EMPATHY AND HELPING - CONSIDERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF INTERVENTION

This study tested the prediction derived from the empathy-altruism hyp othesis that more empathically concerned persons would be more sensiti ve to the long-term consequences of their intervention for recipients. Subjects (N = 84), instructed either to observe the situation or to i magine another's feelings, were exposed to a person in immediate distr ess who requested assistance (hints) to complete an anagram task. Half the subjects were informed that giving too many hints could have long -term detrimental effects (potential-detrimental-effect condition); ha lf were given no information about future consequences (no-detrimental -effect condition). Consistent with the predictions, although the anti cipated effect of intervention made no difference in the number of hin ts given by subjects in the observe-set condition, imagine-set subject s gave fewer hints when they were informed of potentially detrimental effects of intervention. These results suggest that empathy enhances s ensitivity to the needs of others, including considering the potential consequences that one's intervention may have for the recipient.