Mental representation and episodic-like memory of own actions in dogs
Open accessAbstract
We investigated whether dogs remember their spontaneous past actions relying on episodic-like memory. Dogs were trained to repeat a small set of actions upon request. Then we tested them on their ability to repeat other actions produced by themselves, including actions performed spontaneously in everyday situations. Dogs repeated their own actions after delays ranging from a few seconds to 1 hour, with their performance showing a decay typical of episodic memory. The combined evidence of representing own actions and using episodic-like memory to recall them suggests a far more complex representation of a key feature of the self than previously attributed to dogs. Our method is applicable to various species, paving the way for comparative investigations on the evolution and complexity of self-representation.
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Some studies use non-natural methodological elements to test for episodic-like memory, such as pecking or approaching shapes or coloured panels, or requiring subjects to recall their own or others' previous actions out of an array of behaviours.
“Some studies, however, use non-natural methodological elements to test for episodic-like memory [75], such as pecking or approaching certain shapes or coloured panels that are presented in front of the subjects [56,78–81], or requiring subjects to recall their own or others’ previous actions out of an array of behaviours [95,96].”
From Is episodic-like memory <i>like</i> episodic memory? (2024) · cites this paper as [95]
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- Authors
- Fugazza, C., Pongrácz, P., Pogány, Á., Lenkei, R., & Miklósi, Á.
- Affiliations
- Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
- Corresponding author
- Fugazza, Claudia
- Venue
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2020-06-26
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 10449-10449
- ISSN
- 2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7320188
- OpenAlex
- W3037798265
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) (acceptedVersion)
- ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT) (Eötvös Loránd University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- This study was supported by the National Brain Research Program
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- dogs, episodic-like memory, self-representation, mental representation, action memory, memory decay, spontaneous behavior, self-awareness, comparative cognition, animal cognition
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Dogs, Imitative Behavior, Learning, Mental Recall, Time Factors, Memory, Episodic
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