Study: White rats save only white, not black rats. Unless they're raised with black rats.

[mainer]

Fascinating study that tells us the importance of integration in developing empathy.

Scientists at the University of Chicago further explored the nature of empathy in rats. They found that a white rat raised among only white rats will do nothing to save a black rat from a trap. Rats, like humans, can be biased in how they act on, or don’t act on, their empathy.

In a variant of the experiment, a white rat raised among only black rats would save a black rat from a trap — but would fail to save other white rats.

And a white rat raised among black and white rats rescued rats of both colors. The researchers found that it is not the rat’s color that determines which type of rat it will show empathy for, but the social context in which it was raised.

In short, rats do not show empathy because of an innate recognition of similarity in physical appearance. Likewise, when human empathy can be partial, it is because the experiences of people from some groups are hidden from our view, which limits our empathy toward them.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/28/opinion/empathy-research-morality-rats.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. Incredible. Great OP.

I heard about this.

[Liberty Belle]

2. So the obvious takeaway is kids need to be raised with a diverse group of children and adults

and those who are not are more apt to not have empathy for others, if people are similar to rats in this regard.

I've long been an opponent of the trend toward home schooling and private or charter schools unless they are diverse, and many are not.

Somehow we need to get back to mandating that all children attend diverse schools, preferably public ones, with very rare exceptions and home schooling granted only for limited reasons (ie, if the kid's an Olympic athlete or movie sta who can't attend regular classes, or has a disability too severe for public schooling)

It should not be an option to take your kid out of public school just because you want them raise din a lily-white environment. Hate groups like the KKK advise their members to home school their children.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. Yup.

At best, when they converge in the military, if people were raised in white communities, the most they will do is extend the bond to minorities who also served in the military. The closer they served in their branch, the closer the bond.

I guess that's something.

[mainer]

4. The integration of the US military was a big step forward

I'm guessing it helped launch the progressivism of the '60s.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. That's true.

I know my family benefited from it.

[Ilsa]

14. Another reason i oppose privatization of schools is affect on disabled students.

Creating privatized education would likely cause disabled students to be separated from the rest of a school's population.

Having disabled students on campus, and mainstreaming mildly disabled students, gives neuro-typical children the opportunity to learn about others and develop empathy for those who struggle. Some kids do peer work and volunteer work with disabled kids and teens and learn that they want to do this vocationally.

[jcgoldie]

5. duh

Just look at the white rat in the white house...

[unc70]

6. And what do black rats do?

I don't have any free reads left at NYT.

[mainer]

8. Black rats save only black rats -- if that's all they're raised with

So it's true regardless of the color. But mixing the two populations causes them to rescue all rats, regardless of color.

[smirkymonkey]

7. I wonder if this is why people in the more diverse urban environments tend to be

more liberal (less racist) whereas people in more homogenous (white) rural areas tend to vote republican. It's easier to hate and demonize people when you aren't living among them as neighbors, friends and co-workers.

[IronLionZion]

10. Some white rats call the cops on black rats

and tried to deport brown rats

[FakeNoose]

11. If a rat gets caught in a trap - he's dead

I don't get how one rat can "save" another rat. I'll temper this comment because my only experience is with mousetraps, not the ones for rats. Maybe traps for rats are designed not to kill the victim. (?)

I've never seen a mouse survive the trap, once he's been caught. Nor have I seen another mouse save a buddy that's already a goner.

[mainer]

12. I think these traps involved drowning

Early on the article it talks about rats saving another from drowning, which would be a slow enough death so that it could, indeed, be saved.

[Roy Rolling]

13. Old News?

Was that not the message of "Bullets With Butterfly Wings"?

"Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage". Unpacked, "it doesn't matter whether I love you or not, the cage of rats I live with determines my empathy."

[JustFiveMoreMinutes]

15. Interesting but I'd have to know...

... a lot more about rat 'culture'.

Self-awareness
Self-actualization
Empathy
Social Groups
Nurture Vs Experience
Logic Reasoning

Humans aren't quite a closed society by any means.

[Bucky]

16. NotAllRats

[Wounded Bear]

17. So, even rats have to teach their offspring to hate...