthologie Animale et Humaine, UMR 6552 CNRS, Station Biologique, Paimpont, France. carol.sankey@univ-rennes1.fr
Henry, Séverine
    André, Nicolas
      Richard-Yris, Marie-Annick
        Hausberger, Martine

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Horses / psychology
          • Humans
          • Perception
          • Rotation
          • Time Factors

          Conflict of Interest Statement

          The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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