Dogs are able to hear the emotion in our voices. According to new research, pigs and horses can tell the difference between positive and negative expressions in human speech, and it could change how they respond to us.
Studies have shown that domesticated horses can read human faces and hear human sounds.
This is the first study to compare how domesticated animals discriminate between sounds from their own species.
The research focused on pigs, horses, and wild horses from Asia.
Some of the sounds were made by humans and others were made by other animals.
Each sound recording lasted for a few seconds and expressed an emotional cue, whether positive or negative.
The authors found that the horses and pigs reacted more strongly to negative sounds than any other animal.
The horses spent more time walking and less time flicking their tails after hearing a negative sound. The pigs ate less.
The exception were wild pigs. The group of animals did not react differently to positive or negative vocalizations.
The findings are suggestive of a primitive form of empathy that is common in the animal kingdom and allows people and animals to sense the emotions of others.
This type of behavior would be useful in a group. Researchers think it could happen between species. If another animal is crucial for survival, it is worth taking into account their emotions, regardless of whether they are related to you or not.
Domesticated animals are in this category. It makes sense that our pets and livestock would respond to our moods.
Rodents, sheep, goats, dogs, horses, and captive wild animals have all shown the ability to read human faces.
Brain scans show horses can discriminate between positives and negatives.
Our results show that these animals are affected by the emotions we charge our voices with when we are around them.
When they are met with a negatively charged voice, they react more strongly than when they have a positively charged voice. They seem to mirror the emotion that they are exposed to.
The authors found that when a negatively charged sound was played, pigs and horses were put on guard.
The animals were put at ease when the sound was positive.
It pays to keep that in mind at all times, as the findings suggest that the way we speak to our pets and livestock could have a bigger impact on how they act than we realize.
Briefer says that animals should react less when they are spoken to in a more positive, friendly voice.
They may become calmer and more relaxed.
The study was published in a journal.
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