Hawkins, Hatin, & Revesz (2021) investigated how accurately humans identify emotions in dog and human faces and whether experience and beliefs affect performance. A total of 122 adult participants completed an online task identifying expressions of happiness, fear, and aggression in both species.
Findings showed that fear and happiness were easier to identify in human faces, whereas aggression was more accurately identified in dog faces. Dog ownership played a significant role: current dog owners were more skilled at recognizing happiness in dogs compared to non-owners. Interestingly, the duration of ownership did not predict accuracy, but owning a dog was linked with stronger beliefs about canine emotionality.
Additionally, participants who believed more strongly in animal sentience performed better in recognizing dog happiness. These results highlight that while humans are adept at reading certain dog emotions, they are better at identifying positive expressions. Such insights can help reduce miscommunication and improve dog–human welfare by encouraging educational interventions focused on canine emotional recognition.
Source: Hawkins, R., Hatin, B., & Revesz, E. O. (2021). Accuracy of Canine vs. Human Emotion Identification: Impact of Dog Ownership and Belief in Animal Mind. Journal: Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin. Publication Date: 2021-12-01. Authors: R. Hawkins, B. Hatin, E. O. Revesz. References: 84. Citations: 7.
