FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Sci Rep / Pet-directed speech improves horses’ attention toward ...
Scientific reports2022; 12(1); 4297; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-08109-z

Pet-directed speech improves horses’ attention toward humans.

Abstract: In a recent experiment, we showed that horses are sensitive to pet-directed speech (PDS), a kind of speech used to talk to companion animals that is characterized by high pitch and wide pitch variations. When talked to in PDS rather than adult-directed speech (ADS), horses reacted more favorably during grooming and in a pointing task. However, the mechanism behind their response remains unclear: does PDS draw horses' attention and arouse them, or does it make their emotional state more positive? In this study, we used an innovative paradigm in which female horses watched videos of humans speaking in PDS or ADS to better understand this phenomenon. Horses reacted differently to the videos of PDS and ADS: they were significantly more attentive and their heart rates increased significantly more during PDS than during ADS. We found no difference in the expressions of negative or positive emotional states during PDS and ADS videos. Thus, we confirm that horses' perception of humans can be studied by means of video projections, and we conclude that PDS attracts attention and has an arousing effect in horses, with consequences on the use of PDS in daily interactions with them.
© 2022. The Author(s).
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2022-03-11 PubMed ID: 35277552PubMed Central: PMC8917202DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08109-zGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • 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 article demonstrates how pet-directed speech (PDS), characterized by high pitch and wide pitch variations, garners more attention from horses compared to adult-directed speech (ADS). This has implications on daily human-horse interactions.

Experiment Methodology

  • The study involved an innovative approach of exposing female horses to videos of humans communicating either in PDS or ADS. The objective was to deepen the understanding of the horses’ response to PDS.
  • Without delving into the technical execution, the study expounds on assessing and contrasting horses’ reactions to both forms of communication.

Results and Findings

  • In comparing the horse’s reactions, researchers noted that horses were significantly more attentive and showcased greater heart rate increases when exposed to PDS, as opposed to ADS. These physical markers signified the arousal of the horses due to PDS and their enhanced attention towards it.
  • Despite careful evaluation, researchers did not find any difference in the manifestation of negative or positive emotional states in the horses when exposed to PDS or ADS videos. This indicates that while PDS seems more stimulating, it does not necessarily affect the emotional state of the horses in a noticeably positive or negative way.

Conclusion and Implications

  • This research validates the effectiveness of using video projections as a tool for studying horses’ perception of humans. The findings from this study can help shape the way humans communicate with horses and potentially have far-reaching consequences in the field of animal training and human-animal communication.
  • It also suggests that using PDS can improve human-horse interactions by enhancing the attention and arousal of horses. Though it does not expressly affect their emotional state, it does make them more attentive and responsive, potentially facilitating more efficient communication or training routines.

Cite This Article

APA
Jardat P, Calandreau L, Ferreira V, Gouyet C, Parias C, Reigner F, Lansade L. (2022). Pet-directed speech improves horses’ attention toward humans. Sci Rep, 12(1), 4297. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08109-z

Publication

Scientific reports
ISSN: 2045-2322
NlmUniqueID: 101563288
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 4297
PII: 4297

Researcher Affiliations

Jardat, Plotine
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France. plotine.jardat@gmail.com.
Calandreau, Ludovic
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
Ferreira, Vitor
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
  • Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, 581 83 15, Linköping, Sweden.
Gouyet, Chloé
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
Parias, Céline
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
Reigner, Fabrice
  • UEPAO, INRAE, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
Lansade, Léa
  • CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, University of Tours, PRC, 37380, Nouzilly, France. lea.lansade@inrae.fr.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Attention / physiology
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Grooming
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Speech
  • Wakefulness

