In an experiment, what was found about empathy as it relates to ...

[dakota nelson]

In an experiment, what was found about empathy as it relates to one's social group or national group? Did an appeal to empathy for a person experiencing a bad problem have any effect?
 
  Was the effect stronger or weaker for either one's own, or the other, group? How does this relate to the kin selection idea?

Question 2

Describe the three types of perspective taking involved with the cognitive component of empathy.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[ong527]

Answer to Question 1

Answer:
Stuermer and colleagues had German participants (either culturally German or of Muslim cultural background) learn about a person having a problem, either of their own group or of the other group. Empathy for the person was engendered across the board, but was stronger for a person of one's own group. In some sense, this is parallel to kin selection in that we favor people who are most similar to ourselves, or in our group.

Answer to Question 2

Answer:
1) The imagine other perspective  we can imagine how another person perceives a situation and how the other person must feel as a result. This perspective leads to a relatively pure empathy, which motivates altruistic behavior.
2) The imagine self perspective  we can imagine how we would feel if we were in someone else's situation. This perspective gives rise to feelings of empathy and is associated with self-interest motives. Self-interest can sometimes interfere with altruistic behavior.
3) The fictional perspective  we can identify with and feel empathy for a character in a fictional story. We experience emotional reactions to the presumed emotions of a character in a book or movie.