Empathy During Crises: Investigating Attitudes, Tolerance, and Ingroup–Outgroup Dynamics in Response to Refugee Movements.
Saved in:
| Title: | Empathy During Crises: Investigating Attitudes, Tolerance, and Ingroup–Outgroup Dynamics in Response to Refugee Movements. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Demel, Ronja (AUTHOR), Masch, Lena (AUTHOR), Schieferdecker, David (AUTHOR), Schwander, Hanna (AUTHOR), Hutter, Swen (AUTHOR), Specht, Jule (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Personality. Dec2025, Vol. 93 Issue 6, p1351-1366. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Empathy, Refugees, Crises, Social cohesion, Psychological resilience, Social policy, Ingroups (Social groups), Intergroup relations |
| Geographic Terms: | Germany, Russia, Ukraine |
| Abstract: | Objective: In times of societal crises, it is pivotal to understand and share others' feelings. Yet, the role of empathy in fostering prosocial responses during societal crises has not gained enough attention. Our study uses the onset of Russia's war on Ukraine to examine three key questions: (1) Is empathy related to attitudes toward pro‐refugee policies? (2) Does empathy correlate with a higher tolerance for diverse opinions on refugee policies? (3) Is empathy linked to perceived interpersonal closeness toward social in‐ and outgroups, including refugees? Methods and Results: Using observational data from online surveys conducted with a largely representative quota sample from Germany (N = 1199–1631) during the initial months of the war, we found that empathy was associated with significantly higher support of pro‐refugee policies, driven primarily by empathic concern. Additionally, more empathetic individuals exhibited greater opinion diversity and showed smaller distinctions in perceived interpersonal closeness between in‐ and outgroups. Conclusions: These findings underscore the critical role of empathy in fostering solidarity and social cohesion during societal crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Personality is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Objective: In times of societal crises, it is pivotal to understand and share others' feelings. Yet, the role of empathy in fostering prosocial responses during societal crises has not gained enough attention. Our study uses the onset of Russia's war on Ukraine to examine three key questions: (1) Is empathy related to attitudes toward pro‐refugee policies? (2) Does empathy correlate with a higher tolerance for diverse opinions on refugee policies? (3) Is empathy linked to perceived interpersonal closeness toward social in‐ and outgroups, including refugees? Methods and Results: Using observational data from online surveys conducted with a largely representative quota sample from Germany (N = 1199–1631) during the initial months of the war, we found that empathy was associated with significantly higher support of pro‐refugee policies, driven primarily by empathic concern. Additionally, more empathetic individuals exhibited greater opinion diversity and showed smaller distinctions in perceived interpersonal closeness between in‐ and outgroups. Conclusions: These findings underscore the critical role of empathy in fostering solidarity and social cohesion during societal crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00223506 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/jopy.13012 |
