2.1 Rats + Empathy

Alexander Grelier
1/9/19

Empathy in Rats

Washington Post: A new model of empathy: The rat

In an experiment by the University of Chicago, published by the Washington Post, researchers look to see if social animals (and in this case rats) would either free another rat from drowning, or go for a small bunch of chocolate chips. In this experiment, the free rat is seen helping the other get out of the cage filled with water instead of going for the chocolate. After, the researchers would give the chocolate chips to the free rat for helping the one stuck in water, and it would even save a chocolate chip for it! These researchers concluded that the rats were showing empathy for one another. After many experiments, the free rat would often save the other from drowning, and would still share chocolate after most trials. This shows to me that empathy isn't something that just humans experience and that it isn't something that happens because of our environment and culture, it is something that is given to us genetically as social animals.

Sources

Washington Post: A new model of empathy: The rat This is where I found all of my information about the experiment and the picture

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