Research Focus: The study explores the communicative behavior of domestic cats (Felis catus) towards humans using a social referencing paradigm.
Objective: To evaluate whether cats use emotional information from their owners to guide their behavior towards novel or unfamiliar objects.
Methodology:
Two groups of cats were exposed to their owners conveying either positive or negative emotional messages in the presence of a potentially frightening object.
Social referencing was assessed through referential looking, which involves looking at the owner before or after looking at the object.
The study also measured behavioral regulation in response to the owner's emotional message (vocal and facial) and observational conditioning following the ownerâs actions towards the object.
Findings:
79% of cats showed referential looking behavior.
Behavior changes in cats were aligned with the emotional messages from owners.
Discussion: Results are compared with social referencing in other species, especially dogs, and examined in the context of cats' social organization and domestication history.
Research Context
Comparison with Dogs: Cats' social referencing behaviors are analyzed in relation to dogs, which are typically more socially connected to humans.
Social Organization: The study considers the unique social dynamics and domestication history of cats.
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Related Research Topics
Domestic animal cognition
Social behavior in domesticated animals
References
Extensive list of related studies and articles that delve into animal behavior, cognition, and domestication.
Acknowledgments
Research supported by Milan University grants.
Special thanks to Emanuela Ponzone and Paola Valsecchi for their contributions.
Author Affiliations
UniversitĂ degli Studi di Milano, Italy
University of Lincoln, UK
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria