Is empathy one of the Big Three? Identifying its role in a dual-process model of ideology and blatant and subtle prejudice

Abstract

In the field of the social psychology of prejudice, John Duckitt's Dual-Process Cognitive-Motivational Model of Ideology and Prejudice has gained a firm grounding over the past decade and a half, while empathy has become one of the most powerful predictors of prejudice, alongside right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation. This study integrates empathy into the dual-process model, exploring the effects of this variable, along with the impact of personality and ideological attitudes, on prejudice in both its blatant and subtle forms. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 260 university students by self-report measures. Despite its cross-sectional nature, a pattern of causal relationships was hypothesized according to experimental and longitudinal findings from previous studies. The path analysis results show that in the model fitted to the data, empathy does not have any direct impact on prejudice, although it plays a significant role in the prediction of prejudice towards a particular immigrant group. On the other hand, the dual-process model is confirmed in the explanation of blatant prejudice and, in a weaker and indirect way, of subtle prejudice; sustaining the distinctive nature of these constructs on some differential predictors and paths. In the discussion, this study proposes that when ideological and personality-based variables are both included in the model, general empathy is not so robust in the explanation of prejudice, since some of the empathetic components might become diluted among other covariates. But even so, its indirect effectiveness through personality and ideological attitudes remains relevant.

Comparisons Between COVID-19 Stigma and Other Stigmas: Distinct in Explicit Attitudes and Similar in Implicit Process

“…However, in the positive emotional dimension (i.e., sympathy), we found that participants reported the highest possibility of feeling sympathy for the COVID-19 patients (vs. the patients with all other diseases we measured). Although studies have documented a negative association between compassion and stigma ( Batson et al, 1997 ; Galinsky and Moskowitz, 2000 ; Stark et al, 2013 ; Boag and Carnelley, 2016 ; Álvarez-Castillo et al, 2018 ; van Bommel et al, 2021 ). The public’s sympathy for people associated with the pandemic disease might be crucial to the development of stigmatization interventions in future research.…”

Parallel empathy and group attitudes in late childhood: The role of perceived peer group attitudes

“…To our knowledge, only four studies have examined the link between trait empathy and outgroup attitudes, with two studies including parallel empathy. Álvarez-Castillo et al (2018) found that outgroup prejudice was related to a combination of cognitive and affective empathy components among adults. However, this relation was indirect and mediated by social dominance orientation, i.e.…”

“…Considerably fewer studies, however, have focused on individual differences in trait empathy, that is the general tendency to empathize with other persons (rather than outgroup members in particular), and particularly little is known about the impact of these differences on children's outgroup attitudes. The few studies that did focus on trait empathy indicate that the tendency to empathize with others relates to more outgroup positivity in children (Nesdale et al, 2005), adolescents (Miklikowska, 2018), and adults (Álvarez-Castillo, Fernández-Caminero & González-González, 2018).…”

The mediating effect of group identity and religious fundamentalism on the association of intergroup contact with prejudice

“…Based on theoretical studies of the variables that affect prejudice and empirical studies on transnational Islamic groups' characteristics, several variables are assumed to affect group prejudices; first, intergroup contact. This affects prejudice because theoretically, the intensity of contact can increase understanding of other groups and reduce stereotypes and the illusion of outgroup homogeneity (Álvarez-Castillo et al, 2018;Pettigrew, 1997). Intergroup contacts are assumed to affect the prejudice of transnational Islamic groups (especially Jama'ah Tabligh) because the activity that is emphasized, and which is the main task of each member of the group, is to preach to all mankind across groups, religions, ethnicities, and nations.…”

“…Several studies have shown that intergroup prejudice is caused by the lack of individual contact between groups (Abrams, 2010;Abrams & Hogg, 1999;Allport, 2004;Álvarez-Castillo et al, 2018;R. Brown, 1995;Pettigrew, 1998;Rutland et al, 2010).…”