Intertemporal empathy decline: Feeling less distress for future others' suffering.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Moral Philosophy

Background:

• Societal actions significantly impact future generations' quality of life.
• Philosophical discussions exist on valuing future well-being.
• Empirical research on present versus future empathy is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individuals' empathy differs between present and future suffering.
• To examine the consequences of this empathy difference on prosocial behavior.
• To identify psychological factors influencing future-oriented actions.

Main Methods:

• Conducted four experiments with 4,698 participants.
• Measured empathy levels for present versus future hypothetical suffering.
• Assessed willingness to donate to present-oriented versus future-oriented charities.
• Manipulated the vividness of imagining future suffering.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated an "intertemporal empathy decline": less empathy for future suffering compared to present.
• Found participants predicted equal pain levels across time but felt less empathy for future pain.
• Showed that imagining future suffering increased its perceived value.
• Observed reduced donations to future-oriented charities due to empathy decline.
• Vivid imagination of future suffering attenuated the empathy decline.

Conclusions:

• Empathy is a present-biased psychological factor hindering future-oriented prosocial behavior.
• Interventions enhancing vivid imagination can mitigate empathy decline.
• Understanding intertemporal empathy is crucial for promoting long-term societal well-being.