Two replications of an investigation on empathy and utilitarian judgement across socioeconomic status.

ABSTRACT: Research by Côté, Piff, and Willer (2013) found that through the induction of empathy in an experimental condition, the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and utilitarian moral judgment was diminished. Participant self-reported income interacted with experimental condition such that high SES participants who empathized with a disadvantaged group member redistributed fewer experimental dollars during an online task at the losing member's expense. This suggests that lower levels of empathy could help explain utilitarian decision-making in high SES individuals. Two pre-registered, high-powered replications were conducted in order to assess the magnitude and reliability of this finding. While the first replication attempt failed to uncover the effect, the second attempt found a pat

SUBMITTER: Babcock S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5240617 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature