To further test the boundaries of rat empathy, researchers designed experiments pitting altruism against self-interest. In one particularly revealing study, rats were given a choice: they could either eat chocolate all by themselves or free a distressed companion and share the chocolate.
Consistently, rats chose to free their companions first and then share the treats. This behavior persisted even when researchers modified the experiment to make helping more "costly"—requiring more effort or resulting in less reward for the helper.
The rats' willingness to sacrifice immediate gratification to aid others challenges long-held assumptions about animal behavior being driven purely by self-interest. Some rats even demonstrated what appeared to be consolation behavior, staying close to the previously trapped rat and engaging in increased physical contact, similar to how humans might comfort someone in distress. These findings suggest that prosocial behavior—actions benefiting others—may be more deeply rooted in mammalian evolution than previously thought.
Via Edwin Rutsch
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