The way dogs learn gives paws for thought
Friday, April 27th, 2007Dogs learn from each other in a manner that is more closely related to human learning than even some of our closely related primate cousins.
Being able to imitate other members of the same species has long been recognised as a key to higher intelligence and a defining feature of “cultural” transmission. But not all imitation is equal. Human infants practice “selective imitation”, putting the actions of others’ into context — such as the goal intended by the action — before deciding whether or not to copy it. Researchers at the University of Vienna have now established similar intelligently selective imitation in dogs.
