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If the free rat liberates their trapped cage-mate despite the associated cost and the option to leave, it would provide evidence that rats engage in costly helping behavior. If, on average, free rats chose to escape, it would provide evidence that helping behavior is context-dependent and suggests that rats utilize a cost-benefit analysis before engaging in prosocial behavior.
As further research offers insights into the contexts that elicit empathetic behavior in rats, our understanding of the physiological and environmental constraints surrounding empathetic behavior are enhanced which inform both evolutionary knowledge on the behavior and may enhance psychological knowledge that can be used to understand disorders marked by lack of empathetic ability.
Mar 15, 2021
Does incurring a cost influence helping behavior in rats?
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