According to two recent studies, people are more likely to feel disturbed and upset when they see a dog suffering than other people they might see suffering.
They found that more people were likely to give money to help the dog than a person.
In the second study, that was conducted by researchers in Boston at Northeastern University, 256 participants were asked to read a fictitious news story about an assault where either a dog or a person was described as having been beaten up.
The participants had been given one out of 4 different news reports, each version had a different victim. The versions were: a 1 year old child, a 30 year old adult, a puppy, and a 6 year old dog.
The results from that study have been published in the journal Society & Animals and they indicate that the participants had felt more empathy for the dogs, and the infant, over the 30 year old adult.
When we see other adults being victimized, this research suggests that we are less likely to feel distressed about it, than we would if we had seen a child or dog being victimized. Why might that be? Researchers have suggested that because we see the dogs or children as being more helpless, that this is why we might feel a lack of empathy for an adult victim. We see adults and assume that they should be capable of protecting themselves and we don't assume the same when looking at dogs or children.
Is empathy important? Might society have a problem with a decline in that area?
Another previous study from a few years ago, by the University of Michigan, found that college students had less empathy than previous decades. They were seen to have a decline of about 40 percent compared to college students in the 80s and 90s. Researchers said that they found the biggest drop came after 2000.
When we are empathetic towards others, we try to put ourselves into their shoes and experience their emotions or their own hardships and conflicts, rather than just simply trying to understand what's going on for them. It's described by researchers as being a point of perception where you try to abandon your own perspective and adopt the vantage point of another. Maybe it might do us a little good to pay a little more attention toward fostering it in our own lives.
Pics:
Pixabay
101clipart
pixabay
Sources:
http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/a13437670/people-more-empathetic-to-dogs-than-other-humans/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/02/humans-love-dogs-people-study/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/humans-empathy-dogs-more-people-study-animals-pets-a8033056.html
http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/7724-empathy-college-students-don-t-have-as-much-as-they-used-to
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/douglas-labier/americas-continuing-empat_b_637718.html
Sad. I guess that's why they say man's best friend.
Sadly, I do not find this hard to believe. How many times have we heard blame the victim rationalizations when it comes to people? I can't remember ever hearing such rationizations applied to non-humans.
Wow, that is a huge drop (40%)! I am really interested in why that drop may have occurred. I am a Psychology student, and may consider researching that question!
Actually, today in my social psychology class, we were discussing how our society is moving rapidly towards individualism and away from collectivism (i.e., more concern over self progression than societal and communal progression). This is a sad fact, and I hope we don't evolve ourselves completely void of empathy!!!
You are right, it a pity that people care more for animals than humans. The world is a miserable and terrible.
Of course people have more empathy for children than other adult people. Strong empathy for dogs is just subproduct of our empathy for children. Maybe those of you that think that this is sad or wrong did not bother to read the post
the lack of human empathy has degraded over time.
I blame part of this for being connected to online devices etc all the time, not all of it -- but part of it for sure.
That's why I keep running the Digital Detox series on my page --- there is clinical proof of lack of empathy and narcissism being connected to...
being connected all the time.
That was my first thought, too---our obsession with our cyber lives may eventually lead us to less empathy and other very-human characteristics over time, since these aren't as necessary when interacting online.
Our extended online community is also much easier to switch to from a more localized community than maintaining the more physical relationships. The cyber community allows you connect when it's convenient rather than having to stop and talk when others have the time and yet it's large enough that there is always someone available when you need them. A cyber relationship is very gratifying and is good for immediate self-gratification. No one really minds much if you show up frequently or not, you are/become part of the community simply by being there at that moment.
I might also note that (at this time) there are much fewer consequences for bad behavior.
Very good post tonight
Nice photo, beautiful dog. Excellent post.
Its so true, I prefer dogs to people, people are nasty
sad but true ... amazing post .
thanks for sharing
This surprises me not at all. I have seen this trend with my own eyes over the years. It baffles me a bit.
Perhaps, in sync with what i think. the end of the human race in 3 generations
I'm not surprised by these studies. It is pretty sad and I have seen it with y own eyes.
It's a sad and scary thing how we humans treat each other these days, we have no respect, we are selfish, we have no time for others, we don't listen to one another and we don't have normal conversations since everyone is to busy staring at the phone.
Of course, we ourselves have created that idea in our head, we discredit ourselves.
I have noticed this trend in my every day interactions with people. I understand that we assume that adults should be able to take care of themselves and therefore get less our of empathy... but it still makes me pause and wonder where our priorities are as a culture.
Good point @matthewdavid
I don’t know how to feel about this. Sometimes, people would spend money on buying pets, their accessories, bringing them to the salon and making them look adorable rather than spending the money on helping other human beings.