評論
打印
The actors repeated the performance on a second container, with the same results: the competent person succeeded, the other, not so much.
演員們在第二個容器上重復了同樣的表演(擰蓋子)，結果都一樣: 有能力打開的人成功了，另一個人則失敗了。
Then the researchers handed both actors a third container.
之后，研究人員將第三個容器遞給了兩位演員。
In some trials, this container was empty. In others, it contained a treat.
在一些實驗中，這個容器是空的。而在其他實驗里，容器里放的是犒勞食物。
And what they found was that female dogs spent more time gazing expectantly at the person who had previously demonstrated container-opening know-how.
結果發現，母狗會會花更多時間期待地盯著之前展示過能打開容器的人。
And they were more likely to approach the competent person.
而且它們更有可能接近能擰開蓋子的人。
But only when they thought they might get free food.
但只有在它們認為可以得到免費食物的時候。
Dogs in the empty condition showed no preferences.
狗在空容器下沒有表現出偏好。
Although one little cutie with a bow on her head did bark at all the containers, regardless of their contents.
盡管有一只頭上戴著蝴蝶結的小可愛對著所有的容器都吠叫，不管里面裝的是什么。
So, why would females be more censorious observers of people’s performances than males?
那么，為什么母狗比公狗更善于觀察人類的表現呢？
Female superiority in the social cognitive domain has been reported across many mammalian species including humans.
據報道，包括人類在內的多種哺乳動物在社會認知領域都具有女性（雌性）優勢。
In other words, in many cognitive studies, furry females seem to show a higher social IQ than mammalian males.
換句話說，在許多認知研究中，毛茸茸的雌性哺乳動物似乎比雄性表現出更高的社會智力。
And sex differences have been seen in other pup studies.
在其他幼犬的研究中也發現了性別差異。
For example, females look at their owners more frequently and longer than males when facing unsolvable task.
例如，當面臨無法解決的任務時，母狗會比公狗更頻繁、更長時間地注視主人。
And female dogs solve significantly more tasks than males in social learning task.
在社會學習任務中，母狗明顯比公狗處理的任務要多。
So…next time Fifi looks at you with those puppy dog eyes…you might be thinking, what a good dog!
所以，下次小狗菲菲用惹人憐愛的眼睛看著你時，你可能在想的是，多好的狗狗啊!
But she might be thinking, Meh, you could do better.
但小狗可能想的是，你還可以做得更好啊。
For Scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I’m Karen Hopkin.
謝謝大家收聽科學美國人——60秒科學。我是凱倫·霍普金。
文章為可可英語翻譯，未經授權請勿轉載！
