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Related Concept Videos

Empathy02:34

Empathy

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Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor. 
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Egoism and Altruism01:55

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Voluntary behavior with the intent to help other people is called prosocial behavior. Why do people help other people? Is personal benefit such as feeling good about oneself the only reason people help one another?
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Cognitive Development During Adolescence01:18

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During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the...
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Ethical Issues01:27

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Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
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Social Exchange Theory01:26

Social Exchange Theory

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As formulated by John Thibaut and Harold Kelley, Social Exchange Theory explains human relationships as economic-like exchanges that maximize rewards and minimize costs. This theory suggests that individuals engage in relationships to gain benefits and reduce burdens, similar to economic transactions. It has been widely applied to various types of relationships, including romantic, professional, and social interactions.Rewards and Costs in RelationshipsRelationship rewards include emotional...
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Social Exchange Theory02:06

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We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 5, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
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The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

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Empathy affects tradeoffs between life's quality and duration.

Adrianna C Jenkins1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Plos One
|October 25, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Empathy can lead people to prioritize ending suffering over saving a life. This research shows higher empathy increases the desire to relieve suffering, even if it means shortening a life.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Moral Philosophy
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Empathy is linked to prosocial behavior, aiming to improve others' welfare.
  • Welfare aspects like quality of life and life duration can conflict.
  • The interplay between empathy and these differing welfare aspects requires investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how empathy influences decisions involving tradeoffs between a person's quality of life and life duration.
  • To understand if empathy prioritizes suffering reduction over life prolongation.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted manipulating empathy levels.
  • Participants evaluated scenarios where saving a life conflicted with ending suffering.
  • Factors such as relationship closeness, perspective-taking, and victim consciousness were varied.

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Main Results:

  • Higher empathy correlated with a greater preference to end a life to alleviate suffering.
  • Participants favored ending lives of friends over strangers.
  • Perspective-taking and active suffering increased the preference to end a life.

Conclusions:

  • Empathy can shift focus from prolonging life to reducing suffering.
  • This highlights a dissociation between the motivation to reduce suffering and subsequent prosocial actions like life-saving.
  • Findings have implications for understanding empathy, morality, and decision-making for others.