ERP Study On Moral Identity Affecting Empathy For Pain

Objectives This study uses ERP technology to study the effect of moral identity on empathy for pain,and explores the role of self-involvement in the effect.It could reveal how morality affects empathy from the neural level,and provides more ideas for improving the public's empathy ability and creating harmonious interpersonal and social relations.Methods There are two studies.In the first study,39 subjects were randomly divided into two groups,namely,the moral identity initiation group and the neutral initiation group.The two groups were initiated by moral and neutral words respectively,and the effectiveness of the initiation was tested.The experimental pictures are randomly presented in the test.The subjects were required to respond to the pictures by pressing keys.A mixed experimental design of 2(moral identity: high,low)× 2(picture type: pain picture,non-pain picture)was used.The dependent variables were behavioral responses and the amplitude of EEG components(N1,P2,N2,LPC)).In the second study,44 subjects were randomly divided the ethical identity initiation group and the neutral initiation group.By creating a self-involvement initiation procedure,the subjects were initiated into involvement or non-involvement;A mixed experimental design of 2(moral identity: high,low)× 2(situation: involvement,non-involvement)× 2(picture type: pain picture,non-pain picture)was used.Moral identity is the inter-subject variable;the picture type and self-involvement are the internal variables of the subject;the dependent variable were the magnitude of the EEG component(N1,P2,N2,LPC)and behavioral responses.Results The experiment 1 found that,for the high moral identity group,the pain picture induced a smaller N2 amplitude(P<0.001)and stronger LPC amplitude(P=0.001)than the non-pain picture;for the low moral identity group,there is no significant difference in N2 and LPC amplitudes induced by pain pictures and non-pain pictures.The experiment 2 found that,in response to the pain picture,for the high moral identity group,the involved state(-2.82±0.52?V)induces a smaller(P=0.001)N2 amplitude than the non-involved state(-3.80±0.54?V),but the involved state and non-involved state have no significant influence on the LPC amplitude;for the low moral identity group,there is no significant difference in the N2 and LPC volatility between the involved state and the non-involved state.Conclusions 1 When stimulated by pain pictures,individuals with high moral identity are more likely to induce emotional empathy and cognitive empathy for other people's pain than individuals with low moral identity.2 Analysis of the results of N2 magnitude and LPC magnitude shows that,whether in the emotional empathy stage or the cognitive empathy stage,a higher moral identity is a prerequisite for emotional empathy and cognitive empathy to other people's pain.At the stage of emotional empathy,self-involvement can regulate the influence of moral identity on emotional empathy,but at the stage of cognitive empathy,the effect of self-involvement is not obvious.Figure16;Table2;Reference 102...