Need, Compassion, and Support for Social Welfare. Issue 4 (29th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Delton, Andrew W.; Petersen, Michael Bang; DeScioli, Peter; Robertson, Theresa E.
• Is Part Of: Political psychology. Volume 39:Issue 4(2018:Aug.)
• Page Start: 907
• Page End: 924
• Publication Date: 2017-09-29
• Subjects: compassion -- social welfare -- evolutionary political psychology -- experimental political science -- heuristics; Political psychology -- Periodicals; Political sociology -- Periodicals; 320.019
• DOI: 10.1111/pops.12450
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-895X

Abstract

Abstract : Funding for social welfare depends on citizen support. Drawing on evolutionary psychological approaches to politics, we study two types of need that might shape citizens' welfare support by regulating their feelings of compassion. One type of need is a recipient's absolute need. The other type is acute need created by sudden misfortune, such as sudden job loss. Across four studies, we find that absolute and acute needs independently affect compassion and welfare attitudes. This leads to potential inefficiencies in judgments: People who have fallen far are judged more deserving of compassion and access to welfare even when they are not in an absolute sense the most impoverished.