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Aging, Empathy, and Prosociality

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  • Janelle N. Beadle
  • Alexander H. Sheehan
  • Brian Dahlben
  • Angela H. Gutchess

Abstract

Objectives. Although empathy is a well-established motivation in younger adults for helping others, it is not known whether this extends to aging. Prioritization of socioemotional goals with age may increase the salience of helping others (i.e., prosocial behavior), but older adults also experience decreased cognitive empathy. Thus, we investigated age-related differences in relationships among empathy and prosocial behavior. Method. Participants were 24 younger (M = 19.8 years) and 24 older (M = 77.9 years) healthy adults. Whereas participants believed the study involved playing the dictator game, in reality, state emotional empathy was induced implicitly through a note from an opponent describing their experience with cancer. Prosocial behavior was measured by participants’ monetary offers to that opponent. Results. Older adults showed greater prosocial behavior due to the empathy induction than younger adults. There was a positive association between state emotional empathy ratings and prosocial behavior in older, but not in younger adults, and preliminary evidence for higher state emotional empathy levels in older adults with higher trait cognitive empathy. Discussion. This suggests that in contexts relevant to socioemotional goals, older adults may be more motivated than younger adults to help others and state emotional empathy may be a potential mechanism for greater prosocial behavior in aging.

Suggested Citation

  • Janelle N. Beadle & Alexander H. Sheehan & Brian Dahlben & Angela H. Gutchess, 2015. "Aging, Empathy, and Prosociality," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(2), pages 213-222.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:70:y:2015:i:2:p:213-222.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbt091
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David R. Roalf & Suzanne H. Mitchell & William T. Harbaugh & Jeri S. Janowsky, 2012. "Risk, Reward, and Economic Decision Making in Aging," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 67(3), pages 289-298.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Sommerlad & Jonathan Huntley & Gill Livingston & Katherine P Rankin & Daisy Fancourt, 2021. "Empathy and its associations with age and sociodemographic characteristics in a large UK population sample," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Molly A. Mather & Rebecca E. Ready, 2021. "Greater negative affect and mixed emotions during spontaneous reactions to sad films in older than younger adults," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 29-43, March.

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