The British daily Telegraph reported on the results of a study speed test on cats conducted by researchers at Ajabu University in Japan. The researchers used a sample of about 30 cats to learn picture-word pairs. They found that most cats learned the words nine seconds faster than the average human infant. The researchers first showed a picture to the cat and then remembered the picture-word pairs by repeatedly saying specific words to match the picture. After the cat finished the study, it showed the picture again, and this time, it was shown the wrong word and checked the reactions.
Cats stared at the picture three times longer on average when they heard words that didn’t match each other. In other words, they recognized that something was wrong, even if they didn’t know the meaning of the word.
The researchers said that most cats reacted like this after learning pictures and words for a total of 9 seconds four times, which is much faster than human infants and toddlers. It is said that human infants and toddlers need to learn picture-word pairs by learning a total of 20 seconds four times.
“Our study reveals that cats can associate picture-word pairs with less exposure time than infants,” the researchers said. “It is not clear why cats can associate picture-word pairs so quickly.” However, it is said that cats failed to learn the words when they sang them with electronic sounds rather than human voices. Given this, the researchers speculated that “cats have some attachment to human voices.” The study was published in the international journal Scientific Reports.
SOPHIA KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
