Scientists: Humans Have Been Unable to Understand Dog Emotions

Researchers at Arizona State University in the United States say they have concluded that humans generally do not understand the true meaning of dog emotions and may misinterpret their furry friends. The results of a scientific study show that contrary to what many people believe or want to believe, bipeds still do not have a proper understanding of the emotions of their closest animal friends, namely dogs. If you are among those who have had the experience of living with a dog or have closely observed the behavior of those who have introduced this loyal friend into their lives, you may have noticed that many people consider dogs not just animals but as family members or even their own children. If you have not had this experience, you may have seen similar videos on social media where people try to find human-like behaviors in dogs, from smiling to sulking to mourning, and sometimes even talking like in a famous video where a Husky named Mishka seems to say 'I love you' in response to its owner. Now, researchers at Arizona State University say they have concluded that humans usually do not understand the true meaning of dog emotions and may misinterpret their furry friends. For example, when a dog does something wrong and we scold it, the dog's sad and seemingly regretful face does not necessarily mean regret but rather indicates its fear of potential punishment. According to scientists, one reason for this misunderstanding is humans' tendency to project human traits onto dogs. This means that we, as humans, like to think that dogs' emotions are like our own and should be interpreted in the same way. For instance, we think that when a dog opens its mouth wide, it is smiling, or when it moves quickly, it must be excited and happy. The researchers' method seems quite simple at first glance. They recorded several videos of dogs in various situations, including anxiety and fear when a vacuum cleaner is turned on or happiness from receiving their favorite food or toys. In the next stage, they edited these videos to make it seem as if anxious and worried dogs were receiving rewards and happy dogs were in fearful situations. For example, a video showed a vacuum cleaner and then a dog that was actually happy to see a toy. The researchers found that this approach led humans to misinterpret the dogs' states. This means that in dealing with these lovable creatures, we consider more the background and environment than the dogs themselves. Holly Molinaro, one of the researchers involved in this study, says we need to be more humble in our understanding of our dogs and accept that we have been unable to understand them due to our mental preconceptions. According to her, believing in this truth is the first step in understanding the emotions of our loyal friends.