The Empathy Gap | The Science of Empathy

We all identify with different groups whether it be because of race, religion, or nationality. But do we empathize less with people who are outside of our “group”. On this week’s Science of Empathy, we look into a phenomenon known as “The Empathy Gap”.

CREDITS:

Executive Producer | Mike Bernstein
Executive Producer | Matt Pittman
Executive Producer | Bayan Joonam
Executive Producer | Shabnam Mogharabi
Director | Zach Wechter
Writer / Host | Julian Huguet
Producer | Hashem Selph
Prod. Coordinator | Tiffany Hutson
Casting Director | Pardis Sullins
DP | Jake Menache
Camera Operator | Fio Occhipinti
Camera Operator | Cory Driskill
1st AC | Jay Janocko
Gaffer | Sam Heesen
Sound Mixer | Eric Bucklin
Production Designer | Michelle Hall
Set Dresser | Valerie Sakmary

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[latoyatangelo]

I have bias, I'm human. But I don't allow my bias to fuel hatefulness.

[mariah_]

I really think that the point of the video was too bring awareness to the potential bias that we can all have when interacting with someone that isn't "like" us.

Yes, this "study" isn't controlling for a lot of variables and should be done with a larger sample size. It still raises an important point though.

[rea]

The worst part about all of this is that not only we listen, try to understand and connect to people who are more like us, but we also don't judge them as harshly as we do when it comes to the ones who do. What we are missing out on is a completely new point of view, seeing the world through a different lens and discover things that are unique. Sadly, we all prefer hearing the information and ideas we can connect to and refuse (maybe on a subconscious level) beliefs that are not in sync with our own.

[victoriaSantorsiero]

i think it would be interesting if yall did this again but with men and women

[NymphetaminexXxGrrrl]

I think my bias is more about class than race. I find it hard to relate to or feel much empathy towards those who are wealthy or appear to have had an easy life. As a teenager i thought i was the least judgmental person, until one day i realized i made assumptions about the "popular kids" (you know the ones i mean) super fake blonde hair, makeup, designer clothes, have cars and phones bought for them by rich parents. I can empathize with anyone of any sex/gender/race if i feel they have had a rough life, but for some reason i see clean-cut people with a more shallow mainstream image and i make assumptions. I am trying to work on that and realize just because someone is well dressed and educated doesn't mean they weren't abused as kids or suffering mental health addictions etc.. It's just strange how i realized that i thought i was not judgmental because i didn't judge outcasts or the homeless. But then i realized i judged those i deemed to be the opposite. It's like i don't trust the "normal" people. (for lack of a better word) I judge them by assuming they will judge me. I will try not to assume that rich people treat others badly or have had a perfect life (guess perfect doesn't exist anyway)

[WhatIsItToBurn]

"not skipping parts shows empathy"
leap there. This could be anything at all. It could be patience for example.
Also, notice the two people who showed empathy had kids. That variable would need to be accounted for. There are so many variables here with such a small sample size that this is quite meaningless.

Also the Standford study is a small sample size (78). To be honest, I would say there could be a link, but that doesn't mean it holds true for everyone. I am sure there are loads of unbiased people (egalitarians).

I would have skipped most of the fluff because I would have been thinking about the questions at the end.
I am not biased though, so there we are :P

[houston]

I would have skipped simply because I easily bore, have no patience, and am extremely selfish.

[lujanbernal]

I think It would have been interesting to have the same two photos, but a third group. Because I´m latina and I feel like the reaction could have been different from them.

[janeparklikeslemonade]

my school showed this to us to address the empathy gap/racial empathy gap. especially since there was a series of racist events in our school. and yet i remember being in that classroom and only the people of color wanted to engage in the conversation, if even. it felt discouraging. but lovely video :) taught me a lot!

[VictoriaSadoh]

I like the honesty of the black people.

[hobbes]

I would skip that story equally for both of them ;)
I don't have much patience. It does make me wonder how much empathy I really have, because stories like that just bore me most of the time.

[thepeaceigive]

I'm someone who is biracial, I don't resonant fully with one race because I have never felt enough of that race to truly 'fit' in. I also don't follow a specific religion, I go to a Christian church, I volunteer in a Catholic Church, I read from the Torah and the Quran, and I love watching YouTube videos on Hinduism and taking principles from each religion. I'm bisexual, again I don't associate myself with one group because I don't feel 'straight enough', I don't feel 'gay enough'. Although I am a cis female, I have gone through times of questioning my gender, sometimes feeling like I was meant to be a boy. I've lived half of my life in an area considered section 8 and half in a 'richer' area. I also could care less about sports. Although I do believe I have a small biased about the things I've listed, I don't think it would be a big factor. One would be I just have a lack of empathy and another would be based on personal experiences. I don't hate a person because of their race, I hate a person because of the way they treat me, of people they remind me of, of the vibe they give (and when I get bad vibe it's again because they remind me of someone I don't like or someone I've had a bad experience with).

[Zactastical]

I have the opposite issue.
I despise people that I can relate with.
Not for any moral reason, it's just an irrational preference.
It also explains why I enjoy being alone.

[krazyglue]

I would think that this experiment would have benefited from a second story, this time coming from the opposite woman. So each person heard two different stories, one by a black woman, one by a white woman. That's a real way to see the empathy gap in action.

[lyssaboo]

These are honestly things we should be learning in school and this is truly a well made reminder and lesson to all of us

[시린-di]

Growing up, I was the only person of my ethnicity in the entire school/location. I was a loner, while I tired to make friends I struggled with relating to them and them to relate to me. At some point I completely gave up on making friends. It was so difficult for me but at the same time i liked being on my own. My point is, relating to others is important.

[katetf]

I'm empathetic to a lot of people...I catch the empathy right away....when they say they lost their grandma and to cancer it connects to everyone I've known well who went through that and my own experiences with it...I don't need all the specific examples to feel empathy...and I don't feel like crying about it, one doesn't have to cry along with someone to empathize and I don't want to go to that level-- I just want to be able to relate to what she's going through and then offer support or whatever is needed. The fact that the person leading the research gave specific instructions to listen AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE that would have made me skip 90% of it after she laid out the basic situation. If they had said to Listen as CAREFULLY as possible so I could share the story with others to help other empathize, etc. then I would have listened to most of it so I could retell her story accurate and give some of her examples. But I didn't need all those details for ME to empathize. I empathize and cry from just reading tweets or articles at times.

[zoestout]

My grandmother died of cancer in 2014 so this video caught me very deeply

[notorious]

It would have been hilarious if they switched the photos at the end and said "this is the real Natasha". The reaction would have been priceless after investing so much emotion to someone they thought was their own race.

[Esther]

One can truly understand only what one has been through. That doesn't mean we can't show compassion toward different experiences.