Experience has a limited effect on humans' ability to predict the outcome of social interactions in children, dogs and macaques

Abstract

The ability to predict others' behaviour represents a crucial mechanism which allows individuals to react faster and more appropriately. To date, several studies have investigated humans' ability to predict conspecifics' behaviour, but little is known on our ability to predict behaviour in other species. Here, we aimed to test humans' ability to predict social behaviour in dogs, macaques and humans, and assess the role played by experience and evolution on the emergence of this ability. For this purpose, we presented participants with short videoclips of real-life social interactions in dog, child and macaque dyads, and then asked them to predict the outcome of the observed interactions (i.e. aggressive, neutral or playful). Participants were selected according to their previous species-specific experience with dogs, children and non-human primates. Our results showed a limited effect of experience on the ability to predict the outcome of social interactions, which was mainly restricted to macaques. Moreover, we found no support to the co-domestication hypothesis, in that participants were not especially skilled at predicting dog behaviour. Finally, aggressive outcomes in dogs were predicted significantly worse than playful or neutral ones. Based on our findings, we suggest possible lines for future research, like the inclusion of other primate species and the assessment of cultural factors on the ability to predict behaviour across species.

Figure 1

For each species and previous experience, mean (± SE) probability of successfully predicting the outcome of the videos (after collapsing all three possible outcomes: aggressive, playful, neutral). Significant differences were assessed with post-hoc tests and are marked with asterisks in the figure (*p < 0.050; **p < 0.005). Horizontal dashed line marks chance level performance, and NHPs stands for non-human primates.

Figure 2

For each species and possible outcome, mean (± SE) probability of successfully predicting the outcome of the videos. Significant differences were assessed with post-hoc tests and are marked with an asterisk in the figure (*p < 0.050). Horizontal dashed line marks chance level performance, and NHPs stands for non-human primates.