Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Cottrell, Catherine
Area of Concentration
Psychology
Abstract
Evolutionary psychology suggests humans perform prosocial behavior as a means of exchanging short term resources for long term resources, alliance, and kinship. The current study aimed to investigate how the perceived security of resources affects this prosocial behavior and empathy. Six participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Hagerty Sense of Belonging Scale, the Belief in a Dangerous World Scale, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in a computer lab. During their participation, the participants were presented with the opportunity to assist the researcher after a staged mishap. The results suggested that self-esteem has a positive correlation with affective and cognitive empathy, having implications for the relationship between empathy and prosocial behavior, and how self-esteem informs motivation and emotional capacity.
Recommended Citation
Hunter, Julian, "Can I Afford this Kindness? Sense of Security and Empathy" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5954.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5954