Less empathy as time goes on... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Zeraph · 01-14-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Humans are unlikely to win the animal kingdom’s prize for fastest, strongest or largest, but we are world champions at understanding one another. This interpersonal prowess is fueled, at least in part, by empathy: our tendency to care about and share other people’s emotional experiences. Empathy is a cornerstone of human behavior and has long been considered innate. A forthcoming study, however, challenges this assumption by demonstrating that empathy levels have been declining over the past 30 years.

The research, led by Sara H. Konrath of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and published online in August in Personality and Social Psychology Review, found that college students’ self-reported empathy has declined since 1980, with an especially steep drop in the past 10 years. To make matters worse, during this same period students’ self-reported narcissism has reached new heights, according to research by Jean M. Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University.

An individual’s empathy can be assessed in many ways, but one of the most popular is simply asking people what they think of themselves. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a well-known questionnaire, taps empathy by asking whether responders agree to statements such as “I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me” and “I try to look at everybody’s side of a disagreement before I make a decision.” People vary a great deal in how empathic they consider themselves. Moreover, research confirms that the people who say they are empathic actually demonstrate empathy in discernible ways, ranging from mimicking others’ postures to helping people in need (for example, offering to take notes for a sick fellow student).

Since the creation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in 1979, tens of thousands of students have filled out this questionnaire while participating in studies examining everything from neural responses to others’ pain to levels of social conservatism. Konrath and her colleagues took advantage of this wealth of data by collating self-reported empathy scores of nearly 14,000 students. She then used a technique known as cross-temporal meta-analysis to measure whether scores have changed over the years. The results were startling: almost 75 percent of students today rate themselves as less empathic than the average student 30 years ago.

What’s to Blame?
This information seems to conflict with studies suggesting that empathy is a trait people are born with. For example, in a 2007 study Yale University developmental psychologists found that six-month-old infants demonstrate an affinity for empathic behavior, preferring simple dolls they have seen helping others over visually similar bullies. And investigators at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig have shown that even when given no incentive, toddlers help experimenters and share rewards with others. Empathic behavior is not confined to humans or even to primates. In a recent study mice reacted more strongly to painful stimuli when they saw another mouse suffering, suggesting that they “share” the pain of their cage mates.

But the new finding that empathy is on the decline indicates that even when a trait is hardwired, social context can exert a profound effect, changing even our most basic emotional responses. Precisely what is sapping young people of their natural impulse to feel for others remains mysterious, however, because scientists cannot design a study to evaluate changes that occurred in the past. As Twenge puts it, “you can’t randomly assign people to a generation.”

There are theories, however. Konrath cites the increase in social isolation, which has coincided with the drop in empathy. In the past 30 years Americans have become more likely to live alone and less likely to join groups—ranging from PTAs to political parties to casual sports teams. Several studies hint that this type of isolation can take a toll on people’s attitudes toward others. Steve Duck of the University of Iowa has found that socially isolated, as compared with integrated, individuals evaluate others less generously after interacting with them, and Kenneth J. Rotenberg of Keele University in England has shown that lonely people are more likely to take advantage of others’ trust to cheat them in laboratory games.

Personally I think the internet is to blame. Anonymity. It decreases empathy. I highly doubt its anything genetic. So we need to look at environmental effects. The biggest is the internet. That's my conclusions, what's yours?

ARTelevision · 01-14-2011, 11:11 AM

Trauma-based messages, such as political posturing, and hyper-violent entertainment are increasingly popular. Their ultimate effects include keeping the citizens in line based on fear and rewarding us with consumer goods while alienating us from ourselves and each other. These messages are also suitable for masquerading as counter-cultural and rebellious, even though they are created by governments and corporations. There are many ways in which our natural tendencies toward empathy are counteracted by political and cultural forces interested in subverting us.

I find the political messages quite tame compared to the ones labeled as "entertainment". Perhaps this is because so many of my friends seem to enjoy this type of desensitization, and many of my friends are cultural producers as well as consumers. Endlessly dead-end discussions regarding censorship and free-expression ensue when these points are raised. This demonstrates the great power of trauma-based entertainment and proves how well it desensitizes and subverts the ethical sense of even so-called "intelligent" individuals.

filtherton · 01-14-2011, 11:40 AM

I think we should read the actual study before we accept the premises set forth in the article.

For one thing, the magnitude of the reduction in self-identified empathy isn't reported. Either the article author didn't think it was important (possible, but poor form) or the study authors didn't communicate it. If the study authors didn't communicate, it's possible they didn't think it important (possible, but poor form) or it's possible that the differences between students now and students 30 years are statistically significant, but not clinically significant, ie the difference found in the study is likely not due to randomness, but the effect isn't that large.

Assuming that the large sample size is relatively evenly distributed amongst the different periods of time being studied, it would be pretty easy to find statistically significant but practically insignificant differences between different groups.

