What would you do if a human and a dog stood side-by-side and both needed help, but you could only choose one? This question was being studied, and much research has been done. Even though it may seem surprising, the answer most people would give is that they would opt for the dog’s life over the human’s.
As per reports, the researchers handed 256 college students a fictitious news report and revealed their levels of empathy for a brutally beaten adult or child versus an adult dog or puppy. The result of the study showed that the students felt more empathy towards the dogs than the adult humans. The study says, “We also found more empathy for victims who are human children, puppies, and fully-grown dogs than for victims who are adult humans. Age makes a difference for empathy toward human victims, but not for dog victims.”
The fact that adult human crime victims receive less empathy than do child, puppy, and full-grown dog victims suggests adult dogs are regarded as dependent and vulnerable, not unlike their younger canine counterparts and kids. In addition, it appears that adult humans are viewed as capable of protecting themselves, while full-grown dogs are just seen as larger puppies.
Another similar study was conducted by a British charity, which asked people to donate funds as part of a fundraising campaign, one for a dog and the other featuring a man. Of course, the pooch drew more contributions.
Well, I can’t say I’m shocked that dogs evoke more of a reaction from humans. Did the results of the study surprise you? If you’d do anything for your dog, share this article and help us put a stop to animal cruelty.