Building a Culture of Empathy

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by mariamma

Dr Deborah Custance and Jennifer Mayer exposed 18 dogs to four separate 20-second experiments in which either the pet's owner or a stranger pretended to cry, hummed in an odd manner, or carried out a casual conversation.

Results showed significantly more dogs looked at, approached and touched the humans as they were crying as opposed to humming, and no dogs responded during talking.

Ms Mayer said: "The dogs approached whoever was crying regardless of their identity.

~a link for those who love the pooches and understand empathy

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/97...esearch_shows/

I want to believe that the dogs are attracted to crying people more than casually talking people because they love us and feel concern for us, but another part of me admits it's possible that when people cry they emit certain chemicals and the dogs sense those chemicals and they don't necessarily associate the chemicals with distress but with who knows what state of being, that presents some kind of biological advantage to them.