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

References

This article includes 45 references
  1. Jardat P, Lansade L. Cognition and the human-animal relationship: a review of the sociocognitive skills of domestic mammals toward humans.. Anim Cogn 2022 Apr;25(2):369-384.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-021-01557-6pubmed: 34476652google scholar: lookup
  2. Knolle F, Goncalves RP, Morton AJ. Sheep recognize familiar and unfamiliar human faces from two-dimensional images.. R Soc Open Sci 2017 Nov;4(11):171228.
    pmc: PMC5717684pubmed: 29291109doi: 10.1098/rsos.171228google scholar: lookup
  3. Nawroth C, McElligott AG. Human head orientation and eye visibility as indicators of attention for goats (Capra hircus).. PeerJ 2017;5:e3073.
    pmc: PMC5346283pubmed: 28289568doi: 10.7717/peerj.3073google scholar: lookup
  4. Albuquerque N, Guo K, Wilkinson A, Savalli C, Otta E, Mills D. Dogs recognize dog and human emotions.. Biol Lett 2016 Jan;12(1):20150883.
    doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0883pmc: PMC4785927pubmed: 26763220google scholar: lookup
  5. Albuquerque N, Guo K, Wilkinson A, Resende B, Mills DS. Mouth-licking by dogs as a response to emotional stimuli.. Behav Processes 2018 Jan;146:42-45.
    doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.006pubmed: 29129727google scholar: lookup
  6. Quaranta A, d'Ingeo S, Amoruso R, Siniscalchi M. Emotion Recognition in Cats.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jun 28;10(7).
    pmc: PMC7401521pubmed: 32605256doi: 10.3390/ani10071107google scholar: lookup
  7. Sabiniewicz A, Tarnowska K, Świątek R, Sorokowski P, Laska M. Olfactory-based interspecific recognition of human emotions: Horses (Equus ferus caballus) can recognize fear and happiness body odour from humans (Homo sapiens). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 230, 105072 (2020).
  8. Smith AV, Proops L, Grounds K, Wathan J, McComb K. Functionally relevant responses to human facial expressions of emotion in the domestic horse (Equus caballus).. Biol Lett 2016 Feb;12(2):20150907.
    doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0907pmc: PMC4780548pubmed: 26864784google scholar: lookup
  9. Smith AV, Proops L, Grounds K, Wathan J, Scott SK, McComb K. Domestic horses (Equus caballus) discriminate between negative and positive human nonverbal vocalisations.. Sci Rep 2018 Aug 29;8(1):13052.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30777-zpmc: PMC6115467pubmed: 30158532google scholar: lookup
  10. Nakamura K, Takimoto-Inose A, Hasegawa T. Cross-modal perception of human emotion in domestic horses (Equus caballus).. Sci Rep 2018 Jun 21;8(1):8660.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26892-6pmc: PMC6013457pubmed: 29930289google scholar: lookup
  11. Trösch M, Cuzol F, Parias C, Calandreau L, Nowak R, Lansade L. Horses Categorize Human Emotions Cross-Modally Based on Facial Expression and Non-Verbal Vocalizations.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Oct 24;9(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani9110862pmc: PMC6912773pubmed: 31653088google scholar: lookup
  12. Sankey C, Henry S, André N, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M. Do horses have a concept of person?. PLoS One 2011 Mar 30;6(3):e18331.
    pmc: PMC3068175pubmed: 21479184doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018331google scholar: lookup
  13. Trösch M, Bertin E, Calandreau L, Nowak R, Lansade L. Unwilling or willing but unable: can horses interpret human actions as goal directed?. Anim Cogn 2020 Sep;23(5):1035-1040.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-020-01396-xpubmed: 32449047google scholar: lookup
  14. Warmuth V, Eriksson A, Bower MA, Barker G, Barrett E, Hanks BK, Li S, Lomitashvili D, Ochir-Goryaeva M, Sizonov GV, Soyonov V, Manica A. Reconstructing the origin and spread of horse domestication in the Eurasian steppe.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012 May 22;109(21):8202-6.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.1111122109pmc: PMC3361400pubmed: 22566639google scholar: lookup
  15. VanDierendonck, M. C. & Goodwin, D. Social contact in horses: implications for human-horse interactions. in The human-animal relationship. Forever and a day (eds. de Jonge, F. H. & van den Bos, R.) 65–81 (Royal van Gorcum, 2005).
  16. Saint-Georges C, Chetouani M, Cassel R, Apicella F, Mahdhaoui A, Muratori F, Laznik MC, Cohen D. Motherese in interaction: at the cross-road of emotion and cognition? (A systematic review).. PLoS One 2013;8(10):e78103.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078103pmc: PMC3800080pubmed: 24205112google scholar: lookup
