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Stanley Coren

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Stanley Coren
Photograph of Stanley Coren wearing Western-style hat and scarf
Born (1942-11-19) November 19, 1942 (age 81)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Websitewww.stanleycoren.com

Stanley Coren (born 1942) is a psychology professor, neuropsychological researcher and writer on the intelligence, mental abilities and history of dogs. He works in research and instructs in psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. He writes for Psychology Today in the feature series Canine Corner.[1]

Background

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Coren was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1942 to a secular Jewish family and attended undergraduate classes at the University of Pennsylvania before earning his doctorate at Stanford University. He went on to teach in The Graduate Faculty of The New School for Social Research in New York, New York before moving to the University of British Columbia in 1973, where he was a psychology professor and the Director of the Human Neuropsychology and Perception Laboratory until 2007.[2] He teaches and researches as a professor emeritus and serves as an adjunct professor in the graduate program at Bergin University of Canine Studies.

Outside of the classroom, Coren is an aficionado of dogs, and has made a career of research into dog behaviour[3] that has led him to national television and into international media. He is an instructor with the Vancouver Dog Obedience Training Club,[4] and has participated in obedience trials and competitions across Canada.

Research

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In his career, Coren has produced research papers and published items in a wide range of psychological areas including sensory processes (vision and hearing), neuropsychology (handedness, sleep, birth stress effects and behavior genetics) and cognition (information processing and intelligence). He has published more than 400 papers and articles in journals like Science, Nature,[5] The New England Journal of Medicine and many more. His research has been recognized with numerous awards over the years, including being named as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. One of his publications, Sensation and Perception, (co-authored with Lawrence M. Ward and James T. Enns) has been listed as required reading for university coursework[6] and went through six editions before his retirement in 2007. Coren's research in psychology can be divided into four distinct areas.

Sensory processes

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Further information: Sensory processing

Coren began his research career studying vision and visual processes. Much of his early work dealt with various visual illusions, and was done in collaboration with Joan. S. Girgus. They are credited with reopening the interest of psychologists in these visual phenomena, and pointing out how they shed light on basic visual processing.[7] He is also credited with several breakthroughs in the study of what is known as subjective contours or illusory contours[8] Later Coren and A. Ralph Hakstian developed methods for screening vision and hearing without the use of technical equipment, using behaviorally validated questionnaires. These allow group or survey testing for sensory deficits specifically for color blindness,[9] color discrimination ability,[10] visual acuity,[11] binocular vision and stereopsis[12] and hearing sensitivity or absolute threshold of hearing.[13] These tests have been widely disseminated and can be found reprinted in various psychological and sensory textbooks.[14]

Handedness

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Coren worked on left-handedness and its causes and consequences, with his co-researchers, Diane F. Halpern, Clare Porac, and Alan Searleman. Specifically his research led him to believe that left-handedness could be a marker for various psychological and physical problems.[15] The media became interested in this work when findings began to emerge indicating that left-handedness was often associated with difficult or stressful births.[16] Research showing that left-handers were much more susceptible to accident-related injuries because the constructed world and most machinery and tools are designed for the safety and convenience of right-handers evoked a great deal of interest and press coverage.[17][18] However the work that caused the largest stir and the most controversy was a series of studies in collaboration with Diane F. Halpern which showed that left-handers have shorter life spans, often dying younger because of accidents or problems associated with a compromised immune system (possibly a long-term consequence of birth stress related trauma).[19] Although originally the source of much controversy, with confirming data coming from a number of other laboratories, these conclusions have become well enough accepted to appear in basic psychological textbooks.[20] The discovery of a possible genetic basis of left-handedness[21] suggests that there may be two types of left-handers, natural left-handers and a separate group who arrive at their left-handedness because of birth stress and are more susceptible to immune system related problems. Coren has suggested that in addition to genetics and birth stress other mechanisms might also contribute to the appearance of left-handedness, such as hormonal factors as in the Geschwind–Galaburda hypothesis.[22]

