Classical psychological theories widely assert that empathy plays a pivotal role in facilitating prosocial behavior. In essence, individuals are more likely to engage in actions beneficial to others when they experience a strong sense of empathy toward those individuals. Such actions encompass, but are not limited to, rescuing others from suffering, allocating more resources to them, and resisting unjust treatment they may face. Empathic individuals, in a nutshell, demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice their own interests for the well-being of others. However, previous empirical studies focusing on the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior have yielded heterogeneous findings, challenging classical theories and prompting a reconsideration. Based on a recent literature review and the ongoing research progress within our team, the authors propose three corrective suggestions for the aforementioned theory. First, the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior is constrained by external conditions, and an increase in empathy levels does not always guarantee prosocial actions. These conditions include, but are not limited to, the intensity of empathic experience, personal attributes (such as gender and age), environmental factors (such as the scarcity and uncertainty of resources), and the relationship between the initiator and recipient of empathy (e.g., whether they are relatives, friends, or colleagues). In specific cases, empathy might even trigger antisocial behavior. For instance, the authors recently found that the tendency to engage in corrupt collaboration (which is an antisocial phenomenon) increases as a function of trait empathy level. Second, the primary impact of empathy on prosocial behavior lies not in increasing the frequency of its occurrence but in enhancing its stability. Individuals with higher trait empathy, rather than exhibiting more frequent prosocial tendencies, demonstrate less volatility across different external conditions. Thus, individuals with higher trait empathy may be considered as more reliable and accountable partners in social interactions as their responses to environmental changes are more stable and predictable. The above idea has been supported by our recent experimental studies modulating the scarcity and uncertainty of resources. Here, please note that the “resources” in our experiments were not monetary resources (which have been frequently employed in previous research), but some “relieving resources” (such as flu masks during the pandemic) that could help one or others to get out of trouble. These kinds of resources were used because of their potential implications in evolution psychology. Lastly, the facilitating role of empathy in prosocial behavior is achieved through alleviating individuals’ anxiety experiences related to the external environment. More specifically, the authors believe that stronger anxiety response to environmental changes during social decision-making processes would make people more focusing on their own risk rather than others’ well-being. As a result, anxious people are more likely to make more self-serving choices. The authors suggest that the influence of empathy and that of anxiety on prosocial volatility counteract with each other. While some of these points have received empirical support, others remain speculative and warrant further exploration. The authors believe that validating these perspectives will deepen researchers’ understanding of empathy and the essence of prosocial behavior, thereby contributing to the advancement of social psychological theory. It should be noted that previous studies conducted by the authors have focused on resource sharing and helping behavior, in which the status of different participants was imbalanced. Future studies should examine the validity of our “prosocial volatility” hypothesis for other kinds of prosocial behavior such as cooperation. Additionally, exploring empathic responses to artificial intelligence agents remains an important avenue for investigation.

经典社会心理学理论认为,共情在促进亲社会行为方面发挥着重要作用:当个体对他人的处境产生强烈共情时,更有可能做出有利于他人的行动,包括(但不限于)救助他人免受痛苦、分配更多资源给予他人,以及纠正他人受到的不公正对待——为此,个体甚至愿意无偿牺牲自己的一部分利益.根据近期文献回顾以及本团队的研究进展,本文对上述理论提出3条修正建议:(1)共情与亲社会行为的关系受到各种因素的制约,共情水平的提高并不必然导致亲社会行为;在特定因素的影响下,共情甚至可能会诱发反社会行为.(2)共情对亲社会行为的影响不一定在于提高亲社会行为的发生频率,而主要在于增强其稳定性:共情特质水平较高的个体,其亲社会倾向在不同外部条件下的变化程度较小.(3)共情对亲社会行为的促进作用,是通过缓解个体对外部环境的焦虑体验而达成的.上述部分观点已得到实证证据支持,另一部分仍停留在猜想阶段,有待未来进一步验证.本文相信,这些观点可以深化研究者们对共情以及亲社会本质的认识,在一定程度上推动社会心理学理论的发展.

国家自然科学基金(32171013,32071083,32020103008)资助