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Experiencing haptic roughness promotes empathy
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Experiencing haptic roughness promotes empathy

Chen Wang, Rui (Juliet) Zhu and Todd C. Handy
Journal of consumer psychology, v 26(3), pp 350-362
Jul 2016

Abstract

Attention Empathy Haptic roughness
Eliciting empathy plays a significant role in encouraging charitable donations. However, we know little about how incidental, contextual cues can facilitate empathy. In a series of behavioral, neuroscience, and field studies, we show that incidental exposure to haptic sensation of roughness (vs. smoothness) increases individuals' attention to the unfortunate others. Such heightened attention subsequently leads to enhanced empathic responses. These findings not only underscore the power of subtle contextual cues on shaping important behaviors but also point to the possibility of developing novel intervention strategies for promoting empathy and prosociality.

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20 citations in Scopus

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Business
Psychology, Applied
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