A Scientific Search for Altruism by Batson C. Daniel;

Author:Batson, C. Daniel;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Published: 2019-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Of Questionable Relevance

Four lines of research fit the category of questionable relevance—research reported by Hornstein, Stürmer, Aron, and Davis:

Hornstein. In support of his version of self–other identification, Harvey Hornstein cited his own and others’ research showing that people are more likely to provide anonymous help to a stranger (by, for example, mailing a lost letter or returning a lost wallet) when they know that the stranger agrees with their opinions, shares their values, or is a member of their national or ethnic group (Hornstein, 1978). Unfortunately, no measures of empathic concern or self–other merging were taken in this research, so we’re left in the dark regarding what produced these effects. Was it other-oriented empathic emotion? Self–other merging? Promotion of the helper’s own values? Liking? Obligation? What?

Turner cited this same research as a primary basis for his claim that group-level self-categorization produces perception of myself and my fellow group members as interchangeable exemplars with an identity of interests. However, the research provided no clearer support for Turner’s form of merging than Hornstein’s.

Stürmer. Stefan Stürmer and colleagues reported four different studies in which some participants could help an in-group member and others could help an out-group member (Stürmer, Snyder, Kropp, & Seim, 2006; Stürmer, Snyder, & Omoto, 2005). For example, in one study German and Muslim university students in Keil, Germany, were given a chance to help a German or a Muslim student find a place to live. Stürmer and his colleagues measured empathy and consistently found an empathy–helping relationship when participants could help an in-group member, but the empathy–helping relationship was weak or nonexistent when the person needing help was from the out-group. Relating these findings to Turner’s ideas, Stürmer and colleagues suggested that self-interest was expressed at the group level—interest in Us (in-group members) but not Them (out-group members).

I don’t think these findings supported Turner’s view. From Turner’s perspective, and from the perspective of each of the other merging models, there should be an in-group–out-group difference in both empathy and helping. Participants confronted with an in-group member in need should feel more empathic concern and be more likely to help than those confronted with an out-group member. Yet Stürmer and his colleagues didn’t find either of these differences in any of their studies. Participants were no less likely to feel for or to help an out-group person than an in-group person.

But then, why wasn’t an empathy–helping relationship found for out-group helping? Its absence seemed most likely due to the overriding effect of other factors that can affect out-group helping. We may lack confidence that we know what needs to be done or know how to do it. We may worry that we’ll look patronizing if we help or prejudiced if we don’t, and so on. One or more of these factors could easily have obscured the empathy–helping relationship when the person in need was an out-group member.

Aron. Art Aron and his colleagues found that people are slower to report whether or not they have a trait when they and a close other (e.

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