Investigation of Empathy as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Social Identity and Helping Behavior in Young Adults

Yıl 2020, Cilt: 2 Sayı: 2, 75 - 81, 01.08.2020

Elvan Kiremitçi Canıoz Hamit Coşkun

https://doi.org/10.35365/ctjpp.20.02.11

Öz

In this study, the effect of social identity on helping behavior and the moderator role of empathy on this effect were examined. Participants were university students who study in Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University. Social identity was manipulated by providing information about university student who was a Turkish, Syrian or Greek student. Participant’s empathy levels were measured by Basic Empathy Scale (BES). And also, helping behavior measured by the Help Text which was improved by researchers. In expressions were given to participants about a university student who needs help and then they were asked how much they would share with him if they had the amount the student needed. Findings indicated that helping behavior and empathy levels of participants were manipulated by social identity. Participants who are in Syrian student condition helped more and felt more empathy than other conditions. Also, we found that there is a moderator role of empathy on the effect of social identity on helping behavior. The results are consistent believing in same religion, social responsibility norms and Conservation of Resources Theory. There is suggested that new researchers can examine this research design in another identities and samples.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Social İdentity, Empathy, Helping Behavior, Positive Psychology, Prosocial Behavior

Kaynakça

• Atkins, R., Hart, D. & Donnelly, T. M. (2004). Moral identity development and school attachment. Moral development, self, and identity, 65-82.
• Basil, D. Z., Ridgway, N. M. & Basil, M. D. (2006). Guilt appeals: The mediating effect of responsibility. Psychology & Marketing, 23 (12), 1035-1054.
• Canioz , E. K. & Coskun, H. (2019). The Impact of Social Identity and Empathy on Helping Behavior: The Moderator Role of Empathy, International Journal of Scientific and Technological Research, 5 (12).
• Diener, E. & Seligman, M. E. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological science, 13(1), 81-84.
• Diener, E. & Tay, L. (2017). A scientific review of the remarkable benefits of happiness for successful and healthy living. Happiness, 90.
• Dovidio, J. F., Gaertner, S. L., Validzic, A., Matoka, K., Johnson, B. & Frazier, S. (1997). Extending the benefits of recategorization: Evaluations, self disclosure, and helping. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 33(4), 401-420.
• Feddes, A. R., Mann, L. & Doosje, B. (2015). Increasing self‐esteem and empathy to prevent violent radicalization: a longitudinal quantitative evaluation of a resilience training focused on adolescents with a dual identity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 45(7),400-411.
• James, T. K. & Zagefka, H. (2017). The importance of national identities and intergroup relations in disaster aid. In Intergroup Helping. Springer.
• Jolliffe, D. & Farrington, D. P. (2006). Development and validation of the Basic Empathy Scale. Journal of adolescence, 29(4), 589-611.
• Johnston, B. M. & Glasford, D. E. (2017). Intergroup contact and helping: How quality contact and empathy shape out-group helping. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.
• Levine, M., Cassidy, C., Brazier, G. & Reicher, S. (2002). Self‐Categorization and By stander Non‐intervention: Two Experimental Studies 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(7), 1452-1463.
• Light, S. N., Moran, Z. D., Swander, L., Le, V., Cage, B., Burghy, C., & Davidson, R. J.(2015). Electromyographically assessed empathic concern and empathic happinesspredict increased prosocial behavior in adults.Biological psychology, 104, 116-129.
• Oarga, C., Stavrova, O. & Fetchenhauer, D. (2015). When and why is helping others good for well‐being? The role of belief in reciprocity and conformity to society's expectations. European Journal of Social Psychology, 45(2), 242-254.
• Oswald, D. L. & Harvey, R. D. (2000). Hostile environments, stereotype threat, and math performance among undergraduate women. Current Psychology,19(4), 338-356.
• Paciello, M., Fida, R., Cerniglia, L., Tramontano, C. & Cole, E. (2013). High cost helping scenario: The role of empathy, prosocial reasoning and moral disengagement on helping behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(1), 3-7.
• Pavey, L., Greitemeyer, T. & Sparks, P. (2012). “I help because I want to, not because you tell me to” empathy increases autonomously motivated helping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(5), 681-689.
• Richman, S. B., DeWall, C. N. & Wolff, M. N. (2015). Avoiding affection, avoiding altruism: Why is avoidant attachment related to less helping? Personality and Individual Differences, 76, 193-197.
• Spinrad, T. L., Eisenberg, N., Cumberland, A., Fabes, R. A., Valiente, C., Shepard, S. A., & Guthrie, I. K. (2006). Relation of emotion-related regulation to children's social competence:A longitudinalstudy. Emotion, 6(3), 498.
• Sierksma, J., Thijs, J. & Verkuyten, M. (2014). Children’s intergroup helping: The role of empathy and peer group norms. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 126,369-383.
• Stürmer, S., Snyder, M., Kropp, A. & Siem, B. (2006). Empathy-motivated helping: The moderating role of group membership. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(7), 943-956.
• Tajfel, H. & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The social psychology of intergroup relations, 33(47), 74.
• Tajfel, H. (1982). Social psychology of intergroup relations. Annual review of psychology, 33(1),1-39.
• Topçu, Ç., Baker, Ö. E. & Aydın, Y. Ç. (2016). Temel empati ölçeği Türkçe uyarlaması: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi, 4(34).
• Van Leeuwen, E., Van Dijk, W. & Kaynak, Ü. (2013). Of saints and sinners: How appeals to collective pride and guilt affect outgroup helping. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 16(6), 781-796.
• Verkuyten, M. & Reijerse, A. (2008). Intergroup structure and identity management among ethnic minority and majority groups: The interactive effects of perceived stability, legitimacy, and permeability. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38(1), 106-127.
• Welp, L. R. & Brown, C. M. (2014). Self-compassion, empathy, and helping intentions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(1), 54-65.
• Zebel, S., Doosje, B. & Spears, R. (2009). How perspective-taking helps and hinders group-based guilt as a function of group identification. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 12(1),61-78.