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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Empathy moderates the relationship between cognitive load and prosocial behaviour.

Roger S Gamble1, Julie D Henry2, Eric J Vanman2

  • 1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. roger.gamble@uq.net.au.

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Pandemic fatigue, a form of cognitive load, negatively impacts empathy and prosocial behavior. However, empathy for vulnerable individuals can buffer these effects, suggesting empathy is key to navigating real-world cognitive challenges.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Cognitive load theory posits that mental effort impairs cognitive functions.
  • Previous research on cognitive load and prosocial behavior used artificial, short-term load induction.
  • Real-world cognitive load, such as from pandemics, may have different effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the moderating role of naturally occurring cognitive load (COVID-19 pandemic) on the empathy-prosocial behavior relationship.
  • To examine the impact of pandemic fatigue on empathy and support for public health measures.
  • To understand how empathy for vulnerable populations influences prosocial behavior during a pandemic.

Main Methods:

  • A large-scale study (N=600) was conducted in an Australian sample.
  • Data collected on pandemic fatigue, empathy for COVID-19 vulnerable groups, and prosocial behavior (support for public health measures).
  • Statistical analyses examined the relationships between these variables and the moderating effect of empathy.

Main Results:

  • Negative relationships were found between pandemic fatigue, empathy for vulnerable individuals, and prosocial behavior.
  • A positive relationship was observed between empathy and prosocial behavior.
  • The negative impact of pandemic fatigue on prosocial behavior was attenuated in individuals with higher empathy for vulnerable others.

Conclusions:

  • Naturally occurring cognitive load, like pandemic fatigue, affects empathy and prosocial behavior.
  • Empathy, particularly for vulnerable groups, plays a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of real-world cognitive load.
  • Eliciting empathy may be a valuable strategy to support prosocial behavior amidst significant societal stressors.