Cited by 1,463Social and Intergroup PsychologyInclusion and Disability in Education and SportDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

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Empathy and attitudes: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve feelings toward the group?

Batson, C. Daniel, Polycarpou, Marina P., Harmon-Jones, Eddie, Imhoff, Heidi J., Mitchener, Erin C., Bednar, Lori L., Klein, Tricia R., Highberger, Lori·1997·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.105

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Abstract

Results of 3 experiments suggest that feeling empathy for a member of a stigmatized group can improve attitudes toward the group as a whole. In Experiments 1 and 2, inducing empathy for a young woman with AIDS (Experiment 1) or a homeless man (Experiment 2) led to more positive attitudes toward people with AIDS or toward the homeless, respectively. Experiment 3 tested possible limits of the empathy-attitude effect by inducing empathy toward a member of a highly stigmatized group, convicted murderers, and measuring attitudes toward this group immediately and then 1-2 weeks later. Results provided only weak evidence of improved attitudes toward murderers immediately but strong evidence of improved attitudes 1-2 weeks later.

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“, 2012), and to reach goals, including understanding, predicting, or controlling another’s behavior, as well as being able to understand the perspective of others, feel sympathy or compassion, and provide help (Davis et al., 1996; Batson et al., 1997; Galinsky et al., 2005; Waytz et al., 2012; Goldstein et al., 2014).”
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“Empathy can be defined as a feeling of compassion for another person.(33) Training in STI management should include components of improving such attitudes.”
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“Ultimately, such an improved understanding of how others feel can lead to changes in attitudes [6] or behaviors [14].”
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“Perceived empathy for a member of a stigmatized group has further been found to be a powerful tool that improves favorable attitudes toward them [4, 13] and increases behavioral intentions [6].”
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“On the one hand, the empathy that ordinary students have for students with disabilities reduces stereotypes and increases positive evaluations of individuals and groups of students with disabilities (Batson et al., 1997).”
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“In previous studies that investigated specific stigmatized groups, it was found that including members of the given group in the intervention resulted in increased empathy and positive attitudes toward the group (Batson et al., 1997; Ezedinachi et al., 2002; Rutledge & Abell, 2005).”
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“; 1 = not at all to 5 = very easy; Batson et al., 1997).”
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Authors: Batson, C. D., Polycarpou, M. P., Harmon-Jones, E., Imhoff, H. J., Mitchener, E. C., Bednar, L. L., Klein, T. R., & Highberger, L.
ORCID: Batson, C. Daniel
Venue: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1997-01
Volume: 72
Issue: 1
Pages: 105-118
ISSN: 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
1939-1315
DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.72.1.105
OpenAlex: W4230083885
Cited by: 1,463
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 69 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 106 · 2022: 82 · 2021: 97 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 92 · 2018: 91 · 2017: 74 · 2016: 71 · 2015: 78 · 2014: 69 · 2013: 77 · 2012: 51
FWCI: 28.40
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Social Sciences › Education › Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords: empathy, prejudice reduction, intergroup attitudes, empathy induction
MeSH terms: Analysis of Variance, Attitude, Empathy, Female, HIV Seropositivity, Ill-Housed Persons, Humans, Male, Minority Groups, Persuasive Communication, Prejudice, Prisoners, Psychological Theory, Social Responsibility, Time Factors

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Empathy and attitudes: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group improve feelings toward the group?

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