Study Says: Mind Reacts, Almost Alike, to One’s Own Kids and Dogs

As per a study, the way human beings respond to their own offspring is not very different than the way they react to their dogs, which suggests a profound evolutionary bond. The research may help in enhancing the benefits of dog-assisted therapies; it also underlines the status of dog as man’s best friend.

The study was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston by Lori Palley and Luke Stoeckel. The experiment consisted of 14 mothers, aging 22 to 45 years. Each one of them had a kid between 2 to 10 years of age and a dog of their own for at least 2 years.

The participants were made to undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). MRI spots variations in the blood flow to evaluate activities of brain. While going through the MRI, each women was shown the pictures of her own child (or children) and dog, and that of other unfamiliar children and dogs.

Next, they were made to take a questionnaire which had 11 questions which sought information related to the hair color of their child and doggie, number of images seen, and so on. The women were asked to respond emotionally to the questions, i.e. attach emotional value to all their answers.

Analyses

The study aimed to find linkages between the relationship of human and pet with that of maternal and child. The patterns of brain activity while the subjects viewed the photographs were analyzed to note the similarities and dissimilarities in reactions. When the mothers viewed the images of their own children and dogs, the MRI scans showed increased action with regards to certain areas of brain which are related to emotion, social cognition, visual processing and reward.

As per one of the findings, the pictures of subject’s own child aroused more activity in the areas which deal with bond formations, especially maternal and romantic ones, as against when she saw the images of her own dog(s). According to Palley, Assistant Director of Veterinary Services at the hospital’s Center for Comparative Medicine – “What’s really interesting about this is we suspect that perhaps there is some evolutionary significance to that. It would make sense that would be an area where you would want it to be kind of specific for relationships that should be sustained at all cost.”

In all the patterns studied, the manner of brain activity was strongest when the women saw their own child as opposed to an unknown kid, and also when they viewed their own dog as compared to an unfamiliar dog. It was also found that while the women watched their dogs the area of brain associated with visual and social processing was more active as against when they saw their children.

An idea that comes out from this information is that possibly the way we process a human face is different from the way we process a dog’s face. But as per the researchers, more study needs to be done in order to prove this point; also important to know is the relevance this finding would hold in understanding human psychology with regards to dogs.

The purpose of the study was to examine the advantages of pet ownership and animal-aided therapies, and also to figure out the people for whom such therapies would work more effectively – basically to understand the science behind it.

To come at a conclusive point, the outcome needs to be reflected in a larger group, comprising other people, including women without kids and men, for the analyses to hold more weight.

Alan M. Beck, Professor and Director, Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says that conclusion of this study supports the thoughts of many researchers. He adds that “We have a long history, a kind of affiliation (with regards to the relationship humans have with dogs). Dogs learn from us, we learn from dogs, so it’s not surprising that even brain activity would show how inborn it is.”

Beck has undertaken many studies on the relationship of man and animal and hopes that the present research might add to the scientific legitimacy to the practice of owning a pet. “It was kind of cool,” Beck said of the study. “It’s just one of the tools that allows a better understanding that this is a true biological/species behavior as opposed to something we’ve learned from our mothers… to be nice to animals.”

The study might also help show that people who love pets can also love people.