Empathy and humanitarianism predict preferential moral responsiveness to in-groups and out-groups. Issue 6 (2nd November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Redford, Liz; Ratliff, Kate A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of social psychology. Volume 158:Issue 6(2018)
• Page Start: 744
• Page End: 766
• Publication Date: 2018-11-02
• Subjects: Empathy -- humanitarianism -- morality; group processes -- prosociality -- values; Social psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Social -- Periodicals; Psychologie sociale -- Périodiques; Sociale psychologie; Electronic journals; 302.05
• DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2017.1412933
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4545

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The current research tests whether empathy—sharing others' emotions—and humanitarianism—recognizing the moral worth of all people—each predict moral responsiveness toward others but in ways that favor in-groups and out-groups, respectively. In Studies 1 and 2, empathy and humanitarianism differentially predicted preferential moral concern for in-groups and out-groups. In Study 3, humanitarianism predicted lower in-group-targeted prosociality and greater out-group prosociality. In Study 4, empathy and humanitarianism predicted perceived moral obligation to in-groups and out-groups respectively. In Study 5, out-group obligation mediated between humanitarianism and allocations to out-group charities, and in-group obligation mediated between empathy and one of two in-group charities. In sum, empathy and humanitarianism are associated with preferential morality via group-based obligation, suggesting that morality could be extended by altering empathy, humanitarianism, or group processes.