When dog owners experience a long period of stress, they are not alone in feeling the pressure. Their dogs feel it, too.
当狗主人在经历一段长期的精神压力时,并不是只有他们自己在承受压力,他们的狗也感同身受。
That information comes from a new study published Thursday in Scientific Reports.
这一信息来自周四发表在《科学报告》上的一份新研究。
Swedish scientists centered the research on 58 people who own border collies or Shetland sheepdogs. Both are traditionally herding dogs.
瑞典科学家对58名拥有博德牧羊犬或喜乐蒂牧羊犬的人进行了集中研究。两种犬类都是传统的牧羊犬。
The scientists examined hair from the dog owners and their dogs. They looked at the levels of a hormone called cortisol.
科学家对狗主人和狗的毛发进行了检测。他们观察了一种名为“皮质醇”的激素的浓度。
This chemical is released into the bloodstream during stressful experiences. Pieces of hair can take in this chemical.
这种化学物质在精神压力时期会被释放到血液中,能够被毛发吸收。release into/in 释放到
Depression, extreme physical exercise and unemployment are just a few examples of stress causers that can affect the amount of cortisol released in humans,said Lina Roth of Sweden's Linkoping University.
抑郁,极限体育运动以及失业只是引起压力的几种诱因,它们能影响人体皮质醇释放的含量, 瑞典林雪平大学的莉娜・罗斯(Lina Roth)说道。
Roth and her team found that cortisol levels in the hair of dog owners closely matched levels found in their dogs.
罗斯和她的团队发现,狗主人毛发的皮质醇浓度与狗的皮质醇浓度非常接近。
The researchers say this suggests their stress levels were in sync -- or connected.
研究人员表示,这表明他们的压力水平是同步的,或者说相互关联的。
Roth believes that the owners are influencing the dogs instead of dogs influencing their human owners.
罗斯认为,这是主人在影响狗,而不是狗影响主人。
That is because there are human personality traits that also appear to affect dogs' cortisol levels.
这是因为人类的性格特征似乎也会影响狗的皮质醇水平。
But, why is it that people influence their dogs and not the other way around?
但是,为什么是主人影响狗,而不是反过来呢?
It could be, Roth said in an email, because people are "a more central part of the dog's life, whereas we humans also have other social networks."
罗斯在一封电子邮件中解释称,原因可能在于人“是狗的生活中更重要的一部分,而我们人类还有其他的社交网络。”