Honors Projects
Abstract
Psychophysical numbing, compassion fading, and the singularity effect are strongly affecting the world amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Empathy motivated prosocial behavior is not consistent with the drastic number of lives lost due to COVID-19. The current study evaluated participants for situational empathy levels post exposure to either COVID-19 death statistics or a personal reflection on loss due to COVID-19. Alongside empathy, vaccination status was measured as a potential moderator on the relationship between medium of exposure to mortality information and empathy levels in the sample. 68 students were considered for this study. There was not a significant relationship between situational empathy and exposure to COVID-19 mortality information. Higher degree of vaccination significantly and uniquely predicted higher situational empathy scores.
Major
Psychology
First Advisor
Abby Braden
First Advisor Department
Psychology
Second Advisor
Wesley R. Barnhart
Second Advisor Department
Psychology
Third Advisor
Monica Longmore
Third Advisor Department
Sociology
Publication Date
Spring 4-24-2023
Repository Citation
Ries, Kaylee, "Comparing Levels of Situational Empathy Based on Medium of Exposure to COVID-19 Mortality Information and Vaccination Status" (2023). Honors Projects. 881.
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/honorsprojects/881