Study: Dogs get jealous...
DOGS PROVE JEALOUSY ISN'T ISOLATED TO HUMAN BEHAVIOR
UPI 7/23/2014
9:46:46 PM
SAN DIEGO, July 23 (UPI) -- A new study of dog behavior
showed that jealousy isn't a trait unique to humans. Dogs vying for the
attention of their owners showcase behaviors that suggest jealousy is a strong
motivating factor.
Scientists at the University of California at San Diego
confirmed their hypothesis by studying a number of dogs and analyzing the way
each reacted when their owners displayed affection toward inanimate objects.
When owners were visibly loving and affectionate toward a
dog-like stuffed animal (that barked, whined and wagged a mechanized tail), the
majority of real dogs showed aggression toward their perceived rivals. When
owners were similarly demonstrative toward a more obviously inanimate object --
a bucket or pail, in this instance -- only a handful of dogs seemed to pay any
mind.
In the study, published this week in the journal PLOS
ONE, lead author and San Diego psychology professor Christine Harris concluded
the results suggest dogs get jealous just like humans.
Harris's research was assisted by honors student Caroline
Prouvost.
"Our study suggests not only that dogs do engage in
what appear to be jealous behaviors but also that they were seeking to break up
the connection between the owner and a seeming rival," Harris said.
"We can't really speak to the dogs' subjective experiences, of course, but
it looks as though they were motivated to protect an important social
relationship."
The study builds on previous research that shows even
infants began displaying jealous behaviors.
"Many people have assumed that jealousy is a social
construction of human beings -- or that it's an emotion specifically tied to
sexual and romantic relationships," Harris said. "Our results
challenge these ideas, showing that animals besides ourselves display strong
distress whenever a rival usurps a loved one's affection."
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