Читать книгу Positive Psychology - Группа авторов - Страница 22

Across the past four decades, more than 35 experiments have been conducted to test the empathy‐altruism hypothesis against a range of egoistic alternative hypotheses – hypotheses claiming that the motivation produced by empathic concern is directed toward the ultimate goal of obtaining one or another self‐benefit. As just suggested, the research strategy has been to experimentally vary situations so that we can use the pattern of behavior to make a meaningful inference about the ultimate goal of empathy‐induced motivation. (See Batson, 2011 and 2018, for a comprehensive review of the experiments.)

With remarkable consistency, results of these experiments have supported the empathy‐altruism hypothesis. The few results that initially seemed to contradict the hypothesis haven’t stood up to further examination. To the best of my knowledge, we now have no plausible egoistic explanation for the cumulative results. This experimental evidence has led me to conclude – tentatively – that the empathy‐altruism hypothesis is true: Other‐oriented feeling for a person in need (empathic concern) produces motivation with the ultimate goal of removing the empathy‐inducing need (altruistic motivation). The evidence has also led me to conclude that this motivation can be surprisingly powerful. And it has led me to wonder how this empathy‐induced altruistic motivation is possible. What evolutionary function could it serve?