Abstract
Previous research indicates that sympathy for victims is related to how much they are suffering. Yet, it is unclear whether greater suffering alone leads to more compassionate reactions to victims or whether reactions to victims are moderated by other factors such as the duration of the suffering or the perceived frequency of the occurrence that causes suffering. Using Kelley’s (Neb Symp Motiv 15:192–238, 1967) covariation model as our theoretical framework, our study tested whether severity and number of misfortunes affected reactions to a target claiming to be a victim. Participants evaluated a target after viewing one of the four video interviews. The videos manipulated the severity and number of misfortunes claimed by a victim. More misfortunes generated more helping intentions. Severe misfortunes generated stronger empathic reactions to victims, whereas minor misfortunes generated stronger negative appraisals of victims. However, number of misfortunes moderated this effect: The most negative reactions were elicited by claims of many minor misfortunes and the most positive reactions by claims of many severe misfortunes. Additionally, participants were more likely endorse helping intentions in response to claims of many severe misfortunes than claims of many minor misfortunes. These results provide insight into factors influencing whether people are taken seriously as victims.
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Lewis, J.A., Hamilton, J.C., Dean Elmore, J. et al. The Effects of Severity and Number of Misfortunes on Reactions to Victims. Soc Just Res 32, 445–458 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-019-00338-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-019-00338-4