According to study, some people love their animals more than other humans

Most likely you know someone who empathizes with dogs and cats more than people. But why does this happen? Researchers at Northeastern University wanted to investigate this issue and found it to be real: some people have more compassion for dogs than humans, which is even stronger in situations of abuse.

O awesome.club checked the details of this research and brings here some explanations so that we can understand all this love for pets.

The study, published by the journal Society and Animals and carried out by researchers Jack Levin and Arnold Arluke, was intended to find the reason why some people feel more affinity for dogs than for other humans. The research set out to examine whether people were more distressed by the abuse of animals or people. The theory was that the victim’s age would have a major impact on the decision. However, they were in for a big surprise when they discovered that species was also a determining factor.

To find an answer, 240 students were asked to show their degree of empathy in different situations: an adult or a child abused compared to a puppy or an adult dog. It was all fake news. People who read the stories of the child, the puppy, and the adult dog showed more distress and empathy than the adult person.

The authors claim that humans tend to be more concerned about animal suffering than about human pain. This feeling changes only when the victim is a child. Many people are likely to regard dogs as vulnerable animals, regardless of age. On the other hand, an adult human has the opportunity to defend himself. This could also indicate that people love their animals as if they were babies or members of their families.

The study found that age is an important factor when it comes to people, but not when it comes to dogs or other animals. Also, humans feel more empathy if the victim cannot defend themselves or take care of themselves. However, although many people have a close relationship with their animals, it is not possible to determine whether they will always feel greater distress when the victim is an animal. The study revealed some contradictions and indicated that opinions may vary from person to person.

What did you think of these results? If you had to choose, who would you save: an animal or a person? Share your opinion in the comments.