


So, we choose not to empathize, at least when it comes to pictures of random people that we have to see consecutively. It would make sense that people think empathy is more effort than it is worth in this case. Do you think these results would change if you saw pictures of your friends? Family? Someone you actually care about? What if you knew for a fact you would help someone with your empathy? Would you do it or would it be too much effort still?
Citation: Cameron, C. D., Hutcherson, C. A., Ferguson, A. M., Scheffer, J. A., Hadjiandreou, E., & Inzlicht, M. (2019). Empathy is hard work: People choose to avoid empathy because of its cognitive costs. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 148(6), 962. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000595