"Our new research, forthcoming in the academic journal PNAS Nexus, a flagship peer-reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests this "heart versus head" argument is too simple. Empathy and reasoning aren't rivals - they work together. Each one on its own predicts more generous, far-reaching acts of assistance. And when they operate side by side, people tend to help in the fairest ways - not favoring some over others - and in ways that touch the most lives."
"We studied two groups that regularly help others at personal cost. One consisted of living organ donors who gave kidneys to strangers. The other included "effective altruists," who use evidence and logic to direct substantial portions of their income or careers toward causes that save the most lives per dollar, such as fighting extreme poverty or preventable illness. All participants completed survey measures of empathy - essentially, how much they care about and are moved by others' suffering."
Two groups who regularly help others were studied: living organ donors and effective altruists. Participants completed survey measures of empathy and reflective reasoning. Empathy assessed caring and emotional responsiveness; reflective reasoning assessed the tendency to slow down and think through decisions. Organ donors averaged higher empathy while effective altruists averaged higher reflective reasoning. Both empathy and reasoning independently predicted more outward-looking, generous helping. When both traits were elevated, helping tended to be fairer, less partial, and to reach more lives. Empathy and reasoning therefore interact to produce broad, equitable assistance.
Read at The Conversation
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