Reflects the current state of science Complex theories of intelligence According to which human cognitive abilities form a hierarchical structure, at the top of which is the “factor g” (General cognitive factor) is a comprehensive trait that includes and affects all other cognitive skills.
“The ability that is considered one of the main components of intelligence is also present in dogs, and in many of its characteristics, including its mode of aging, it is similar to that of humans,” say researchers from the Department of Ethology at ELTE University. GeroScience magazine published at the end of March In their studies. Department website a description According between and why.
ELTE ethicists have now filled this gap. Based on the results of a series of tests that assessed the cognitive performance of 129 family dogs between the ages of three and fifteen years and their changes over two and a half years, the researchers identified two more comprehensive cognitive skills: independent problem solving and the ability to learn. “The two skills were also related to each other, so dogs with better problem-solving skills generally learned new tasks faster,” according to the administration's announcement, proving that a general cognitive factor known as g also exists in dogs.
It also turned out that “smart” dogs with a high cuteness factor were more willing to explore unfamiliar environments, were more interested in new things, and performed better in other yet unexamined learning situations than their peers with lower scores. The value was also linked to the character of the people, the latter being rated by ethicists based on the questionnaire filled out by the farmers. “High g factor value was combined with high activity, training and trainability, the results proved that g dogs resemble human g not only in their structure, but also in terms of their external relations,” the announcement said.
It also became clear that the value of the age factor deteriorated more rapidly with age in dogs in poor health, while no change was detected in dogs in good health. The researchers believe that although global decline affected all cognitive abilities, their results show that “changes in memory and associative learning ability with age are also influenced by other factors, making them change according to different dynamics.” This aging pattern is similar to human aging and may subsequently help in discovering and identifying the molecular and neural causes of cognitive decline.
In the video below, you can watch a poignant summary of the study that was just published:
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