The Effects of Initial Self-Control Exertion and Subsequent Glucose Consumption on Search Accuracy by Dogs

• Main Author: Miller, Holly C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba 2013-07-01
• Series: Revista Argentina de Ciencias del Comportamiento
• Subjects: Self-control; Depletion; Glucose; Working-memory; Object Permanence
• Online Access: http://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/racc/article/view/5144/5310

Previous reports have suggested that canine self-control is sensitive to fatigue and that an initial act of behavioral inhibition (sit-stay 10 min) relative to a control condition (cage 10 min) can deplete self-control, increase risk-taking, and reduce subsequent persistence on a puzzle task. Glucose, but not a calorie-free placebo drink has been shown to replenish this depletion. The current study sought to complement and extend these findings by examining whether initial exertion of self-control would also affect canine working memory as measured by search accuracy on a subsequently administered invisible displacement rotation task. The results evidenced that initial self-control exertion (relative to the control condition) resulted in poorer search accuracy. The consumption of glucose did not have a replenishing effect. If anything, glucose was associated with poorer search accuracy.