It’s Fun to Know: Chimpanzee Sympathy

We often comfort people who are under stress by putting our arms around them and giving them a hug. According to recent research from scientists at Liverpool John Moores University, chimpanzees do the same thing.

The researchers found that chimps that had been involved in a conflict were often joined by a fellow chimp (usually a "friend" or family member) that would comfort the victim with two-armed embraces or kisses on the head and back. The fellow chimp’s gestures seemed to not only calm the victim but also reduce such stress behaviors as nervous scratching and self-grooming.

(Source: Associated Press)

Similar Articles:

• Scheduling Stress Breaks
• The Language Perfectionist: Let Me Emphasize This One
• Why You Should Be More Like a Drug Addict… Going for It… the Remedy for Fleeting Happiness… and Much, Much More
• Logophile
• Surviving Hell: The Power of Meditation