Abstract
Empathy is the ability to (a) be affected by and share the emotional state of another; (b) assess the reasons for the other’s state; and (c) identify with the other, adopting their perspective. This phenomenon has been shown to exist in several species and is proposed as a motivator for prosocial behavior. The experimental study of this feature in laboratory rodents is a more viable alternative in comparison to wild animals. A recent report showed that rats opened a door to free their cage mate from a restraint box. Although this behavior has been suggested to be motivated by empathy, this fact has been questioned by several studies that proposed other motivators for the releasing behavior. In the present study, we use an adaptation of the protocol of releasing behavior to investigate aspects of empathy and pro-sociality such as familiarity and reciprocity. In addition, we addressed some potential motivational factors that could influence this behavior. The main results showed that (1) rats opened the restraint box to free conspecifics most of the time; (2) direct reciprocity or past restriction experience did not improve releasing performance, probably due to a ceiling effect; (3) after a series of trials in the presence of a restricted conspecific, the free rat continues to open the restraint box even if it is empty; (4) in general, the opening performance improves across trials and phases, resembling learning curves; (5) if the first series of trials occurs with the empty box, the opening behavior does not occur and is modest in subsequent trials with a trapped animal; (6) the exploratory drive toward the restraint box and desire for social contact do not seem to function as key motivators for releasing behavior. In conclusion, our findings do not support that the opening behavior is exclusively related to empathic motivation. While multiple factors might be involved, our study suggests that task learning triggered (and possibly reinforced) by the presence of the restricted rat can function as a motivator. Further investigations are required to fully understand the mechanisms and motivation factors guiding the releasing behavior.
Highlights
Prosocial behavior refers to any action that benefits others, regardless of whether the actor benefits or not from the process (Schroeder et al, 2014)
Opening rates by rats that underwent Phase 4 did not differ from previous sessions (p = 0.364)
Opening rates by rats that underwent Phase 4 were increased compared to previous sessions (p = 0.364)
Summary
Prosocial behavior refers to any action that benefits others, regardless of whether the actor benefits or not from the process (Schroeder et al, 2014). The term prosocial behavior may include many subcomponents, such as mutualism, altruism, helping, and cooperation (Schroeder et al, 2014). Several factors give support to the development of prosocial strategies. The role of empathy as a motivator for prosocial behavior has been a focus of studies over the last decade. From the evolutionary point of view, empathy may have favored prosocial behavior in social life, inhibiting aggression and facilitating cooperation among members of social groups. It is a skill common to humans and other animals, which evolved primarily to support a wide range of prosocial behaviors, ranging from parental care to helping behavior (Decety et al, 2016)
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