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Dog-directed speech: why do we use it and do dogs pay attention to it?
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 04:23 authored by Tobey Ben-Aderet, Mario Gallego-Abenza, David Reby, Nicolas MathevonPet-directed speech is strikingly similar to infant-directed speech, a peculiar speaking pattern with higher pitch and slower tempo known to engage infants' attention and promote language learning. Here, we report the first investigation of potential factors modulating the use of dog-directed speech, as well as its immediate impact on dogs' behaviour. We recorded adult participants speaking in front of pictures of puppies, adult and old dogs, and analysed the quality of their speech. We then performed playback experiments to assess dogs' reaction to dog-directed speech compared with normal speech. We found that human speakers used dog-directed speech with dogs of all ages and that the acoustic structure of dog-directed speech was mostly independent of dog age, except for sound pitch which was relatively higher when communicating with puppies. Playback demonstrated that, in the absence of other non-auditory cues, puppies were highly reactive to dog-directed speech, and that the pitch was a key factor modulating their behaviour, suggesting that this specific speech register has a functional value in young dogs. Conversely, older dogs did not react differentially to dog-directed speech compared with normal speech. The fact that speakers continue to use dog-directed with older dogs therefore suggests that this speech pattern may mainly be a spontaneous attempt to facilitate interactions with non-verbal listeners.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological SciencesISSN
0962-8452Publisher
Royal SocietyExternal DOI
Issue
1846Volume
284Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-01-11First Open Access (FOA) Date
2018-01-12First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-12-09Usage metrics
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