There are times I wonder how old people are who do research. I offer you a study conducted at the University of Buffalo, NY. The name of this study is “Compassion for One Person May Lead to Aggression Toward Another.”
(Sarcasm Alert!) Wow, I'm truly impressed. During my decades of life, this concept is something that was an absolute mystery. It is a subject that will forever change humanity in the best ways possible.
Puh-leeeeeeese!
I would like to ask researchers Michael J. Poulin and Annette E. K. Buffone if they grew up and went to school with other children. How many times do kids say “I like Sally, and you don't like Sally and therefore I don't like you.” On a larger scale, there is the Arab saying “An enemy of my enemy is my friend.” In the town where I grew up the saying was “Aye...don't go screwin' aroun' wit my friends, huh? Bad things will come your way. Know what 'am saying to ya?”
This research is about as important as trying to discover why people like chocolate. Once you know the reason for it, what does it matter?
This is an actual study. Below excerpts from the study is in bold are my valuable insights in italics.
That compassion can lead to anger certainly seems illogical. But study authors Michael J. Poulin and Annette E. K. Buffone - both of the Department of Psychology at the University at Buffalo - believe it is down to the actions of two hormones: oxytocin and vasopressin.
Again with the body's hormones. I suggest they study why Buffalo wings seem to go perfectly with watching sports or at parties. I think they could work it into this study. Find out why compassion for a person dissolves if you feel they've eaten too many Buffalo wings that were purchased as a group. If they can get paid for their current study, they'll get paid for this one.
The first part of their research required participants to complete a survey, which asked them to provide information about a person they are close to and to report a time when this person was threatened by a third party. Participants were then asked to describe their own emotions when this person was threatened and how they reacted to the situation.
Again with the surveys. I would've written “There was a time when my cousin Jojo ripped off the wrong guy. Seems the guy was a real bad dude. When the guy started thumpin' Jojo I yells, “Hey, stop thumpin' on my cousin Jojo.” I felt bad for Jojo bleeding all over the place. I took off running 'cause this guy seemed like he was just warming up. Avoidance of pain is a major activity in my life.”
The second part of the study involved an experiment. Firstly, participants were asked to provide a saliva sample, from which the researchers could measure their hormone levels.
The participants were then told a story about an individual they had never met and were informed that this individual was in a nearby room with another stranger. The story that participants were told was designed to evoke compassion for the unknown individual.
What did they tell them? There's a guy who owes you money in the next room with somebody who could rip him off. He's a good, innocent, pure, honest and all-around good person. The guy with your money is trying to avoid getting a thumpin' from the stranger in there with him. You don't want to know what that stranger did to Mike's cousin Jojo.
Participants were then informed that both of these people in the nearby room would be taking a math test and would be exposed to painful stimulus (in the form of hot sauce) to determine how physical pain affects their performance.
Subjects were told they could choose how much pain was inflicted on the stranger who was competing against the individual they felt compassion for.
'Compassion can predict aggression on behalf of those in need'
Huh? You tell me something like this, and I'm asking questions or maybe calling 911. How in the hell do you make someone take hot sauce who doesn't want it? Are they tied down to a chair and asked math questions? If they get one wrong, the hot sauce is then squirted into their mouth?
“What's the answer punk?”
“Ah, ah, ah, three to the third squared.”
“This isn't your lucky day.”
“No, no, nooooooo”
Squirt.
Screams of agony are heard as hot sauce goes into the non-math person's mouth. It drools down their chin as they struggle not to gag. They continue begging to be released since they’re actually an art major with poor math skills.
Now, I get to choose the amount of hot sauce they get? I'm asking more questions. Is the hot sauce mild, hot or super hot? Do they owe me money?
I think this has the makings of a great scary movie. I'll call it “The Night of Hot Sauce and Math.”
The team found this response may be explained by variations on genes for both oxytocin and vasopressin receptors. In the experiment, participants who had compassion for the unknown individual in combination with an oxytocin gene receptor variation felt the need to put the third party through more pain. This result was also evident in participants who empathized with the unknown individual's distress and had variation in the vasopressin receptor gene.
Huh? These people felt no compassion for math-taking, hot sauce having individuals who they didn't like based on what they were told about them? This is really high school stuff. They knew this crazed person was giving math and hot sauce but wanted to show their compassion by giving more pain to the person they didn't like. This is like finding a blind beggar in the street and kicking them out of compassion for another beggar who wants the prime begging spot. These participants were a piece of work.
The researchers say that this finding makes sense. "Both oxytocin and vasopressin seem to serve a function leading to increased 'approach behaviors,'" explains Poulin.
Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone," as it increases human bonding, while vasopressin has been linked to sexual motivation. As such, the team believes it is not surprising that these hormones may play a role in the association between compassion and aggression.
Oh, this is a study perfect for a courtroom defense strategy.
“Your honor, my client is not guilty of the charges against him. At the time of the incident, he suffered from elevated levels of the love hormone oxytocin and the sexual motivation hormone vasopressin.”
“What difference does this make counselor?”
“He couldn't control his urges to make people do math and give them hot sauce. He's a victim to his elevated hormone levels.”
“Makes sense. Case dismissed. We may need to get his input for teaching math in the public school system.”
“He would be more than willing to help your honor.”
According to Poulin, the overall results reveal that "the feelings we broadly call empathic concern, or compassion, can predict aggression on behalf of those in need," adding:
"In situations where we care about someone very much, as humans, we were motivated to benefit them, but if there is someone else in the way, we may do things to harm that third party."
This makes it possible to predict aggression? Wow, all this from the results of asking people to take a survey, provide a saliva sample and tell them an insane story about math and hot sauce. Participants were given the opportunity to control the level of hot sauce being administered to the poor math-taking person next door they didn't like. If these participants believe the story they were told, I have some prime middle east real estate to sell them.
I suppose if you look closer you can see the importance of this study. It does make a valid point. Hot sauce and math are a terrible combination that evoke very strong emotions.
Study
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