Sleep

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Coren 's research into sleep deprivation suggests that this is contributing to accidents, psychological disturbances, and increased susceptibility to illness.[23][24] This line of reasoning eventually led to the series of studies which demonstrated that simply losing one hour of sleep due to the shift to daylight saving time can cause an increase in traffic accidents and other accident related fatalities on the Monday following the time change[25][26]

Dog behavior and the human–canine bond

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Later in his career, Coren shifted to the study of canine behavior and the relationship that people have with their dogs. This shift away from neuropsychological research also marked a shift in his publishing strategy, away from single study publications in research journals, to publication of his new data as part of material presented in popular book form. Many of his books on dogs do contain previously unpublished empirical data. For example, his book The Intelligence of Dogs[27] is based on a survey sent to all of the dog obedience judges in the United States and Canada, and resulted in the ranking of 110 dog breeds by intelligence. This ranking caused a rather large media stir.[28][29]

His book Why We Love the Dogs We Do[30] looks at the personality of people and how the owner's personality predicts their relationship with various dog breeds.[31] It is based on a survey of more than 6000 people who took a personality test and reported on their experiences with the various dogs that they have owned. This book proved to be very popular and Coren's personality test is now used by some dog shelters to determine whether prospective owners are suitable for a particular breed of dog.[32] Similarly, his book Why does my dog act that way?[33] uses data from approximately a thousand dogs to determine features of the personality of various dog breeds.[34] However other books that he has written on dog behavior have provided less formal data presentation and in these his creative contribution is based on the organization and interpretation of the research of others, as is the case in How to speak dog.[35] These books have also been well accepted and have been proven to be very popular.[36]

Books

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Scholia has a profile for Stanley Coren (Q5612041).

Coren's first book outside of professional psychology circles was 1993's The Left-Hander Syndrome: the causes and consequences of left-handedness, which presented data on the significant challenges faced by left-handed people in society.[37] His research was discussed widely, and has been printed and discussed in a number of professional journals such as Psychiatric Times.[38] His next book was Sleep Thieves, the result of his studies into sleep and the lack of it.[39] The book examined how the reduction of sleeping time in modern society has created problems of sleep deprivation for many people.[40][41]

The 1994 publication of The Intelligence of Dogs brought Coren to the wider public eye. A combination of Coren's background in psychology and his love of dogs, the book became an international hit, and has gone through 16 printings to this point.[42]

Since then, Coren has gone on to pen a number of other books on dog intelligence, dog learning and thinking ability, the human canine bond and its implications for people in modern society[43] that have continued to make him a favorite among dog lovers.[44]

Coren's books about dogs have garnered him a number of awards and The Intelligence of Dogs has been translated into 26 different languages.

A list of his books (listing the most recent editions of each) includes:

Other publications

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Coren is also a regular contributor to a number of dog and pet related magazines including Modern Dog,[46] AKC Family Dog,[47] AnimalSense,[48] and Pets Magazine. In addition he was both on the editorial board and a regular contributor to Pets: Part of the Family and Puppy and Dog Basics Magazine.[49] He also does the Canine Corner informational blog[50] on the Psychology Today Website which was awarded a Medal of Excellence for the best educational blog series from the Dog Writers Association of America for 2014,.[51]

Television

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The success of "The Intelligence Of Dogs," led to the creation of the television show Good Dog!, appearing on the Life Network in Canada and syndicated in Australia and New Zealand.[52] The show is focused on training for the family dog, including how to read body language and how to test his intelligence. He is also one of the human stars of The Animal Attraction, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation program.[53] In 2008 he was regularly featured on the TV show Pet Central broadcast on the Pet Network in Canada.[54]

Coren was also involved in the development of The Dog Companion DVD series[55] aimed at aiding dogs with separation issues, providing video intended to give dogs something they can watch when left alone.[56]

