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Home / Equine Research Bank / Sci Rep / Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negati...
Scientific reports2018; 8(1); 13052; doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30777-z

Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negative and positive human nonverbal vocalisations.

Abstract: The ability to discriminate between emotion in vocal signals is highly adaptive in social species. It may also be adaptive for domestic species to distinguish such signals in humans. Here we present a playback study investigating whether horses spontaneously respond in a functionally relevant way towards positive and negative emotion in human nonverbal vocalisations. We presented horses with positively- and negatively-valenced human vocalisations (laughter and growling, respectively) in the absence of all other emotional cues. Horses were found to adopt a freeze posture for significantly longer immediately after hearing negative versus positive human vocalisations, suggesting that negative voices promote vigilance behaviours and may therefore be perceived as more threatening. In support of this interpretation, horses held their ears forwards for longer and performed fewer ear movements in response to negative voices, which further suggest increased vigilance. In addition, horses showed a right-ear/left-hemisphere bias when attending to positive compared with negative voices, suggesting that horses perceive laughter as more positive than growling. These findings raise interesting questions about the potential for universal discrimination of vocal affect and the role of lifetime learning versus other factors in interspecific communication.
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Publication Date: 2018-08-29 PubMed ID: 30158532PubMed Central: PMC6115467DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30777-zGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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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.

This research article examines the ability of domestic horses to distinguish between positive and negative human vocal cues, demonstrating that horses react significantly differently to laughter (positive) and growling (negative).

Objective and Methodology

  • The aim of the study was to explore whether horses can differentiate between positive and negative nonverbal human vocalisations and respond suitably.
  • The researchers conducted a playback investigation where horses were exposed to human laughter (positive emotion) and growling (negative emotion), with all other emotional signals excluded.

Findings and Observations

  • The study found that horses assumed a freeze posture for an extended period immediately after hearing negative (growl) versus positive (laughter) human vocalisations. This behaviour implies that horses perceive negative sounds as potential threats, leading to increased vigilance responses.
  • Horses were more attentive and cautious when hearing negative voices, demonstrated by holding their ears forward for a more extended period and making fewer ear movements.
  • The study also revealed a right-ear/left-hemisphere bias when horses responded to positive voices compared with negative ones, indicating that horses perceive human laughter as more positive than growling.

Implications and Significance

  • The ability of horses to discriminate between positive and negative human vocalizations suggests a potential for universal discrimination of vocal affect. This means this skill might not be limited to humans only but may be present across different species.
  • This raises intriguing questions about interspecies communication and whether this ability is acquired through lifetime learning or if it can be attributed to innate factors.
  • The findings may have implications for the best practices in horse training and handling, as recognizing and understanding horses’ emotional responses can contribute significantly to improving human-animal relationships.

Cite This Article

APA
Smith AV, Proops L, Grounds K, Wathan J, Scott SK, McComb K. (2018). Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negative and positive human nonverbal vocalisations. Sci Rep, 8(1), 13052. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-30777-z

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Pages: 13052
PII: 13052

Researcher Affiliations

Smith, Amy Victoria
  • Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK. a.v.smith@sussex.ac.uk.
Proops, Leanne
  • Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
  • Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK.
Grounds, Kate
  • Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
Wathan, Jennifer
  • Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
Scott, Sophie K
  • Speech Communication Laboratory, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
McComb, Karen
  • Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK. karenm@sussex.ac.uk.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Auditory Perception
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Horses / physiology
  • Humans
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Posture
  • Voice

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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