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Johnson J, Lecci L, Dovidio JF. White Americans' blame attributions and empathy towards Black victims of police violence: How pejorative stereotypes 'engulf the field'. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 63:936-955. [PMID: 38131304 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
We examined the dynamics of minority-directed police violence by considering how our White participants' empathy for Black victims may be influenced by critical intragroup differences related to racial stereotyping. Although the role of stereotyping in reactions to Black Americans accused of crime is well-established, we explore the influence of pejorative Black stereotypes on reactions to Black victims of police violence. Specifically, we investigated the roles of individual differences in the endorsement of the Black criminal stereotype among White observers and manipulated the crime-unrelated stereotypicality (i.e. stereotypical, counterstereotypical) of Black victims of police violence. White US MTurk participants read about a White policeman shooting a Black man (Study 1, n = 140) or sexually assaulting a Black woman (Study 2, n = 166). Across both studies, strong stereotype endorsers reported relatively low empathy for stereotypical victims, mediated by greater blame towards those victims. This finding demonstrates the relevance of heretofore untested motivated reasoning processes in the outgroup empathy deficits literature. Weak stereotype endorsers showed relatively high empathy and low victim blame regardless of Black victim stereotypicality, indicating limited sensitivity to outgroup member suffering is not inevitable. We consider the practical implications of the findings for policing and for citizenship education.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Johnson
- The Weber Group of Australia, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Len Lecci
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
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Yu Y, Yan S, Zhang Q, Xu Z, Zhou G, Jin H. The Influence of Affective Empathy on Online News Belief: The Moderated Mediation of State Empathy and News Type. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:278. [PMID: 38667074 PMCID: PMC11047548 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The belief in online news has become a topical issue. Previous studies demonstrated the role emotion plays in fake news vulnerability. However, few studies have explored the effect of empathy on online news belief. This study investigated the relationship between trait empathy, state empathy, belief in online news, and the potential moderating effect of news type. One hundred and forty undergraduates evaluated 50 online news pieces (25 real, 25 fake) regarding their belief, state empathy, valence, arousal, and familiarity. Trait empathy data were collected using the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. State empathy was positively correlated with affective empathy in trait empathy and believability, and affective empathy was positively correlated with believability. The influence of affective empathy on news belief was partially mediated by state empathy and regulated by news type (fake, real). We discuss the influence of empathy on online news belief and its internal processes. This study shares some unique insights for researchers, practitioners, social media users, and social media platform providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Yu
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (Y.Y.)
| | - Shizhen Yan
- School of Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China;
| | - Qihan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (Y.Y.)
| | - Zhenzhen Xu
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (Y.Y.)
| | - Guangfang Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (Y.Y.)
| | - Hua Jin
- Department of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China; (Y.Y.)
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Weiß M, Saulin A, Iotzov V, Hewig J, Hein G. Can monetary incentives overturn fairness-based decisions? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:211983. [PMID: 37351499 PMCID: PMC10282581 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Fairness norms and resulting behaviours are an important prerequisite for cooperation in human societies. At the same time, financial incentives are commonly used to motivate social behaviours, yet it remains unclear how financial incentives affect fairness-based behaviours. Combining a decision paradigm from behavioural economics with hierarchical drift-diffusion modelling, we investigated the effect of different financial incentives on two types of fairness-based decisions in four experimental groups. In two groups, participants divided points between themselves and a disadvantaged person, inciting fairness-based compensation behaviour, in two other groups they divided points between themselves and a fairness violator, inciting fairness-based punishment behaviour. In addition, each group received financial incentives that were either aligned or in conflict with the respective fairness-based behaviour. This design allowed us to directly investigate how different incentives shape the cognitive mechanism of fairness-based decisions and whether these effects are comparable across different fairness domains (fairness-based punishment versus fairness-based compensation). Results showed that offering conflicting incentives diminished fairness-congruent decision behaviour and rendered the fairness-congruent decision process less efficient. These findings demonstrate that financial incentives can undermine fairness-based behaviour, and thus are relevant for the development of incentive schemes aimed at fostering cooperative behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Weiß
- University Hospital Würzburg, Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | - Anne Saulin
- University Hospital Würzburg, Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | - Vassil Iotzov
- University Hospital Würzburg, Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg, 97080, Germany
| | - Johannes Hewig
- University of Würzburg, Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology I: Differential Psychology, Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics, Marcusstr. 9–11, Würzburg, 97070, Germany
| | - Grit Hein
- University Hospital Würzburg, Center of Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg, 97080, Germany
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Maisonneuve C, Taillandier-Schmitt A. Empathy arousal and emotional reactions to victims of the gender pay gap. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-22. [PMID: 36357359 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2136058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Men and women are well aware of the gender pay gap. The present study involved four experiments (N = 341, student sample, N = 203 general population sample) in which we indirectly measured empathy by asking participants to rate the non-complex and complex emotions they felt when reading a scenario in which a woman described her pay situation. Experiments 1 (equal pay vs. unequal pay) and 2, 3 & 4 (angry vs. depressed reaction to pay inequality) investigate differences in empathy arousal between men and women by assessing their emotions. Globally, both men and women identified correctly emotions expressed by the women victim of pay inequity. On complex emotions, women express more other suffering emotions than men, only in Experiment 4. Coupled with expression of guilt/shame for men only, these results are discussed in the perspective of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Maisonneuve