Awards and honors

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Coren has been named as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada[57] and a Killam Senior Research Fellow.[58] He has been elected to fellowship status by the American Psychological Association,[59] Canadian Psychological Association[60] and the Association for Psychological Science,.[61] Other honors include a Canadian Psychiatric Association Research Award (1992), the Robert E. Knox Master Teacher Award,[62] and he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Guelph for his scientific and literary contributions.[63]

His writing and his books have received the Maxwell Medal of Excellence from the Dog Writers Association of America for 2011,[51] and the Animal Behavior Society's Outstanding Children's Book Award for 2007.[64] He was named "Writer of the Year" by the International Positive Dog Training Association.[65] His book “Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses” was named as one of the top 10 Canadian children's books of 2006 by the Ontario Library Association,[66] and received the Red Cedar Book Award (2009) for best nonfiction children's book (sponsored by library associations in British Columbia).[67] His Canine Corner informational blog[50] on the Psychology Today Website was awarded a Medal of Excellence as the best educational blog series from the Dog Writers Association of America for 2014,.[51]

References

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  1. ^ "Canine Corner". Psychology Today.
  2. ^ "Stanley Corn Resources and Information". www.stanleycoren.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. ^ Reader's Digest interview Archived 2006-02-06 at the Wayback Machine, undated
  4. ^ "Vancouver Dog Obedience Training Club". vancouverdogobedience.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  5. ^ nature.com search
  6. ^ example: Course listing, Jacobs University, 2007 Archived 2007-06-28 at archive.today
  7. ^ Example: Kaufman, L. (1979). The Puzzles We Call Illusions. PsycCRITIQUES, Vol 24 (12)
  8. ^ See, for example, Petry, S. and Meyer, G. E. (1987) The Perception of illusory contours, New York: Springer-Verlag.
  9. ^ Coren, S. & Hakstian, A. R. (1988) Color vision screening without the use of technical equipment: Scale development and cross validation. Perception and Psychophysics, 43, 115-120
  10. ^ Coren, S. & Hakstian, A. R. (1995). Testing color discrimination without the use of special stimuli or technical equipment. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 81, 931-938.
  11. ^ Coren, S. & Hakstian, A. R. (1989). A behaviorally validated self-report inventory of the measurement of visual acuity. International Journal of Epidemiology, 18, 451-456.
  12. ^ Coren, S. & Hakstian, A. R. (1996). Screening for stereopsis without the use of technical equipment: Scale development and cross-validation. International Journal of Epidemiology, 25, 146-152.
  13. ^ Coren, S. & Hakstian, A. R. (1992). The development and cross-validation of a self-report inventory to assess pure tone threshold hearing sensitivity. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 35, 921-928.
  14. ^ Example: Gazzaniga, M.E, Halpern, DF, Heatherton, TF. (2009). Psychological Science, New York: Norton
  15. ^ Example: Coren S. Halpern DF. (1991) Left-handedness: A marker for decreased survival fitness. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 90-106
  16. ^ Example: Older moms have more lefthanded babies. New Scientist, 21 July 1990 Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Example: A Sinister Bias: New Studies Cite Perils for Lefties, ny times Tuesday, August 29, 1989
  18. ^ Example: The Perils of Being a Lefty, Time Magazine, April 15, 1991 Archived June 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Example: Life for the lefties: from annoying to downright risky, Smithsonian, 1 December 1994 Archived October 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Example: Myers, D., Psychology, 8th edition, New York: Worth
  21. ^ "The left brain knows what the right hand is doing", http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/01/brain.html Monitor on Psychology Volume 40, No. January 1, 2009 Archived April 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Coren, S (2014). "Prenatal testosterone exposure, left- handedness, and high school delinquency". Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 21 (3): 369–370. doi:10.1017/S0140525X98321226. S2CID 145069746.
