Empatía en perros domésticos: rol del contagio emocional y el ofrecimiento de ayuda

Camila María Cavalli; Mariana Bentosela

doi:10.24215/2422572Xe080

Autores/as

Camila María Cavalli Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) / Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7128-7721
Mariana Bentosela Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) / Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8443-9552

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24215/2422572Xe080

Palabras clave:

perros, empatía, contagio emocional, ayuda, consuelo

Resumen

El contagio emocional es una forma básica de empatía que ocurre cuando un individuo comparte el estado emocional de otro. Evaluar las capacidades empáticas de perros domésticos (Canis familiaris) hacia las personas resulta de particular interés dado su largo proceso de domesticación, su capacidad de formar vínculos de apego con sus dueños y la importancia de las experiencias ontogenéticas en el desarrollo de la cognición social canina. El objetivo de esta revisión es analizar las evidencias respecto al fenómeno de contagio emocional en perros y examinar si pueden ofrecer ayuda o consuelo ante la angustia de una persona. El contagio de emociones negativas, particularmente estrés, se ha constatado tanto en situaciones artificiales de laboratorio como en situaciones ecológicas de interacción entre perros y dueños. La evidencia es controversial respecto a si ofrecen ayuda o consuelo por lo que son necesarias más investigaciones acerca de los alcances de dichas capacidades empáticas.

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Biografía del autor/a

Camila María Cavalli, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) / Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Soy Licenciada en Psicología de la Universidad de Buenos Aires y me encuentro realizando mi doctorado en Psicología en la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, con una beca doctoral CONICET. Formo parte del Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos (ICOC) desde 2014. Mi tesis tiene como objetivo realizar un perfil sociocognitivo de los perros que participan en Intervenciones Asistidas con Animales (IAA).En el marco de este equipo publiqué diversos artículos en revistas nacionales e internacionales y participé como expositora en varios congresos y jornadas.

Mariana Bentosela, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) / Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Mariana Bentosela, es Doctora en Psicología por la Universidad de Buenos Aires, Investigadora Principal de CONICET y dirige al Grupo de Investigación de Comportamiento en Cánidos (ICOC). Su área de especialización es la Psicología Experimental Comparada. Ha publicado numerosos trabajos en revistas tanto internacionales como nacionales, así como varios capítulos de libro y ha participado como expositora en diversos congresos y jornadas.

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