katreus: In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago sought to find out whether a rat would release a fellow rat from an unpleasantly restrictive cage if it could. The answer was yes. The free rat, occasionally hearing distress calls from its compatriot, learned to open the cage and did so with greater efficiency over time. It would release the other animal even if there wasn’t the payoff of a reunion with it. Astonishingly, if given access to a small hoard of chocolate chips, the free rat would usually save at least one treat for the captive — which is a lot to expect of a rat. The researchers came to the unavoidable conclusion that what they were seeing was empathy — and apparently selfless behavior driven by that mental state. “A New Model of Empathy: The Rat” by David Brown, Washington Post

katreus:

In a simple experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago sought to find out whether a rat would release a fellow rat from an unpleasantly restrictive cage if it could. The answer was yes.

The free rat, occasionally hearing distress calls from its compatriot, learned to open the cage and did so with greater efficiency over time. It would release the other animal even if there wasn’t the payoff of a reunion with it. Astonishingly, if given access to a small hoard of chocolate chips, the free rat would usually save at least one treat for the captive — which is a lot to expect of a rat.

The researchers came to the unavoidable conclusion that what they were seeing was empathy — and apparently selfless behavior driven by that mental state.

“A New Model of Empathy: The Rat” by David Brown, Washington Post

  • December 10
  • , 2011
  1. iputtheowintiao reblogged this from lamauvaisethoughts
  2. lamauvaisethoughts reblogged this from lamauvaisethoughts
  3. inablackmirror reblogged this from chetivepoupeesouffreteuse
  4. chetivepoupeesouffreteuse reblogged this from yourbloodykiss
  5. stilettohigh-hopes reblogged this from phobetor
  6. dreamhopeloveinspire reblogged this from patrick-notpat
  7. lock-ravin reblogged this from sassymarauders and added:
    he saved him a chocolate chip :”’)
  8. make-tonight reblogged this from ltjohn21
  9. ltjohn21 reblogged this from patrick-notpat
  10. sassymarauders reblogged this from sassyrobertpattinson
  11. patrick-notpat reblogged this from meesheen and added:
    If rats are able to show empathy and compassion, why can’t humans?
  12. supahhero reblogged this from meesheen
  13. sassyrobertpattinson reblogged this from runintoyourheart
  14. other-worlds reblogged this from exhibitintuition
  15. exhibitintuition reblogged this from tarafuckingzilla
  16. rainbowbritebeatdown reblogged this from theland-ofmakebelieve
  17. meesheen reblogged this from officialad
  18. officialad reblogged this from runintoyourheart
  19. nancyyiscool reblogged this from itsewhatyoudidthere
  20. itsewhatyoudidthere reblogged this from xindha and added:
    Oh my god. Lies. Do this again.
  21. tarafuckingzilla reblogged this from insideabubblethatsomeoneblew
  22. whatthundersoundslike reblogged this from familiarexcuses
  23. theland-ofmakebelieve reblogged this from fucking-danni
  24. feurety reblogged this from fucking-danni and added:
    Rats are extremely smart and stinkin’ cute!
  25. sayingitpoetically reblogged this from runintoyourheart
  26. familiarexcuses reblogged this from fucking-danni
  27. fucking-danni reblogged this from runintoyourheart
  28. itsrachaelbr0 reblogged this from i-love-1d-and-btr
  29. i-love-1d-and-btr reblogged this from runintoyourheart
  30. insideabubblethatsomeoneblew reblogged this from phobetor
  31. runintoyourheart reblogged this from phobetor