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| Study involving a free rat trying to help a trapped rat out of its containment |
In the two articles I read, I learned about two different experiments involving rats and empathy. The results showed that under certain conditions, rats would help other rats that were trapped in a container to get out. They did not have to do this, but acted on their own empathy to go out of their way to help other rats. The findings showed that the rats didn't even have to be of the same genetic makeup for the test rats to help. If the free rats were familiar with the rats in the container, even if they looked different, the free rats would go to help them. The other experiment gave the free rats piles of chocolate, and the findings showed that they not only still went to rescue the trapped rats, but also saved them some of their chocolate. This behavior is very untypical for rats, to leave food and not hoard it all for themselves in survival instinct. The results show that they are not only looking out for their own interests but can empathize with the trapped rats and show that empathy through their actions.
Sources:
The Washington Post: Rodent Empathy is Environmental and Not Genetic, Study Shows
The Washington Post: A New Model of Empathy: The Rat
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