Biology

MRI study shows that dogs understand both vocabulary and intonation

MRI study shows that dogs understand both vocabulary and intonation
Using fMRI imaging, the researchers were able to confirm that dogs differentiate words, and understand the tone in which they're said
Using fMRI imaging, the researchers were able to confirm that dogs differentiate words, and understand the tone in which they're said 
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Using fMRI imaging, the researchers were able to confirm that dogs differentiate words, and understand the tone in which they're said
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Using fMRI imaging, the researchers were able to confirm that dogs differentiate words, and understand the tone in which they're said 
An Eötvös Loránd University researcher with one of the canine participants of the study
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An Eötvös Loránd University researcher with one of the canine participants of the study

A team of scientists has confirmed what any dog owner would already confidently tell you: that dogs can understand both vocabulary and the intonation of human voices. The researchers, based at Hungary's Eötvös Loránd University, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the brains of the animals during testing, revealing a lot about how their canine brains react to voices.

Science has taught us a lot about man's best friend, just recently shedding light on how Labrador's genes are to blame for their weight issues, and even revealing that the food we give them might be to blame for a decline in male dog fertility. Now, scientists have looked to answer an ancient question: Do our dogs really have any idea what we're saying to them?

To provide an answer, the team, supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), trained dogs to lie motionless in an MRI scanner for several minutes at a time. They then measured the brain activities of the animals while their trainers spoke to them, using multiple combinations of words and intonation, in both neutral and praising tones.

An Eötvös Loránd University researcher with one of the canine participants of the study
An Eötvös Loránd University researcher with one of the canine participants of the study

Analyzing the resulting data, the team found that the animals recognize distinct words, and generally process vocabulary in a similar manner to humans – in the left hemisphere of the brain. The second part of the equation – intonation – is dealt with separately, in auditory regions in the right hemisphere of the brain.

By speaking a variety of words in varying intonations – both praising and neutral words, in both neutral and praising intonations – the team determined that the animals were able to understand vocabulary irrespective of intonation. However, the best responses were observed when combining praising words with praising intonation.

"This shows … that dogs not only separate what we say from how we say it, but also that they can combine the two for a correct interpretation of what those words really meant," said lead study author Attila Andics.

If you have a lot of experience with dogs, then you'll likely not find any of this information particularly shocking, but it's good to have some solid scientific proof that your beloved pet really does know the difference between "biscuit" and "walkies" no matter how you say it.

As to how this canine vocal processing developed, the researchers believe that while domestication could have played a part – supporting a rapid emergence of a brain structure allowing for the capability – it's more likely that the function is more ancient in nature. Essentially, we've learned to exploit the similarities of the canine brain to our own.

A paper on the study is set to appear in the September 2 issue of the journal Science.

Source: AAAS

4 comments
4 comments
Bill Bennett
Dogs are cool, my dog JJ a black Pom owns me, he takes me for walks, we sniff stuff, pee on stuff, then scruff our feet on the ground, then he poops and I get to bag it.
Wolf0579
At one time, I had a pack of 13 arctic wolf-hybrids. My alpha female, when told something she didn't want to hear, would often show her displeasure by turning her back to me and sitting down in what could only be described as a "huff".
sidmehta
It's time we learned that just because they can't communicate in our language it doesn't mean animals are dumb and have no rights. All animals have as much right to live on this planet as we do. BTW it's wrong to kill and eat animals. - we don't own them. One day we will evolve to this level just as we evolved to abolish slavery and to give voting rights to women.
alex17pat
It varies widely by the dog.
We have one Husky/Lab mix who can understand conversational English within reason, and one foster dog (Lab/Pit) who learns individual words and tries to pick them out.
Harley (ours) can tell from contextual clues whether a word means one thing or another in context, and he expands his vocabulary associatively. He’s aware of when a word is being used as a noun or as a verb, and he’s aware of whether we’re talking in present or future tense. It’s extremely convenient (and inconvenient at the same time).
Movado (the foster) mostly just flips out if anyone says key words. She’s the less mischievous of the two, which is both fortunate and probably related to her cognitive specialties (she would survive on the street much longer than Harley).
I think it’s like kids - part of it is nature, part of it is nurture.