  23. ^ Example: Facing up to the realities of sleep deprivation, New York times, 31 March, 1998
  24. ^ Example: How did we lose control of sleep? Toronto Star, 29 October 2006
  25. ^ Example: The mother of all Mondays, Globe and Mail, 30 March 2009 Archived December 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Example: Drooping eyes? Blame it on daylight saving, Toronto Star, 12 March, 2009
  27. ^ Coren, S. (2006). The Intelligence of Dogs (revised ed.). Free Press.
  28. ^ "My dog's smarter than your dog". The New York Times. June 5, 1994.
  29. ^ Charlie Rose Show (video). April 13, 1994 – via Google Video.
  30. ^ Coren, S. (1998). Why We Love the Dogs We Do. Free Press.
  31. ^ Aird, Louise. "Caninus Sellus : Dogs in Advertising, Jan 2004". louiseaird.com. Louise Aird, Blitz Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  32. ^ "A canine valentine for dog lovers". CNN. June 29, 1998.
  33. ^ Coren, S. (2006). Why does my dog act that way? A complete guide to your dog's personality. Free Press.
  34. ^ "Why does my dog act that way?". Book review. military.com. Detroit Free Press. February 21, 2008.
  35. ^ Coren, S. (2001). How to Speak Dog: Mastering the art of dog-human communication. Fireside Books. Simon & Schuster.
  36. ^ "How to have a meaningful chat with the dog". The Sun-Herald. Australia. March 27, 2005.
  37. ^ Books of The Times; Sinister Aspects of Left-Handedness, New York Times, January 23, 1992
  38. ^ The Psychiatric Times, March 1, 1998
  39. ^ example: Sleep Deprivation, Psychosis and Mental Efficiency, Psychiatric Times, Vol. 15 No. 3, March 1, 1998
  40. ^ The Health Report, Radio National, Australia, May 1, 2000
  41. ^ Hitting the wall, CNN.com, December 4, 2000
  42. ^ "SimonSays's On Demand Pages on Vimeo". www.simonsays.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  43. ^ "How Dogs Think", The Early Show, August 20, 2004
  44. ^ "Stanley Coren's Library". www.stanleycoren.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  45. ^ Coren, Stanley (April 17, 2001). How To Speak Dog. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743202978. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  46. ^ "Modern Dog magazine". Modern Dog magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  47. ^ "Family Dog". American Kennel Club.
  48. ^ "AnimalSense Magazine". Archived from the original on July 13, 2009.
  49. ^ "Puppy and Dog Basics Magazine". Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  50. ^ a b "Canine Corner". Psychology Today. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  51. ^ a b c "Dog Writers Association of America - The most recognized professional writing association devoted to dogs". dogwriters.org. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  52. ^ "Slice - Watch Online - Shows & Schedules - slice.ca". Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  53. ^ "The Animal Attraction website". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  54. ^ Pet Central on the Pet Network Archived 2008-10-15 at archive.today
  55. ^ "Your Dog Companion". www.thedogdvd.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012.
  56. ^ New DVD's boring for humans but may entertain and calm home alone dogs[permanent dead link] Mckay, John: The Canadian Press Syndicate, November 27, 2007
  57. ^ "The Royal Society of Canada". www.rsc.ca. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  58. ^ "Killam Trusts Award winners". Archived from the original on July 6, 2011.
  59. ^ American Psychological Association: "Directory of the American Psychological Association" APA Press, Washington, D.C. 1997
  60. ^ Canadian Psychological Association: "Directory - Canadian Psychological Association" CPA and APS, Ottawa 1992
  61. ^ "Association for Psychological Science: APS Fellows". www.psychologicalscience.org. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  62. ^ "UBC Reports June 9, 1988" (PDF). Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  63. ^ "Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC". www.psychologytoday.com. Psychology Today.
  64. ^ "Animal Behavior Society Children's Book Award". Archived from the original on June 17, 2009.
  65. ^ "International Positive Dog Training Association Awards". Archived from the original on August 8, 2009.
  66. ^ "Products - Kids Can Press". www.kidscanpress.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  67. ^ "Past Winners - Red Cedar Book Awards". www.redcedaraward.ca. May 9, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
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