Clever Hans effect
When you ask a horse a question, it doesn't know the answer, right? But what if the horse could somehow figure out the answer by watching your body language and movements? That's what's known as the Clever Hans effect.
Basically, the Clever Hans effect happens when an animal or person seems to be really clever, but they're actually just picking up on subtle hints from their surroundings. For example, if you ask a dog "Do you want a treat?" while holding a treat in your hand, the dog will likely start wagging its tail and getting excited, even though it doesn't know what you're saying. It's just reading your body language and responding accordingly.
The Clever Hans effect was named after a horse named Hans who lived in Germany in the early 1900s. Hans was owned by a math teacher named Wilhelm von Osten, who claimed that the horse could do math and answer questions by tapping his hoof. Hans would "tap out" the answer, and it seemed like he was really doing math.
But eventually, people started to wonder if Hans was really as clever as he seemed. When Hans was tested without von Osten around, he couldn't answer the questions correctly. It turned out that Hans was just picking up on subconscious cues from the people around him. For example, when someone asked Hans a question, they would often tense up or lean forward slightly when he got close to the right answer. Hans would pick up on these cues and tap his hoof accordingly.
The Clever Hans effect has been studied in lots of different animals, including dogs, birds, and even fish. It's also important to be aware of the Clever Hans effect in humans - sometimes we think we're making logical decisions, but we're actually just responding to subtle cues from our environment. So next time you think you're being really clever, remember the story of Hans the horse!
Basically, the Clever Hans effect happens when an animal or person seems to be really clever, but they're actually just picking up on subtle hints from their surroundings. For example, if you ask a dog "Do you want a treat?" while holding a treat in your hand, the dog will likely start wagging its tail and getting excited, even though it doesn't know what you're saying. It's just reading your body language and responding accordingly.
The Clever Hans effect was named after a horse named Hans who lived in Germany in the early 1900s. Hans was owned by a math teacher named Wilhelm von Osten, who claimed that the horse could do math and answer questions by tapping his hoof. Hans would "tap out" the answer, and it seemed like he was really doing math.
But eventually, people started to wonder if Hans was really as clever as he seemed. When Hans was tested without von Osten around, he couldn't answer the questions correctly. It turned out that Hans was just picking up on subconscious cues from the people around him. For example, when someone asked Hans a question, they would often tense up or lean forward slightly when he got close to the right answer. Hans would pick up on these cues and tap his hoof accordingly.
The Clever Hans effect has been studied in lots of different animals, including dogs, birds, and even fish. It's also important to be aware of the Clever Hans effect in humans - sometimes we think we're making logical decisions, but we're actually just responding to subtle cues from our environment. So next time you think you're being really clever, remember the story of Hans the horse!