Dogs don't like unfair rewards for doing tricks

William Atkins
Thursday, 08 January 2009 19:24

Science - Biology

The researchers stated that the dogs were the first non-primate species to show an aversion to inequity.

That is, the dogs realize when the reward for work performed is unfair.

In addition, the researchers found that “… it was not the presence of the second dog but the fact that the partner received the food that was responsible for the change in the subjects' behavior.”

In the Science News article “Dogs strike over unfair treatment,” it was stated, “Biologists have theorized that an aversion to inequity is a critical factor for cooperative behavior…."

It added, "It keeps slackers from overwhelming the system.” (January 3,2 009, page 13)

The researchers, however, did discover that, unlike primate studies, the dogs (non-primates) did not differ in their reactions when the quality of the food was altered or when the effort that the dogs expended was different.

The Austrian researchers concluded, “Our results suggest that species other than primates show at least a primitive version of inequity aversion, which may be a precursor of a more sophisticated sensitivity to efforts and payoffs of joint interactions.”