Related Experiment Videos
Five studies testing two new egoistic alternatives to the empathy-altruism hypothesis
C D Batson1, J L Dyck, J R Brandt
1University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|July 1, 1988
Summary
The empathy-altruism hypothesis, suggesting empathy drives genuine helping, was supported. Alternative theories proposing self-rewards or avoiding punishment as motivations for empathy-driven helping were not substantiated by the findings.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- The empathy-altruism hypothesis posits that empathic concern for others in need motivates altruistic behavior.
- Egoistic alternatives suggest empathy-driven helping may stem from seeking social/self-rewards or avoiding social/self-punishments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test two egoistic alternative explanations for the empathy-altruism hypothesis.
- To investigate whether social/self-rewards or social/self-punishments mediate the relationship between empathy and helping behavior.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted, including an initial test of the empathy-specific reward hypothesis.
- Studies 2-4 employed three procedures to test the empathy-specific punishment hypothesis.
- Study 5 utilized a Stroop procedure to examine mediating cognitions (reward, punishment, victim-relevant).
Main Results:
- The results did not provide support for the empathy-specific reward hypothesis.
- Evidence did not substantiate the empathy-specific punishment hypothesis across multiple procedures.
- Findings consistently supported the empathy-altruism hypothesis across all five studies.
Conclusions:
- The study reinforces the validity of the empathy-altruism hypothesis.
- Empathic emotion appears to reliably evoke altruistic motivation, rather than egoistic motivations.
- The findings contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting genuine altruism driven by empathy.