  17. Benjamin A, Slocombe K. 'Who's a good boy?!' Dogs prefer naturalistic dog-directed speech.. Anim Cogn 2018 May;21(3):353-364.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-018-1172-4pmc: PMC5908831pubmed: 29500713google scholar: lookup
  18. Ben-Aderet T, Gallego-Abenza M, Reby D, Mathevon N. Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?. Proc Biol Sci 2017 Jan 11;284(1846).
    doi: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2429pmc: PMC5247504pubmed: 28077769google scholar: lookup
  19. Jeannin S, Gilbert C, Amy M, Leboucher G. Pet-directed speech draws adult dogs' attention more efficiently than Adult-directed speech.. Sci Rep 2017 Jul 10;7(1):4980.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-04671-zpmc: PMC5504008pubmed: 28694512google scholar: lookup
  20. Lesch R, Kotrschal K, Schöberl I, Beetz A, Solomon J, Fitch WT. Talking to Dogs: Companion Animal-Directed Speech in a Stress Test.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Jul 4;9(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani9070417pmc: PMC6681105pubmed: 31277483google scholar: lookup
  21. Lansade L, Trösch M, Parias C, Blanchard A, Gorosurreta E, Calandreau L. Horses are sensitive to baby talk: pet-directed speech facilitates communication with humans in a pointing task and during grooming.. Anim Cogn 2021 Sep;24(5):999-1006.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-021-01487-3pubmed: 33738670google scholar: lookup
  22. Schachner A, Hannon EE. Infant-directed speech drives social preferences in 5-month-old infants.. Dev Psychol 2011 Jan;47(1):19-25.
    doi: 10.1037/a0020740pubmed: 20873920google scholar: lookup
  23. Fernald A. Approval and disapproval: infant responsiveness to vocal affect in familiar and unfamiliar languages.. Child Dev 1993 Jun;64(3):657-74.
    doi: 10.2307/1131209pubmed: 8339687google scholar: lookup
  24. Slonecker EM, Simpson EA, Suomi SJ, Paukner A. Who's my little monkey? Effects of infant-directed speech on visual retention in infant rhesus macaques.. Dev Sci 2018 Mar;21(2).
    doi: 10.1111/desc.12519pmc: PMC5491378pubmed: 28032454google scholar: lookup
  25. Kaplan PS, Goldstein MH, Huckeby ER, Cooper RP. Habituation, sensitization, and infants' responses to motherese speech.. Dev Psychobiol 1995 Jan;28(1):45-57.
    doi: 10.1002/dev.420280105pubmed: 7895923google scholar: lookup
  26. Lansade L, Nowak R, Lainé AL, Leterrier C, Bonneau C, Parias C, Bertin A. Facial expression and oxytocin as possible markers of positive emotions in horses.. Sci Rep 2018 Oct 2;8(1):14680.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32993-zpmc: PMC6168541pubmed: 30279565google scholar: lookup
  27. Hausberger M, Stomp M, Sankey C, Brajon S, Lunel C, Henry S. Mutual interactions between cognition and welfare: The horse as an animal model.. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019 Dec;107:540-559.
    doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.022pubmed: 31491471google scholar: lookup
  28. Fortin M, Valenchon M, Lévy F, Calandreau L, Arnould C, Lansade L. Emotional state and personality influence cognitive flexibility in horses (Equus caballus).. J Comp Psychol 2018 May;132(2):130-140.
    doi: 10.1037/com0000091pubmed: 29517248google scholar: lookup
  29. Trösch M, Pellon S, Cuzol F, Parias C, Nowak R, Calandreau L, Lansade L. Horses feel emotions when they watch positive and negative horse-human interactions in a video and transpose what they saw to real life.. Anim Cogn 2020 Jul;23(4):643-653.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-020-01369-0pubmed: 32162112google scholar: lookup
  30. Forkman B, Boissy A, Meunier-Salaün MC, Canali E, Jones RB. A critical review of fear tests used on cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and horses.. Physiol Behav 2007 Oct 22;92(3):340-74.
    doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.03.016pubmed: 18046784google scholar: lookup
  31. Lansade L, Bouissou MF, Erhard HW. Fearfulness in horses: A temperament trait stable across time and situations. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2008;115:182–200.
    doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.06.011google scholar: lookup
  32. Stomp M, Leroux M, Cellier M, Henry S, Lemasson A, Hausberger M. An unexpected acoustic indicator of positive emotions in horses.. PLoS One 2018;13(7):e0197898.
