PSYC12H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3.1: Hot Sauce, In-Group Favoritism, Blood Transfusion
Document Summary
Empathy is narrow in its focus, rendering it innumerate and subject to bias. It can motivate cruelty and aggression and lead to burnout and exhaustion. Compassion is distinct from empathy in its neural instantiation and its behavioral consequences and is a better prod to moral action, particularly in the modern world we live in. In numerous studies batson and his colleagues put subjects in situations where they have the opportunity to engage in actions that help others, such as donating money, taking over an unpleasant task, or cooperating at a cost. When subjects are encouraged to feel empathy for those who need help, they are more likely to behave prosocially; empathy can motivate good actions. It can be seen as akin to a spotlight, making salient the suffering of others. However, some have argued that empathy has a dark side, in both personal relationships and public policy.