It's also possible that some of the effect is due to declining ability of college students to accurately self assess their own levels of empathy.

On a more general note, one should always be wary of claims made in news reports about forthcoming studies.

roachboy · 01-14-2011, 12:27 PM

i have a pdf of the study....pm me with an email if you want a copy. it's available via sage publications, if you're connected with a university that has access to their journals.

btw if you search for this article, it's under the "OnLine First" rubric and not under the august 2010 issue of the journal personality & social psychology review.

filtherton · 01-14-2011, 12:30 PM

Aha. Thanks roach. I might have access to it, too. Let me check. I didn't think it was out yet.

Ourcrazymodern? · 01-14-2011, 02:00 PM

I think around in circles. All three of my children are both more empathic, & differently less so than I ever managed. Anwers to questionnaires prove nothing.
I agree with you, Zeraph that it's not genetic, but cultural, if true. I don't dissuade them from accessing whatever information they want...when I criticized what I considered overuse of these systems, their reactions caused me to reconsider. It seems to work both ways.

filtherton · 01-14-2011, 02:43 PM

Roach, I was only able to find a pdf of a poster (http://sitemaker.umich.edu/skonrath/...hy_decline.pdf). Did you find an actual paper?

From what I can see, the study finds a decrease not in capacity for empathy, but for frequency of empathetic experience. Students scored low in terms of questions like "I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me."

They also found a barely significant (statistically) decline in perspective taking, ie scoring low in responses to questions like "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective."

To me, this doesn't necessarily indicate a decline in empathetic ability. It could be possible that the advent of certain digital means of distraction and communication have made opportunities for empathy occur with less frequency.

raging moderate · 01-28-2011, 11:33 PM

empathy doesn't really coexist with the survival-of-the-fittest mentality, aka capitalism. The American Way (tm) is to scratch and claw your way to the top with whatever means necessary and then look down on everyone you can with a sort of self-satisfied loathing

bagatelle · 01-29-2011, 05:06 AM

Isolation and loneliness, internet for sure. Via internet you're also able to meet more individuals, hear their stories and look into their lives.

Too much information makes you numb, people become statistics. I would claim this also has to happen, because in my experience you encounter much unhappiness online, troubles and problems - you have to decide not to let it affect you too much. You have to express your empathy in words more than gestures or deeds, words become hollow.

Or maybe it's just me, because I am mostly taking part in English discussions in the net and it is not my mother tongue.

Jetée · 01-29-2011, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raging moderate

empathy doesn't really coexist with the survival-of-the-fittest mentality, aka capitalism. The American Way (tm) is to scratch and claw your way to the top with whatever means necessary and then look down on everyone you can with a sort of self-satisfied loathing

I can agree with (a part of) this sentiment. For most who live in a semi-large populus to those in a beyond-comprehension-bursting-with-people, metal metropolis, there's a certain disconnect that arises in time. It's the overload, or something. I might actually have to think about this the time come I actually want to offer an opinion of my own (instead of piggybacking on your 'easy' response, which itself is good). I doubt there's one over-riding stamp to which you can classify 300+ million Americans, or do the same amongst other nations, but one big part, I'd say, of that identity is what I'd define as a "cloister'd life".

(This, and more), as it were, matters to me, though, (that, etc.), on the other hand, does not.
It's a selective sort of separatism we endure. Otherwise, just looking at lif as a whole you can't help but say it sucks.

bum4evr · 01-29-2011, 07:31 PM

Maybe it comes with age.

Back when I was young and stupid, running the streets at age 20, I found a duffel bag hidden in the bushes behind a mexican restaurant, it was only about 20 feet from the back door of the place so I knew it was most likely owned by one of the hispanics who worked there who didnt have a permanent place to stay. It contained a thin sleeping bag, some deodorant, shampoo and other personal items.

And I took it, and back then I didnt care about the person who owned it, I didnt care about how that restaurant worker would feel when he got off work and discovered it gone and the hardships he would have to endure because of my theft. Perhaps he had only worked there a week and was struggling to get by.

I look back on that with regret. Im 41 now and I dont know at what age I suddenly became compassionate and started to care about how others feel. Was it something that happened to me in life or just a side effect of maturity?

I dont know. But when I watch Nascar I wonder if my desire to see a cool 12 car crash is stronger then my desire to not have anyone get hurt.