    pmc: PMC6040684pubmed: 29995876doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197898google scholar: lookup
  33. Briefer EF, Maigrot AL, Mandel R, Freymond SB, Bachmann I, Hillmann E. Segregation of information about emotional arousal and valence in horse whinnies.. Sci Rep 2015 Apr 21;4:9989.
    doi: 10.1038/srep09989pmc: PMC4404681pubmed: 25897781google scholar: lookup
  34. Briefer EF, Tettamanti F, McElligott AG. Emotions in goats: Mapping physiological, behavioural and vocal profiles. Anim. Behav. 2015;99:131–143.
    doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.11.002google scholar: lookup
  35. Mendl M, Burman OH, Paul ES. An integrative and functional framework for the study of animal emotion and mood.. Proc Biol Sci 2010 Oct 7;277(1696):2895-904.
    pmc: PMC2982018pubmed: 20685706doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0303google scholar: lookup
  36. Siniscalchi M, d'Ingeo S, Quaranta A. Orienting asymmetries and physiological reactivity in dogs' response to human emotional faces.. Learn Behav 2018 Dec;46(4):574-585.
    doi: 10.3758/s13420-018-0325-2pubmed: 29923158google scholar: lookup
  37. Munsters CC, Visser KE, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM. The influence of challenging objects and horse-rider matching on heart rate, heart rate variability and behavioural score in riding horses.. Vet J 2012 Apr;192(1):75-80.
    pubmed: 21612959doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.04.011google scholar: lookup
  38. Siniscalchi M, d'Ingeo S, Minunno M, Quaranta A. Communication in Dogs.. Animals (Basel) 2018 Jul 31;8(8).
    doi: 10.3390/ani8080131pmc: PMC6116041pubmed: 30065156google scholar: lookup
  39. Call J, Hare B, Carpenter M, Tomasello M. 'Unwilling' versus 'unable': chimpanzees' understanding of human intentional action.. Dev Sci 2004 Sep;7(4):488-98.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2004.00368.xpubmed: 15484596google scholar: lookup
  40. Kaminski J, Schulz L, Tomasello M. How dogs know when communication is intended for them.. Dev Sci 2012 Mar;15(2):222-32.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2011.01120.xpubmed: 22356178google scholar: lookup
  41. Pongrácz P, Szapu JS, Faragó T. Cats (Felis silvestris catus) read human gaze for referential information. Intelligence 2019;74:43–52.
    doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.11.001google scholar: lookup
  42. Pongrácz P, Onofer DL. Cats show an unexpected pattern of response to human ostensive cues in a series of A-not-B error tests.. Anim Cogn 2020 Jul;23(4):681-689.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-020-01373-4pmc: PMC7320938pubmed: 32227273google scholar: lookup
  43. Proops L, Grounds K, Smith AV, McComb K. Animals Remember Previous Facial Expressions that Specific Humans Have Exhibited.. Curr Biol 2018 May 7;28(9):1428-1432.e4.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.03.035pubmed: 29706519google scholar: lookup
  44. Koo TK, Li MY. A Guideline of Selecting and Reporting Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for Reliability Research.. J Chiropr Med 2016 Jun;15(2):155-63.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012pmc: PMC4913118pubmed: 27330520google scholar: lookup
  45. von Borell E, Langbein J, Després G, Hansen S, Leterrier C, Marchant J, Marchant-Forde R, Minero M, Mohr E, Prunier A, Valance D, Veissier I. Heart rate variability as a measure of autonomic regulation of cardiac activity for assessing stress and welfare in farm animals -- a review.. Physiol Behav 2007 Oct 22;92(3):293-316.
    doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.01.007pubmed: 17320122google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Gergely A, Gábor A, Gácsi M, Kis A, Czeibert K, Topál J, Andics A. Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody.. Commun Biol 2023 Aug 18;6(1):859.
    doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05217-ypubmed: 37596318google scholar: lookup
  2. Jardat P, Liehrmann O, Reigner F, Parias C, Calandreau L, Lansade L. Horses discriminate between human facial and vocal expressions of sadness and joy.. Anim Cogn 2023 Sep;26(5):1733-1742.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-023-01817-7pubmed: 37543956google scholar: lookup
  3. Jardat P, Ringhofer M, Yamamoto S, Gouyet C, Degrande R, Parias C, Reigner F, Calandreau L, Lansade L. Horses form cross-modal representations of adults and children.. Anim Cogn 2023 Mar;26(2):369-377.
    doi: 10.1007/s10071-022-01667-9pubmed: 35962844google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.