Transcript Empathy, Sympathy, Pity, Inspiration

By: Heather Brown
Co-Researcher and Mentor: Dr. Michelle Nario-Redmond
Background
 Social Comparison induced by perspective taking, similarity,
group identification, and interdependence
 Social Comparisons may trigger both positive and negative
motives
 These motives affect our attitudes and behaviors toward
others and ourselves
 True function of disabled role models in inspiration is still
unclear
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Perspective Taking
 Perspective Taking- Imagining another’s feelings
 Induces Empathetic Concern
 Benefits
 Increased Helping
 Positive Attitudes


Individual
Group
Perspective
Taking
Empathy for
member of a
stigmatized
group
Positive
Attitudes
Towards
the Group
Figure 1: Perspective Taking, Empathy, Attitude, and
Helping Pathway.
Helping the
Group as a
Whole
Perceived Similarity and Group
Identification
 Perceived Similarity- Viewing that you’re like someone
else
 Group Identification- Feeling of self identification
with a group based on certain characteristics
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Empathy
 Empathy- Emotional reactions to perceiving
others in need
 Social Comparisons can instigate empathetic
concern
 Empathetic concern increases helping
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Increase in
Helping
Increase in Positive
Attitudes
Social
Comparisons
Empathetic
Concern
Increase in
Helping
Figure 2 : Social Comparisons, Empathetic Concern, and Helping
Distress
 Distress- Mental suffering due to another’s misfortune
 Feelings of personal distress are distinct from empathy
 Social Comparisons can sometimes create distress
 Helping occurs to alleviate guilt and discomfort
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Empathy
Altruistic
Motivations
Behaviors
to reduce
other’s
distress
(helping)
Egotistic
Motivations
Behaviors
to reduce
your own
distress
(helping)
Person in
Distress
Personal Distress
Figure 3: Motives for Helping.
Pity and Anger
 Pity- A condescending form of feeling sorry for the
misfortunes of others.
 Target Suffering, vulnerability, and controllability
instigate pity
 Pity increases paternalistic helping
 Anger- An emotional reaction characterized by
extreme displeasure, rage, or hostility
 Target controllability instigates anger
 Anger decreases helping and increases blame
Inspiration
 Inspiration- Influencing others to achieve personal
goals.
 In order for inspiration to occur
 Comparison with the target must be made
 The target must be relevant
 Goals must seem attainable
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 Deflation and demoralization will occur if goal seems
attainable
 Stigmatized populations are told they’re inspirational
 May or may not do anything to be inspirational
Future Research
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 Goals
 Identify whether people are actually inspired by a disabled
role model.
 Is reported inspiration real or is it just another backhanded
complement
 Find out if disabled inspiring role models help to promote
achievement or are they threatening and demoralizing
References
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