A study has revealed that people have more empathy for dogs than they do other human beings. Humans show dogs more pity if the animal is suffering than they do a person who is suffering under circumstances that are similar.

Study Offered Undergrads a Disturbing Story of Violence

Northwestern University researchers decided to undertake a study involving 240 undergrads between 18 and 23 years of age. The researchers gave the undergrads newspaper stories to read that they had made up which involved senseless attacks. All of the stories featured a victim suffering injuries including a broken leg and cuts after being beaten with a baseball bat. In the story, the person was knocked unconscious and found by first responders.

The details in the made up stories remained consistent, however, the researchers did randomize the text in the story. They made up four victims, randomizing the victim in the story given out. One was an adult, an infant child of 1 year of age; a dog aged 6 and a puppy.

Age of the Victim Affected How People Empathized

The researchers thought that the age of the victim would show an indication of there being a bigger degree of vulnerability and this would account for the empathy given by the undergrads. Questions were used to measure empathy on a scale of 7, a bit of empathy, to 112, a lot. The undergrads were asked how they felt about each of the new stories they had read.

The study revealed that the undergrads were the most upset by the one-year-old baby being attacked with a baseball bat and being knocked unconscious. Strangely enough, the puppy came next, followed by the dog aged 6 and finally the adult victim. This told the researchers that dogs did get more empathy from people than another human being. It also told them that age did factor in.

Females Show More Empathy than Males

The study included around three-quarters of female undergrad students. The female undergrads were more sympathetic towards all of the victims made up in the accounts of the attacks than the males were. The study’s author suggested that the amount of empathy felt towards the victims came from how helpless the victim was, this seemed to be regardless of the fact of whether the victim was a puppy or a child. One thing that came from the study was the fact that furry animals bring about just as much concern to people as young human beings do.