July 2017 PMID 27659592

Exploring the evolutionary origins of overimitation: a comparison across domesticated and non-domesticated canids.

Angie M Johnston, Paul C Holden, Laurie R Santos

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Mentions

78
Peak: 13 in Jul 2019
across 5 sources since Jul 2019

Extended reach

229,878
potential audience

Total likes

3,828

Video views

96,807

Mentions per month

Jul 2019 – May 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News41 articles
  • X / Twitter16 posts
  • Facebook15 posts
  • Blogs5 articles
  • YouTube1 videos

AI synopsis

What people are saying

Several discussions mention how the research highlights differences between domesticated dogs and humans regarding overimitation, with phrases like 'surprise' and 'interesting' demonstrating curiosity. The tone is inquisitive and casual, with examples such as comparisons of dogs' intelligence to children and references to sensory abilities, which reflect moderate engagement and interest, but little indication of lasting impact on perceptions or behavior.

AgreementNeither agree nor disagree

Most discussions are neutral, with some viewers expressing curiosity rather than full agreement or disagreement with the research findings.

InterestModerate interest

Participants show moderate interest, often highlighting specific aspects like dogs' sensory abilities or comparisons to children.

EngagementModerate engagement

Many comments reference other media or pose questions, indicating a level of thoughtful engagement, though without deep analysis.

ImpactNeutral impact

The discussions are mostly casual and awareness-raising, with limited signs of the research transforming opinions or practices significantly.

Abstract in brief

  • The study examines whether domesticated dogs and dingoes share humans' tendency to overimitate, which involves copying both relevant and irrelevant actions during learning.
  • The experiments show that both dogs and dingoes do not overimitate; instead, they tend to ignore irrelevant actions as they gain experience, similar to chimpanzees, and their behavior is driven more by individual exploration.
  • These findings suggest that overimitation might be a unique feature of human social learning, as dogs and dingoes, despite being social animals, do not display this behavior in the same way humans do.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
SciShow
@SciShow · X

We sometimes think of dogs as fuzzy toddlers, but can we actually compare dogs and kids? https://t.co/AVOLgg5SwI https://t.co/gCvEakD4h7

Jul 22, 2019 · 16 likes · 3 shares · 115,754 followers View post →
Charles Ikenna
@CharlesIkenna23 · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/tIwnJvofgt via @YouTube

Jul 23, 2019 · 1 like · 3,225 followers View post →
Karthik Sriram
@karthiksriram_ · X

Came across this research article that looked at the ability of 4 year olds to filter irrelevant actions. Surprise! Dogs are better. Would be interesting to see experiment done on adults v dogs, with some complexity thrown in. https://t.co/Nsat6Zx9sl

Sep 29, 2019 · 1 like · 159 followers View post →
I could be anyone
@Maggie_Nickson · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/iF73tNhe1o via @YouTube

Jul 22, 2019 · 7,715 followers View post →
MentalChillness
@MentalChillin · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/B2wHZvrjmw via @YouTube

Jul 22, 2019 · 2,096 followers View post →
Matthew J Shochat (he/him/his) ✡️
@MJShochat · X

This @SciShow video reminds me of this @LibertyMutual commercial. https://t.co/Sb3LPUEtEo https://t.co/F2zD4LdI8a

Aug 19, 2019 · 1,683 followers View post →

All mentions

Nick Rodriguez
@NickLuRodriguez · X

https://t.co/0YyYo3KUfj

May 17, 2025 · 6 followers View post →
Nick Rodriguez
@NickLuRodriguez · X

https://t.co/0YyYo3KUfj

Apr 1, 2025 · 6 followers View post →
Karthik Sriram
@karthiksriram_ · X

Came across this research article that looked at the ability of 4 year olds to filter irrelevant actions. Surprise! Dogs are better. Would be interesting to see experiment done on adults v dogs, with some complexity thrown in. https://t.co/Nsat6Zx9sl

Sep 29, 2019 · 1 like · 159 followers View post →
Matthew J Shochat (he/him/his) ✡️
@MJShochat · X

This @SciShow video reminds me of this @LibertyMutual commercial. https://t.co/Sb3LPUEtEo https://t.co/F2zD4LdI8a

Aug 19, 2019 · 1,683 followers View post →
Brandy Davis
@ThatGeekChic · X

this is interesting - I especially liked the part about dog's using their sense of smell to identify "self" - which makes sense since it is their strongest sense .... https://t.co/9VqFisLIJj

Jul 29, 2019 · 112 followers View post →
Dwale
@ThornAppleCider · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/taEC9O6v18 via @YouTube

Jul 23, 2019 · 525 followers View post →
AkiraSpectrum
@AkiraSpectrum · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/5xoR3o7iLO via @YouTube

Jul 23, 2019 · 292 followers View post →
Charles Ikenna
@CharlesIkenna23 · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/tIwnJvofgt via @YouTube

Jul 23, 2019 · 1 like · 3,225 followers View post →
Dress to Express
@CHElla02654366 · X

RT @SciShow: We sometimes think of dogs as fuzzy toddlers, but can we actually compare dogs and kids? https://t.co/AVOLgg5SwI https://t.co/…

Jul 23, 2019 · 3 shares · 44 followers View post →
Michelle Ward
@justmichellem77 · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/F8imWaRfeV via @YouTube

Jul 22, 2019 · 352 followers View post →
João M
@nababu · X

Jul 22, 2019 · 570 followers View post →
I could be anyone
@Maggie_Nickson · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/iF73tNhe1o via @YouTube

Jul 22, 2019 · 7,715 followers View post →
MentalChillness
@MentalChillin · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/B2wHZvrjmw via @YouTube

Jul 22, 2019 · 2,096 followers View post →
William Wallace
@bill14051 · X

RT @SciShow: We sometimes think of dogs as fuzzy toddlers, but can we actually compare dogs and kids? https://t.co/AVOLgg5SwI https://t.co/…

Jul 22, 2019 · 3 shares · 276 followers View post →
SciShow
@SciShow · X

We sometimes think of dogs as fuzzy toddlers, but can we actually compare dogs and kids? https://t.co/AVOLgg5SwI https://t.co/gCvEakD4h7

Jul 22, 2019 · 16 likes · 3 shares · 115,754 followers View post →
David Jameson
@link5261 · X

Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old? https://t.co/jOYrCyDgYt

Jul 22, 2019 · 238 followers View post →