Abstract
SummaryRecognition of rotated images can challenge visual systems. Humans often diminish the load of cognitive tasks employing bodily actions (cognitive offloading). To investigate these phenomena from a comparative perspective, we trained eight dogs (Canis familiaris) to discriminate between bidimensional shapes. We then tested the dogs with rotated versions of the same shapes, while measuring their accuracy and head tilts. Although generalization to rotated stimuli challenged dogs (overall accuracy: 55%), three dogs performed differently from chance level with rotated stimuli. The amplitude of stimulus rotation did not influence dogs’ performance. Interestingly, dogs tilted their head following the direction and amplitude of rotated stimuli. These small head movements did not influence their performance. Hence, we show that dogs might be capable of recognizing rotated 2D objects, but they do not use a cognitive offloading strategy in this task. This work paves the way to further investigation of cognitive offloading in non-human species.
Highlights
When engaging in mental tasks, we spontaneously try to overcome the limitations of our cognitive systems by transferring part of the intellectual demands onto our bodies or onto the external world
Humans often diminish the load of cognitive tasks employing bodily actions
We tested the dogs with rotated versions of the same shapes, while measuring their accuracy and head tilts
Summary
When engaging in mental tasks, we spontaneously try to overcome the limitations of our cognitive systems by transferring part of the intellectual demands onto our bodies or onto the external world. This strategy is known as cognitive offloading (for a review of the human literature see Risko and Gilbert 2016). Several alternative models have been proposed to explain how the human visual system recognizes whether two objects seen from different points of view are the same or not. The strategies used by non-human species to recognize rotated objects are debated too, as discussed below
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