Rats show helping behavior, but chocolate twist fuels empathy debate

A 2011 Science study found a free rat learned to open a tube to release a trapped cagemate, and when chocolate was added as a competing reward the latencies were similar and the free rat ate fewer chocolate chips, suggesting prosocial behavior but not definitive empathy. Subsequent work questions whether the behavior reflects true concern for others or social/interest factors, and the debate about rat empathy continues.