Rats free each other from cages (2011)
A 2011 study published in Science found that rats will free trapped cage-mates, even when there is no personal benefit, suggesting prosocial behavior. The study indicates that rats may exhibit empathy, defined as sensing and reacting to another's emotional state, though researchers debate whether this constitutes true empathy. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions about the presence and nature of empathy in non-human animals.
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Download PDF News Published: 08 December 2011 Rats free each other from cages Virginia Gewin Nature (2011)Cite this article 6006 Accesses 2 Citations 336 Altmetric Metrics details Subjects Animal behaviourSocial neuroscience Altruistic acts raise questions about whether the rodents feel empathy. Rats, often anthropomorphized as greedy and selfish, may not be the callous, cartoon villains they are sometimes made out to be. A paper published today in Science demonstrates that the rodents will liberate trapped cage-mates — even when they have nothing to gain1.There is a growing body of research showing that animals respond to the emotions of others.
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