TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of perspective taking on motivations for helping
T2 - Still no evidence for altruism
AU - Maner, Jon K.
AU - Luce, Carol L.
AU - Neuberg, Steven
AU - Cialdini, Robert B.
AU - Brown, Stephanie
AU - Sagarin, Brad J.
PY - 2002/11
Y1 - 2002/11
N2 - To investigate the existence of true altruism, the authors assessed the link between empathic concern and helping by (a) employing an experimental perspective-taking paradigm used previously to demonstrate empathy-associated helping and (b) assessing the empathy-helpingrelationship while controlling for a range of relevant, well-measured nonaltniistic motivations. Consistent with previous research, the authors found a significant zero-order relationship between helping and empathic concern, the purported motivator of true altruism. This empathy-helping relationship disappeared, however, when nonaltniistic motivators (oneness and negative affect) were taken into account: Only the nonaltruistic factors of oneness (merged identity with the victim) and negative affect mediated helping, whereas empathic concern did not. Evidence for true altruism remains elusive.
AB - To investigate the existence of true altruism, the authors assessed the link between empathic concern and helping by (a) employing an experimental perspective-taking paradigm used previously to demonstrate empathy-associated helping and (b) assessing the empathy-helpingrelationship while controlling for a range of relevant, well-measured nonaltniistic motivations. Consistent with previous research, the authors found a significant zero-order relationship between helping and empathic concern, the purported motivator of true altruism. This empathy-helping relationship disappeared, however, when nonaltniistic motivators (oneness and negative affect) were taken into account: Only the nonaltruistic factors of oneness (merged identity with the victim) and negative affect mediated helping, whereas empathic concern did not. Evidence for true altruism remains elusive.
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U2 - 10.1177/014616702237586
DO - 10.1177/014616702237586
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:23044534316
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 28
SP - 1601
EP - 1610
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
IS - 11
ER -