This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Batson, C. D. Articles by Templin, C. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Batson, C. D. Articles by Templin, C. M. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Two Threats to the Common Good: Self-Interested Egoism and Empathy-Induced Altruism

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

Nadia Ahmad

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

Jodi Yin

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

Steven J. Bedell

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

Jennifer W. Johnson

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

Christie M. Templin

Aaron Whiteside University of Kansas

In each of two experiments, some participants chose between allocation of resources to the group as a whole or to themselves alone (egoism condition); some chose between allocation to a group or to a group member for whom they were induced to feel empathy (altruism condition); and some chose between allocation to a group or to a member for whom empathy was not induced (baseline condition). When the decision was private, allocation to the group was significantly—and similarly—lower in the egoism and altruism conditions compared to the baseline. When the decision was public, allocation to the group was significantly lower only in the altruism condition. These results indicated, first, that both egoism and altruism can be potent threats to the common good and, second, that anticipated social evaluation is a powerful inhibitor of the egoistic but not the altruistic threat.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. J. Cozzolino, A. D. Staples, L. S. Meyers, and J. Samboceti Greed, Death, and Values: From Terror Management to Transcendence Management Theory Pers Soc Psychol Bull, March 1, 2004; 30(3): 278 - 292. [Abstract] [PDF]

				I. van Beest, H. Wilke, and E. van Dijk The Excluded Player in Coalition Formation Pers Soc Psychol Bull, February 1, 2003; 29(2): 237 - 247. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Barreto and N. Ellemers The Impact of Anonymity and Group Identification on Progroup Behavior in Computer-Mediated Groups Small Group Research, October 1, 2002; 33(5): 590 - 610. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Barreto and N. Ellemers You Can't Always Do What You Want: Social Identity and Self-Presentational Determinants of the Choice to Work for a Low-Status Group Pers Soc Psychol Bull, October 1, 2000; 26(8): 891 - 906. [Abstract] [PDF]