Here’s Why Dogs Prefer to Listen to Women’s Voices
While the saying goes that dogs are man’s best friend, recent research reveals that our canine companions actually prefer listening to female voices. Brain scans conducted by scientists from the Institute of Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology and Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary shed light on this intriguing phenomenon.
Infants are highly attuned to melodic, high-pitched speech that emphasizes vowels. Interestingly, dogs exhibit a similar preference for certain tones, akin to how babies respond.
Unlike infants, dogs are not exposed to female voices in utero. Nevertheless, when subjected to human speech, dogs’ brains show heightened activity, particularly in response to exaggerated voices commonly used for pets and infants.
When it comes to dog-human interactions, communicating in a high-pitched voice is not typical. However, studies indicate that dogs specifically favor female voices, echoing the way babies react to “Motherese.”
The study involved 19 dogs of various breeds, aged between 2 and 10 years.
These dogs underwent fMRI scans while listening to prerecorded human speech directed at dogs, infants, and adults.
Notably, the auditory cortex in dogs exhibited greater activity when exposed to exaggerated voices, especially when spoken by women.
So next time you chat with your furry friend, remember that your melodious tones might just make you their favorite listener! 🐶🗣️
Soures: psychologytoday.com; bing.com; invme.com; usnews.com; healthday.com;
Image Sources: shutterstock.com
