Positive Empathy and Prosocial Behavior: A Neglected Link
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Emotion Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 04.2016, p. 154-163.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive Empathy and Prosocial Behavior
T2 - A Neglected Link
AU - Telle, Nils-Torge
AU - Pfister, Hans-Rüdiger
PY - 2016/4
Y1 - 2016/4
N2 - Empathy facilitates everyday social interactions and has often been linked in the literature to prosocial behavior. Robust evidence has been found for a positive relationship between experiencing empathy and behaving prosocially. However, empathy, and the empathy–prosocial behavior relationship in particular, has been studied mostly in combination with negative emotions. Less research has been conducted on empathy for positive emotions, and the link between positive empathy and displayed prosocial behavior has not been intensively investigated so far. The purpose of the present article is thus twofold: first, we review and summarize research evidence on empathy for positive emotions, and second, we propose that people’s motivation to maintain an experienced positive affect is a viable mechanism linking positive empathy and prosocial behavior.
AB - Empathy facilitates everyday social interactions and has often been linked in the literature to prosocial behavior. Robust evidence has been found for a positive relationship between experiencing empathy and behaving prosocially. However, empathy, and the empathy–prosocial behavior relationship in particular, has been studied mostly in combination with negative emotions. Less research has been conducted on empathy for positive emotions, and the link between positive empathy and displayed prosocial behavior has not been intensively investigated so far. The purpose of the present article is thus twofold: first, we review and summarize research evidence on empathy for positive emotions, and second, we propose that people’s motivation to maintain an experienced positive affect is a viable mechanism linking positive empathy and prosocial behavior.
KW - Business psychology
KW - empathy
KW - positive affect
KW - positive empathy
KW - Prosocial behaviour
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962429370&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1754073915586817
DO - 10.1177/1754073915586817
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 8
SP - 154
EP - 163
JO - Emotion Review
JF - Emotion Review
SN - 1754-0739
IS - 2
ER -