Task Information
What kinds of things might we ask you and your dog to do? Below are some sample tasks. Depending on when you participate, the exact tasks you and your dog do will vary. For more information on the exact tasks you and your dog will be asked to engage in, e-mail: HoodDogStudy@gmail.com or Kundey@hood.edu.
- How long can your dog wait for a treat? We ask you to place a piece of food on a dish and tell your dog not to take it. We time how long it takes before your dog takes the treat. We use this information in conjunction with information we collect from you through surveys about training techniques you have used with your dog and child-rearing strategies you have used with your children (if any).
- What does your dog understand about interactions among humans? We show your dog human demonstrators displaying two different characteristics or traits. We then offer your dog a choice of the person he/she would rather take food from. We use information about your dogs choices in conjunction with the choices of other dogs to draw conclusions about what dogs do and do not understand about human interactions.
- Can your preferences influence those of your dog? If your dog is like most, he/she prefers large quantities of food over small quantities. In this task, we ask you to attempt to change your dog's preference for a large quantity of food.
- What does your dog know about objects? Humans know from a very young age about the ways that objects can interact with one another. Do dogs? In these tasks, we show your dog objects interacting. Sometimes we evaluate where your dog is looking and for how long at the objects. Other times we ask your dog to make a choice based on what he/she has observed. We use this information in conjunction with that of other dogs to infer what dogs generally know about how objects in their world interact.
Ready to participate? Have questions? E-mail: HoodDogStudy@gmail.com or Kundey@hood.edu. |
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