Detecting temporal patterns in dog-human and robot-human interactions

A. Kerepesi¹, G.K. Jonsson^2,3 and A. Miklósi¹

¹Department of Ethology, Eötvös University Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
²Human Behavior Laboratory, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
³Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

In the present work we demonstrate that with the use of Theme™ (PatternVision Ltd, Iceland) we are able to detect both idiosyncratic patterns in dog/robot-human interactions and common behavioral pattern across interaction parties. The results of two different behavioral situations are presented. In Study 1 we investigate a cooperative interaction between the dog and its owner and in Study 2 we compare dog-human and robot-human interactions in children and adults.

During the cooperative task of dogs and humans we found complex and idiosyncratic T-patterns. Despite of this idiosyncrasy, we found that a common sequence of behavior units can be identified in most of the dog-owner dyads, which is important in the successful completion of the task.

In the comparative analysis of spontaneous interactions with a dog puppy or AIBO, we have compared the behavior of adults and children towards a dog and a robot. We have found that petting behavior and behavioral units of play-behavior have different frequency and time interval depending on either the age of the human (child or adult) or the type of interactive partner (dog or robot).

The number of the detected T-patterns also differed. A higher number of T-patterns were found in children’s interaction with the dog puppy than in their interactions with the robotic dog. No such difference was found in the case of adults. The structure of detected T-patterns was somewhat idiosyncratic, no similar complex T-patterns were found across different age groups or play-partners.

In the two studies we have demonstrated that:

1. Dog-human interaction is highly structured, consisting of repeated temporal patterns.
2. T-patterns are detected both in a cooperative interaction and in spontaneous interaction.
3. Although most complex T-patterns were idiosyncratic, structured tasks resulted in the emergence of similarities in T-patterns across individual dyads.

Paper presented at Measuring Behavior 2005 , 5^th International Conference on Methods and Techniques in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

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