01-14-2011, 11:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	Trauma-based messages, such as political posturing, and hyper-violent entertainment are increasingly popular. Their ultimate effects include keeping the citizens in line based on fear and rewarding us with consumer goods while alienating us from ourselves and each other. These messages are also suitable for masquerading as counter-cultural and rebellious, even though they are created by governments and corporations. There are many ways in which our natural tendencies toward empathy are counteracted by political and cultural forces interested in subverting us. I find the political messages quite tame compared to the ones labeled as "entertainment". Perhaps this is because so many of my friends seem to enjoy this type of desensitization, and many of my friends are cultural producers as well as consumers. Endlessly dead-end discussions regarding censorship and free-expression ensue when these points are raised. This demonstrates the great power of trauma-based entertainment and proves how well it desensitizes and subverts the ethical sense of even so-called "intelligent" individuals. __________________ create evolution Last edited by ARTelevision; 01-14-2011 at 11:14 AM..

01-14-2011, 12:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	i have a pdf of the study....pm me with an email if you want a copy. it's available via sage publications, if you're connected with a university that has access to their journals. btw if you search for this article, it's under the "OnLine First" rubric and not under the august 2010 issue of the journal personality & social psychology review. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 01-14-2011 at 12:30 PM..

01-14-2011, 02:00 PM	#6 (permalink)
Ourcrazymodern? still, wondering. Location: South Minneapolis, somewhere near the gorgeous gorge	I think around in circles. All three of my children are both more empathic, & differently less so than I ever managed. Anwers to questionnaires prove nothing. I agree with you, Zeraph that it's not genetic, but cultural, if true. I don't dissuade them from accessing whatever information they want...when I criticized what I considered overuse of these systems, their reactions caused me to reconsider. It seems to work both ways. __________________ BE JUST AND FEAR NOT

01-28-2011, 11:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
raging moderate Insane Location: Whatever house my keys can get me into	empathy doesn't really coexist with the survival-of-the-fittest mentality, aka capitalism. The American Way (tm) is to scratch and claw your way to the top with whatever means necessary and then look down on everyone you can with a sort of self-satisfied loathing __________________ These are the good old days... formerly Murp0434

01-29-2011, 05:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
bagatelle Psycho Location: Europe	Isolation and loneliness, internet for sure. Via internet you're also able to meet more individuals, hear their stories and look into their lives. Too much information makes you numb, people become statistics. I would claim this also has to happen, because in my experience you encounter much unhappiness online, troubles and problems - you have to decide not to let it affect you too much. You have to express your empathy in words more than gestures or deeds, words become hollow. Or maybe it's just me, because I am mostly taking part in English discussions in the net and it is not my mother tongue. __________________ Life is...

01-14-2011, 11:40 AM	#3 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	I think we should read the actual study before we accept the premises set forth in the article. For one thing, the magnitude of the reduction in self-identified empathy isn't reported. Either the article author didn't think it was important (possible, but poor form) or the study authors didn't communicate it. If the study authors didn't communicate, it's possible they didn't think it important (possible, but poor form) or it's possible that the differences between students now and students 30 years are statistically significant, but not clinically significant, ie the difference found in the study is likely not due to randomness, but the effect isn't that large. Assuming that the large sample size is relatively evenly distributed amongst the different periods of time being studied, it would be pretty easy to find statistically significant but practically insignificant differences between different groups. It's also possible that some of the effect is due to declining ability of college students to accurately self assess their own levels of empathy. On a more general note, one should always be wary of claims made in news reports about forthcoming studies.

01-14-2011, 12:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	Aha. Thanks roach. I might have access to it, too. Let me check. I didn't think it was out yet.

01-14-2011, 02:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
filtherton Junkie Location: In the land of ice and snow.	Roach, I was only able to find a pdf of a poster (http://sitemaker.umich.edu/skonrath/...hy_decline.pdf). Did you find an actual paper? From what I can see, the study finds a decrease not in capacity for empathy, but for frequency of empathetic experience. Students scored low in terms of questions like "I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me." They also found a barely significant (statistically) decline in perspective taking, ie scoring low in responses to questions like "I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective." To me, this doesn't necessarily indicate a decline in empathetic ability. It could be possible that the advent of certain digital means of distraction and communication have made opportunities for empathy occur with less frequency.

01-29-2011, 07:31 PM	#11 (permalink)
bum4evr Upright	Maybe it comes with age. Back when I was young and stupid, running the streets at age 20, I found a duffel bag hidden in the bushes behind a mexican restaurant, it was only about 20 feet from the back door of the place so I knew it was most likely owned by one of the hispanics who worked there who didnt have a permanent place to stay. It contained a thin sleeping bag, some deodorant, shampoo and other personal items. And I took it, and back then I didnt care about the person who owned it, I didnt care about how that restaurant worker would feel when he got off work and discovered it gone and the hardships he would have to endure because of my theft. Perhaps he had only worked there a week and was struggling to get by. I look back on that with regret. Im 41 now and I dont know at what age I suddenly became compassionate and started to care about how others feel. Was it something that happened to me in life or just a side effect of maturity? I dont know. But when I watch Nascar I wonder if my desire to see a cool 12 car crash is stronger then my desire to not have anyone get hurt.