05/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/15/2024 07:40
A seminal study from 2011 led by Professor Sara Konrath, Ph.D., a social psychologist specializing in empathy and altruism at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, found that empathy among Americans had taken a nosedive, with U.S. college students in 2009 scoring 40% lower than students in the late-1970s. These early findings led to media headlines proclaiming "the end of empathy." The original study posited multiple theories - including changes in media and technology, changing parenting and family practices, and increasing expectations of success - as possible explanations for what appeared to be a general decline in American compassion and kindness.
Fast forward to 2024: An update to that original study finds that empathy is increasing among young Americans since 2008, almost rising to levels similar to the highs of the 1970s. Late Millennials and emerging Gen Zs are showing increases in empathy, as compared with earlier generations, countering negative stereotypes about today's youth.
"With so many difficult issues facing our society, this is optimistic news," Konrath said. "Decades of research shows that empathy helps to inspire giving and helping. If empathy is increasing over time, then we should expect to see increasing kind behaviors in young people as well."
The updated study also underscores that empathy is not predetermined; it is a fluid trait that can grow or shrink, depending on one's experiences, a phenomenon Konrath pointed out in the original study.
In the new study, Konrath and her colleagues* examined trends in empathy across four decades using three different samples, including two nationally-representative ones, and found broadly consistent patterns.
Key findings:
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University Indianapolis is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women's Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter),LinkedIn, or Instagram and "Like" us on Facebook.