ManyDogs Project: A Big Team Science Approach to Investigating Canine Behavior and Cognition

[摘要] Dogs have a special place in human history as the first domesticated species and play important roles inmany cultures around the world. However, their role in scientific studies has been relatively recent. Witha few notable exceptions (e.g., Darwin, Pavlov, Scott, and Fuller), domestic dogs were not commonlythe subject of rigorous scientific investigation of behavior until the late 1990s. Although the numberof canine science studies has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, most research groups arelimited in the inferences they can draw because of the relatively small sample sizes used, along withthe exceptional diversity observed in dogs (e.g., breed, geographic location, experience). To this end,we introduce the ManyDogs Project, an international consortium of researchers interested in taking abig team science approach to understanding canine behavioral science. We begin by discussing whystudying dogs provides valuable insights into behavior and cognition, evolutionary processes, humanhealth, and applications for animal welfare. We then highlight other big team science projects that havepreviously been conducted in canine science and emphasize the benefits of our approach. Finally, weintroduce the ManyDogs Project and our mission: (a) replicating important findings, (b) investigatingmoderators that need a large sample size such as breed differences, (c) reaching methodological consensus, (d) investigating cross-cultural differences, and (e) setting a standard for replication studies ingeneral. In doing so, we hope to address previous limitations in individual lab studies and previous bigteam science frameworks to deepen our understanding of canine behavior and cognition.

[学科分类] 社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

[关键词] dogs;ManyDogs;big-team science;canine science;replication