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Taillandier-Schmitt
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- PAVEA (Psychology of life ages and adaptation), Univ Tours, Tours, France
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Zhu Y, Zhang J, Liu X. Is Distributional Justice Equivalent to Prosocial Sharing in Children’s Cognition? Front Psychol 2022; 13:888028. [PMID: 35903728 PMCID: PMC9315223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.888028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Distribution and sharing are social preference behaviors supported and shaped by selection pressures, which express individuals’ concern for the welfare of others. Distributive behavior results in distributive justice, which is at the core of moral justice. Sharing is a feature of the prosocial realm. The connotations of distribution and sharing are different, so the principles, research paradigms, and social functions of the two are also different. Three potential causes of confusion between the two in the current research on distribution and sharing are discussed. First, they share common factors in terms of individual cognition, situation, and social factors. Second, although they are conceptually different, prosocial sharing and distribution fairness sensitivity are mutually predictive in individual infants. Similarly, neural differences in preschoolers’ perception of distribution fairness predict their subsequent sharing generosity. Finally, similar activation regions are relevant to distribution and sharing situations that need behavioral control on a neural basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuning Zhu
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingmiao Zhang
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- School of Educational Science and Technology, Anshan Normal University, Anshan, China
| | - Xiuli Liu
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Xiuli Liu,
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Kim Y, Jung J, Na J. Socioeconomic status differences in psychological responses to unfair treatments: Behavioral evidence of a vicious cycle. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268286. [PMID: 35687607 PMCID: PMC9187106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Two studies investigated whether lower socioeconomic status (SES) would be associated with greater tolerance for unfair treatments. Specifically, we hypothesized that individuals with lower SES would be less likely to perceive apparent injustice as unfair than those with higher SES, and furthermore, such differences in perception would lead to the corresponding differences in ensuing psychological responses. In support of the hypotheses, we found that (Study 1, N = 326; Study 2, N = 130), compared with higher SES participants, lower SES participants perceived one-sidedly disadvantageous distribution during the dictator game as less unfair. Moreover, a behavioral experiment in Study 2 showed that such tolerance for unfair treatments were associated with subsequent passive reactions in the ultimatum game. Taken together, the results imply a vicious cycle whereby the SES differences in a tendency to accept unfair treatments lead to psychological responses that may maintain or even strengthen the existing social disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngju Kim
- Center for Happiness Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewuk Jung
- Department of Psychology, Sogang University, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
| | - Jinkyung Na
- Department of Psychology, Sogang University, Seoul, The Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Hong Y, Cai J, Lan R, Wang K, Lian R, Chen L. Empathy and teachers’ fairness behavior: The mediating role of moral obligation and moderating role of social value orientation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268681. [PMID: 35679271 PMCID: PMC9182229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the mediating effect of moral obligation and moderating effect of social value orientation on the relationship between empathy and fairness behavior in Chinese teachers. Seven hundred and twenty-six Chinese teachers completed self-reported questionnaires regarding empathy, moral obligation, social value orientation, and fairness behavior. The results revealed that moral obligation mediated the link between empathy and teachers’ fairness behavior. Teachers’ social value orientation moderated the associations between empathy and moral obligation and moral obligation and fairness behavior. The associations between empathy and moral obligation and moral obligation and fairness behavior were more robust for those with high SVO scores (i.e., prosocial). This study identified the critical factors associated with teachers’ fairness behavior, supplying empirical support for existing theories and providing practical implications for interventions designed to improve Chinese teachers’ classroom environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjuan Hong
- School of Nursing, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jingxue Cai
- School of Education, Fujian Polytechnic Normal University, Fuqing, China
| | - Ruiming Lan
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Kaixuan Wang
- Department of Student Affairs, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rong Lian
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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Taylor LK. The Developmental Peacebuilding Model (DPM) of Children’s Prosocial Behaviors in Settings of Intergroup Conflict. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Children's reactions to inequality: Associations with empathy and parental teaching. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Borinca I, Falomir-Pichastor JM, Andrighetto L. “How can you help me if you are not from here?” Helper's familiarity with the context shapes interpretations of prosocial intergroup behaviors. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2019.103944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Taylor LK, McKeown S. Does violence beget violence? The role of family ethnic socialization and intergroup bias among youth in a setting of protracted intergroup conflict. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0165025419844036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Does violence beget violence among youth in a setting of protracted conflict? Framed by a developmental intergroup approach, this paper examines the mediating roles of family ethnic socialization and intergroup bias. Two time points from 466 (50% female/50% male, 51% Catholic/49% Protestant) 14- to 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland were analyzed. Bootstrapped chain mediation found that previous experience with sectarianism, or intergroup violence, was positively related to family ethnic socialization, which predicted later intergroup bias, which was related to higher levels of adolescent participation in sectarian antisocial behavior. Findings identify the importance of family processes in the link from experiencing to committing sectarian acts. Implications for preventing youth participation in sectarianism are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K. Taylor
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland
- School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, UK
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