via UNESCO
The more empathetic we are, the more likely it is that we will keep our distance and use face masks to prevent coronavirus spreading. This knowledge can help save lives, according to the researchers behind a new study from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University.
Empathy for vulnerable people in risk groups motivates us to use face masks and keep our distance, so that we help to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the study, which has just been published in the journal Psychological Science.
“We show that empathy for the most vulnerable is an important factor, and that it can be used actively to combat the pandemic. I believe that policy makers can use our new knowledge in their efforts to get more people to follow the guidelines – and ultimately save lives,” says Stefan Pfattheicher, an associate professor at the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences at Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University.
He is heading the study in which researchers have initially tested the relationship between participants’ empathy and their attitude to social distancing. They tested this in two questionnaire-based studies in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. For example, on a scale from 1 to 5, participants were asked how concerned they are about those who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Subsequently, they were asked about the extent to which they themselves avoid social contact due to the coronavirus. The relationship is clear. The higher the degree of empathy, the greater the focus on reducing social contact.
Equally importantly, the study shows that it is possible to induce empathy among people, and thereby also make more people willing to keep social distance and wear face masks.
Real people induce empathy
In two experiments, the researchers tested the differences in participants’ willingness to follow the two recommendations, depending on whether they are just informed about the effect of the two initiatives, or whether they are also presented with a vulnerable person. In the two experiments, the participants were presented with people who, each in their own way, have been affected by and suffer from the coronavirus. There were also control groups who only received information about the effect of keeping social distance and wearing face masks. And the conclusion is clear: The participants who received the story about people suffering from the coronavirus reported a higher degree of empathy. And also a greater willingness to physically distance and use face masks.
“Our results suggest that we need stories of real people suffering. It’s not enough just to tell us that we must keep a distance and wear a face mask for the sake of vulnerable citizens in general. If we’re confronted with a specific person who is vulnerable to COVID-19, it is clear that empathy is strengthened, and that we are more likely to follow the guidelines,” says Stefan Pfattheicher.
“Our clear recommendation is that policy makers incorporate this knowledge using empathy in their communication initiatives,” says Michael Bang Petersen, a professor at the Department of Political Science, and co-author of the scientific article.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
COVID-19 empathy
- Is Social Media Good for Relationships?
Social media is here to stay and can impact relationships in a variety of ways. Communicating around social media use is critical to the relationship.
- How infections influence our social empathy
When people are ill, they feel less empathy for others than when they are healthy. This has been confirmed by a study conducted by Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
- 5 ways North Texans are combatting anti-Asian hate in the wake of COVID-19
Advocacy and community-building felt necessary in the wake of rising anti-Asian discrimination and violence, these Asian American North Texans say.
- Study sheds new light on the links between infections with inflammation and empathy for pain
While the empathy for somatic pain was largely the same in the LPS ... Schedlowski adds that the topic may have general interest, especially considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic: "The results may ...
- The Covid-19 Pandemic
With the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic fading even as the coronavirus persists and evolves, a new normal is taking shape around the world. All vaccines have at least occasional side effects.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
COVID-19 empathy
[google_news title=”” keyword=”COVID-19 empathy” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Real people induce empathy
- Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil Want People ‘To Feel Empathy for Ukraine’ With Their Eurovision 2024 Song
Alyona Alyona (real name ... important for us because we want people to know that there’s not only war going on in Ukraine. We want you to feel empathy for Ukraine, to feel that we are equal ...
- Movies and Empathy
Does either movie bring us closer to being better people ... of empathy, namely affective dimension. The final scene of the movie, when it turns from black-and-white to color and the real-life ...
- High physician empathy could offer patients with lower back pain lasting benefits, study shows
Yet research has shown that when physicians show empathy ... “real patient contact with compassionate or passionate care is something that is not being emphasized enough.” Focusing on people ...
- Physician empathy linked to better outcomes in chronic pain patients
NEW YORK, April 11 (UPI) --Physician empathy is an important aspect in a doctor-patient relationship, and now it has been linked to better outcomes among people with chronic pain, a new study finds.
- Psilocybin from “magic” mushrooms weakens the brain’s response to angry faces
It is known for its psychoactive properties, which can induce altered states of consciousness ... Neural responses to real people displaying real emotions might not be the same.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Real people induce empathy
[google_news title=”” keyword=”real people induce empathy” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]