Dogs’ brains are sensitive to the familiar high-pitched “cute” voice tone that adult humans, especially women, use to talk to babies, according to a new study.
The research, published recently in the journal Communications Biology, found “exciting similarities” between infant and dog brains during the processing of speech with such a high-pitched tone feature.
Humans tend to speak with a specific speech style characterised by exaggerated prosody, or patterns of stress and intonation in a language, when communicating with individuals having limited language competence.
Such speech has previously been found to be very important for the healthy cognitive, social and language development of children, who are also tuned to such a high-pitched voice.
But researchers, including those from the Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, hoped to assess whether dog brains are also sensitive to this way of communication.
In the study, conscious family dogs were made to listen to dog, infant and adult-directed speech recorded from 12 women and men in real-life interactions.
As the dogs listened, their brain activities were measured using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan.
The study found the sound-processing regions of the dogs’ brains responded more to dog- and infant-directed than adult-directed speech.
This marked the first neurological evidence that dog brains are tuned to speech directed specifically at them.
“Studying how dog brains process dog-directed speech is exciting, because it can help us understand how exaggerated prosody contributes to efficient speech processing in a nonhuman species skilled at relying on different speech cues,” explained Anna Gergely, co-first author of the study.
Scientists also found dog- and infant-directed speech sensitivity of dog brains was more pronounced when the speakers were women, and was affected by voice pitch and its variation.
These findings suggest the way we speak to dogs matters, and that their brain is specifically sensitive to the higher-pitched voice tone typical to the female voice.
“Remarkably, the voice tone patterns characterizing women’s dog-directed speech are not typically used in dog-dog communication – our results may thus serve evidence for a neural preference that dogs developed during their domestication,” said Anna Gábor, co-first author of the study.
“Dog brains’ increased sensitivity to dog-directed speech spoken by women specifically may be due to the fact that women more often speak to dogs with exaggerated prosody than men,” Dr Gabor said.
Uncover the Secret Features of Your iPhone’s Volume Buttons
Unlocking the Full Potential of Your iPhone’s Volume Buttons
Many of us are familiar with the iPhone, and its evolution over the years has been impressive. With just three physical buttons, the iPhone’s volume controls offer far more than basic sound adjustment. These buttons perform a range of other functions, enhancing your iPhone experience in unique ways. Let’s explore the hidden capabilities of these versatile controls.
1. Capturing Photos and Videos
Your iPhone’s volume buttons can act as a convenient shutter for photos and videos. In any camera mode—such as portrait, panorama, or standard—a simple press of either volume button snaps a photo. For video recording, press once to start and press again to stop. On newer iPhones, holding the volume up button activates burst mode, capturing multiple photos quickly.
2. Scanning Documents with Ease
Avoid on-screen controls when scanning documents. In apps like Files, Mail, Notes, and Reminders, you can use the volume buttons to quickly initiate a scan. A single press captures your document, making document management faster and more efficient.
3. Managing Alarms Simply
If you struggle to wake up in the morning or need a few extra minutes, the volume buttons offer an easy way to manage alarms. Pressing either volume button can snooze or dismiss alarms, making mornings a bit easier without reaching for on-screen options.
4. Quick Access to Emergency Services
In urgent situations, your iPhone’s volume buttons can be life-saving. Press and hold the side button along with either volume button to bring up the emergency SOS screen. Swiping the SOS icon calls emergency services, even when your phone is locked.
5. Restarting a Frozen iPhone
When your iPhone becomes unresponsive, the volume buttons offer a quick fix. To force a restart, press the volume up button, then the volume down button, and hold the side button until your iPhone reboots. This hardware reset can help resolve issues when a standard restart isn’t working.
6. Temporarily Disable Face ID or Touch ID
If you need extra security in a particular moment, you can quickly disable Face ID or Touch ID. Press and hold the side button along with either volume button for two seconds. This action locks your phone, requiring your passcode to unlock it, which can enhance your privacy when needed.
7. Silencing Calls Instantly
In situations where you need to silence an incoming call or mute vibrations discreetly, press either volume button. This will silence ringtones or vibrations in silent mode, allowing you to manage calls quickly and quietly.
Share this with friends and family to help them unlock the hidden potential of their iPhone’s volume buttons!
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