Do Ravens Show Consolation? Responses to Distressed Others

Abstract

BackgroundBystander affiliation (post-conflict affiliation from an uninvolved bystander to the conflict victim) may represent an expression of empathy in which the bystander consoles the victim to alleviate the victim's distress (“consolation”). However, alternative hypotheses for the function of bystander affiliation also exist. Determining whether ravens spontaneously offer consolation to distressed partners may not only help us to understand how animals deal with the costs of aggressive conflict, but may also play an important role in the empathy debate.Methodology/Principal findingsThis study investigates the post-conflict behavior of ravens, applying the predictive framework for the function of bystander affiliation for the first time in a non-ape species. We found weak evidence for reconciliation (post-conflict affiliation between former opponents), but strong evidence for both bystander affiliation and solicited bystander affiliation (post-conflict affiliation from the victim to a bystander). Bystanders involved in both interactions were likely to share a valuable relationship with the victim. Bystander affiliation offered to the victim was more likely to occur after intense conflicts. Renewed aggression was less likely to occur after the victim solicited affiliation from a bystander.Conclusions/SignificanceOur findings suggest that in ravens, bystanders may console victims with whom they share a valuable relationship, thus alleviating the victims' post-conflict distress. Conversely victims may affiliate with bystanders after a conflict in order to reduce the likelihood of renewed aggression. These results stress the importance of relationship quality in determining the occurrence and function of post-conflict interactions, and show that ravens may be sensitive to the emotions of others.

Avian maternal response to chick distress

“…This can lead to physiological and behavioural responses, and involves 'state-matching'-when the emotional state of the observer 'mirrors' that of the object. Although birds have not been traditional subjects in this area, recent work suggests a more sophisticated capacity for emotional response to conspecifics than previously realized [5,6].…”

Behavioural and Hormonal Stress Responses to Social Separation in Ravens, Corvus corax

“…These groups are structured on social relationships (Braun & Bugnyar 2012), with reciprocity and cooperation playing a pivotal role in dealing with the challenges of social life (Heinrich 2011). Ravens aim at establishing high‐quality relationships (Fraser & Bugnyar 2010a) that enable partners to console one another after conflicts with other conspecifics (Fraser & Bugnyar 2010b), reconcile after conflicts between them (Fraser & Bugnyar 2011) and even assist their partners in agonistic interactions (Fraser & Bugnyar 2012). Indeed, ravens pay a great deal of attention to their social environment even when they are not directly influenced by it (Massen et al.…”

Consolation as possible expression of sympathetic concern among chimpanzees

“…Thus defined, spontaneous consolation has been documented or suggested only for the great apes [Pan troglodytes (10-16), P. paniscus (17), Gorilla gorilla (18,19)], canids [Canis spp (20,21)], and corvids [Corvus spp (22,23)] and has been studied with similar ethological methods in human children (24). That consolation has a much more limited distribution than some of the other forms of postconflict behavior has been related to the assumed underlying empathic capacity (11).…”