Abstract
Simple SummaryImpulsivity is believed to play a role in problematic behaviors in dogs. In this study, we developed a test to assess dogs’ tendency to make impulsive choices, that is their preference for smaller immediate reward instead of larger, but harder to obtain ones. Dogs were first trained that a bowl presented on a certain side always contained a large food amount, whereas the one presented on the opposite side (although at the same distance from the dog) contained less food. Then, the bowl with less food was progressively placed closer to the dog. As expected, dogs’ choices to feed from the bowl with less food increased as the distance of the latter decreased. Choices did not depend on factors that could interfere, such as dogs’ level of motivation for food, training experience, or learning ability. This indicates that the test is likely to be actually assessing impulsivity, not other traits. Also, female dogs were more likely to make impulsive choices than males, in accordance with what is known in humans and rodents, supporting the validity of the test. The test was completed in less than 1 h, making it a valid option to assess impulsivity in dogs in various contexts.Impulsive choices reflect an individual’s tendency to prefer a smaller immediate reward over a larger delayed one. Here, we have developed a behavioural test which can be easily applied to assess impulsive choices in dogs. Dogs were trained to associate one of two equidistant locations with a larger food amount when a smaller amount was presented in the other location, then the smaller amount was placed systematically closer to the dog. Choices of the smaller amount, as a function of distance, were considered a measure of the dog’s tendency to make impulsive choices. All dogs (N = 48) passed the learning phase and completed the entire assessment in under 1 h. Choice of the smaller food amount increased as this was placed closer to the dog. Choices were independent from food motivation, past training, and speed of learning the training phase; supporting the specificity of the procedure. Females showed a higher probability of making impulsive choices, in agreement with analogue sex differences found in human and rodent studies, and supporting the external validity of our assessment. Overall, the findings support the practical applicability and represent a first indication of the validity of this method, making it suitable for investigations into impulsivity in dogs.
Highlights
Impulsivity is generally referred to as the tendency to act prematurely, without forethought or consideration of the consequences [1], or as the failure to defer gratification [2]
We developed a test to assess dogs’ tendency to make impulsive choices, that is their preference for smaller immediate reward instead of larger, but harder to obtain ones
The mean ± SD number of errors and of trials required to reach the learning criterion by dogs split by sex and reproductive status is reported in Table 2; the one-way ANOVA indicated that there were no differences between sexes in the number of errors (F = 1.09; p = 0.36) or trials required to reach the learning criterion in this phase
Summary
Impulsivity is generally referred to as the tendency to act prematurely, without forethought or consideration of the consequences [1], or as the failure to defer gratification [2]. Many studies converge on the recognition of two broad classes of impulsive behaviour, namely impulsive actions and impulsive choices [5,6]. The former is regarded as the result of an inability to inhibit or stop a motor act in response to prepotent stimuli. Behavioural paradigms such as the go/no-go task, or the stop-signal reaction time task, analogue versions of which exist for humans and rodents, are designed to pinpoint this behavioural facet of impulsivity [7]
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