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Humans' pupillary contagion extends to cats and dogs.

ABSTRACT: When viewing pupil sizes change, our own pupil sizes change, a phenomenon known as pupillary contagion. This involuntary response is reliable between humans but can be affected by familiarity and empathy. We investigated whether the pupillary contagion response occurs for humans viewing familiar species-cats and dogs-and whether it is modulated by preferences for particular species. Pupil sizes were measured while viewing cat, dog and human images with small, medium and large pupils. Trait empathy, cat and dog affiliation and experience were subsequently measured. There was an image pupil size effect, but this did not vary by species. There was greater pupil size change to cats and dogs than to humans, but this might have been due to the varying size and appearance of the cats and dogs. Greater dog affiliation was also associated with smaller overall pupil size change to dogs and larger change to humans, but this did not interact with image pupil size. Dog affiliation might be associated with less arousal to dog images. In sum, pupillary contagion responses indicate a spontaneous transfer of information about internal states and the findings suggest that humans are sensitive to this across species, regardless of individual preference.

SUBMITTER: Axelsson EL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7812621 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Humans' pupillary contagion extends to cats and dogs.

Axelsson Emma L EL Fawcett Christine C

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 20210101 1-2

When viewing pupil sizes change, our own pupil sizes change, a phenomenon known as pupillary contagion. This involuntary response is reliable between humans but can be affected by familiarity and empathy. We investigated whether the pupillary contagion response occurs for humans viewing familiar species-cats and dogs-and whether it is modulated by preferences for particular species. Pupil sizes were measured while viewing cat, dog and human images with small, medium and large pupils. Trait empat ...[more]

PMID: 33002117

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Project description:Simple Summary Dogs and cats are animals that have been accompanying humans for many years. There is no doubt that they are emotionally connected with people, although each of them in their own way. The study attempts to assess the emotional relationship between humans, dogs, and cats living in one household on the basis of the correlations between the hair cortisol level. The study involved 25 women who had at least one dog and at least one cat at home. Based on the study conducted, no significant correlation was found between the level of cortisol in the hair of the owners and their pets. There were, however, some interesting differences depending on the degree of emotional connection and the frequency of interactions. Abstract Human–animal interactions and the emotional relationship of the owner with the pet are the subjects of many scientific studies and the constant interest of not only scientists but also pet owners. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the hair cortisol levels of dogs, cats, and their owners living in the same household. The owners were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning the frequency of their interactions with pets and emotional relationship with each of their cats and each of their dogs. The study involved 25 women who owned at least one dog and at least one cat. In total, 45 dogs and 55 cats from 25 households participated in the study. The average level of hair cortisol of the owners was 4.62 ng/mL, of the dogs 0.26 ng/mL, and in the hair of cats 0.45 ng/mL. There was no significant correlation between the hair cortisol level of the owner and dog or the owner and the cat and between dogs and cats living together. A significant positive correlation was observed between the hair cortisol level in the owner and the pet, for dogs in which the owner performs grooming treatments once a week and for cats which are never kissed. Although our study did not find many significant correlations, studies using other stress markers might have yielded different results.

Dataset Information

Humans' pupillary contagion extends to cats and dogs.

Publications

Humans' pupillary contagion extends to cats and dogs.

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