Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
Anim Cogn. 2021 Mar;24(2):387-394. doi: 10.1007/s10071-020-01467-z. Epub 2021 Jan 12.
In our view, the discipline, often referred to as human-animal interaction (HAI), lacks a well-defined conceptual framework. It is too narrow both with respect to the animal species investigated and the nature of human-animal interactions studied. So instead, we introduce the term human-companion animal partnership (HCAP) that is not only a better descriptor for most research efforts within HAI but also helps to direct research efforts on an ethological basis. In our approach, 'companion' is a function and not a feature of some species. This means that many species had and could have a potential to form mixed social groups with humans if they evolve some capacity of social competence. This view may initiate new comparative research involving a range of species to find out how complex social engagement could be maintained in such hetero-specific social groups based on evolutionary heritage, recent selection and individual experience (socialisation). Our approach emphasises the role of human caring behaviour and social competence in the emergence of a partnership with several species, and thus could also help in setting expectations for welfare and aid in designing artificial companions for specific purposes.
在我们看来，这一学科通常被称为人类-动物互动（HAI），缺乏一个明确的概念框架。无论是从所研究的动物物种，还是从所研究的人类-动物互动性质来看，它都过于狭隘。因此，我们引入了“人类-伴侣动物伙伴关系（HCAP）”一词，它不仅是 HAI 中大多数研究工作的更好描述词，还有助于根据动物行为学基础来指导研究工作。在我们的方法中，“伴侣”是一种功能，而不是某些物种的特征。这意味着，如果许多物种进化出一定的社交能力，它们过去和将来都有可能与人类形成混合的社会群体。这种观点可能会引发新的比较研究，涉及一系列物种，以了解基于进化遗产、近期选择和个体经验（社会化）的情况下，这种复杂的社会参与是如何在这种异质特定的社会群体中得以维持的。我们的方法强调了人类关怀行为和社交能力在与多个物种建立伙伴关系中的作用，因此也有助于设定对福利的期望，并有助于为特定目的设计人工伴侣。
