The Impact Of Similarity On Empathic Response To Other’s Pain

The main purpose of the present study is to explore the functions of similarity (similar experience) in influencing empathy on the background of different monetary condition. In Experiments1, we first tested the validity of one assumptions from a different way: Empathy can be modulated by the financial situation of the target who is suffer in pain. In Experiment2and3, the financial situation of participants and the target was manipulated to similar and dissimilar condition, through primed participants with losing or winnig money experience of both in similar condition, and primed participants with the lose or win money experience while target is not. Then we tested the participants empathic response to target with the same paradigm with Gou et al. The results are as follow:1) Empathy is modulated by the target’s financial situation (lose or not lose money), that is, comparing with target who did not lose money, participants show great empathic response to target who lose money;2) In different monetary condition, Similar experience about money between participant and target do modulate participants empathic response to other’s pain.