The Effects of Empathy on Attitudes Towards Mask Wearing

Oral Presentation
10:45-11:05 a.m. CDT on April 14, 2021

Many pandemic-related behaviors (e.g., mask wearing, social distancing) promote the welfare of not only the self but also others. Previous research has shown that empathy is a powerful tool in promoting helping behaviors, and more recent research related to the pandemic also suggests that empathy may play a role in adherence to mask-wearing policies. With this in mind, we were interested in testing whether an empathy induction could influence attitudes towards mask-wearing. To explore this possibility, we randomly assigned participants to watch one of three videos: an empathy-inducing video related to COVID-19, a video intended to induce a general sense of empathy, or a control video. Then, in an ostensible second study, participants were asked to provide information about their experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic on campus, including their attitudes toward mask-wearing. We hypothesized that inducing empathy would result in more positive attitudes towards mask-wearing as we believed that empathic thinking would result in more pro-social behavior and thus more positive mask attitudes. Initial results indicated that the empathy manipulation significantly increased positive attitudes towards mask-wearing; however, the manipulation had no effect on negative attitudes towards masks. This provides stronger causal evidence that empathy contributes to positive attitudes towards mask-wearing. Additional findings and updated analyses that incorporate new data will be presented.

Sarah Newbolds, Molly Muehlebach, Dean Elmore, Psychological Sciences

Location