What is the biological process behind the feeling of empathy? - study

• Author: JERUSALEM POST STAFF
• Published date: 01 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The study, led by TAU's Dr. Inbal Ben Ami Bartal in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley's Prof. Daniela Kaufer and published in eLife, studied the process inside a rat's brain during situations of distress.

The researchers found that rats, just like humans, are split into various groups and only express empathy to members of their group but do not help rats from other groups.

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A rat, when in the presence of a trapped friend from its group, will engage with the brain's reward system when trying to assist the other to escape.

However, when the trapped rat is from another, unfamiliar breed, the rats do not help it and the brain's reward system does not activate.

The researchers used phosphoric markings to mark neurons in the rats' brains that were active when the rats were...