Dogs Experience Emotional Contagion from the Smell of Human Stress

Dogs Affected by Human Scent

According to a new study, dogs have the ability to sense human stress through scent and respond accordingly. The study by the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom demonstrates that the smell of human stress can induce a similar emotional response in dogs, leading them to make more pessimistic judgments.

Emotional Contagion

Emotional contagion refers to the phenomenon where individuals unconsciously adopt the emotions of those around them. In the case of dogs, the researchers found that they experienced emotional contagion when exposed to the scent of human stress. The dogs exhibited more pessimistic behaviors, such as avoiding new objects and people.

The study's findings suggest that dogs have a highly sensitive olfactory system that allows them to perceive and respond to human emotions. This ability may have evolved to help dogs bond with humans and understand their emotional states.