Cited by 1,296Emotions and Moral BehaviorSocial and Intergroup PsychologyEmpathy and Medical Education

Perspective Taking: Imagining How Another Feels Versus Imaging How You Would Feel

Batson, C. Daniel, Early, Shannon, Salvarani, Giovanni·1997·Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Abstract

Although often confused, imagining how another feels and imagining how you would feel are two distinct forms of perspective taking with different emotional consequences. The former evokes empathy; the latter, both empathy and distress. To test this claim, undergraduates listened to a (bogus) pilot radio interview with a young woman in serious need. One third were instructed to remain objective while listening; one third, to imagine how the young woman felt; and one third, to imagine how they would feel in her situation. The two imagine perspectives produced the predicted distinct pattern of emotions, suggesting different motivational consequences: Imagining how the other feels produced empathy, which has been found to evoke altruistic motivation; imagining how you would feel produced empathy, but it also produced personal distress, which has been found to evoke egoistic motivation.

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Crossref · 10.1177/0146167297237008

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14 of 14 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Authors
Batson, C. D., Early, S., & Salvarani, G.
Affiliations
University of Kansas (US)
Corresponding author
Batson, C. Daniel
Venue
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Published
1997-07
Volume
23
Issue
7
Pages
751-758
ISSN
  • 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-7433
OpenAlex
W2120771953
Cited by
1,296
References
14
Citations by year
2026: 98 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 85 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 79 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 68 · 2018: 68 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 72 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 62 · 2013: 70 · 2012: 50
FWCI
6.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Empathy and Medical Education
Keywords
perspective taking, empathy, personal distress, altruistic motivation, egoistic motivation

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