Empathy and Giving

The present study further added to the ever growing body of research into the relationship of empathy and altruistic sharing. Previous studies have provided evidence for an existing relationship between empathy and altruistic sharing. The present study is aimed at understanding underlying dimensions of empathy and their relationship to altruistic sharing. A positive relationship is hypothesized between underlying dimensions of empathy and altruistic sharing. Said underlying dimensions included Perspective Taking, Empathic Concern and a Fantasy scale. As previous studies mainly focused on the affective components of empathy, in this study the cognitive component is analyzed as a possible predictor for altruistic sharing. The hypothesized relationship was operationalized through comparing self-reported data on empathy on the general level with altruistic sharing measured through dictator games in order to reaffirm the relationship found in previous studies. The underlying dimensions of empathy were then analyzed to find whether the positive effects of empathy on altruistic sharing could be explained through the underlying dimensions of empathy. Subjects reported data on their levels of empathy through the use of the interpersonal reactivity index. In addition, the treatment group was subjected to cultivating cognitive empathy. The results show that only the underlying affective dimension Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking and the treatment itself had a positive effect on altruistic sharing. In this study no evidence was found that the cognitive component Fantasy had a statistically significant effect on altruistic sharing in the dictator game. Interaction effects between the treatment and General Empathy, or between the treatment and the underlying dimensions of General Empathy, were found to negatively influence altruistic sharing rather than positively.