Americans aren’t bad at walking in each other’s shoes.
So says a Michigan State University study the Daily News got an advance look at that ranks 63 countries by empathy. So how’d the U.S. do? A decent No. 7. Ecuador is the most empathic nation. Lithuania the least.
The study, published online in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, is the first to look at empathy on a nation-by-nation basis. It analyzed data from online surveys completed by more than 104,000 people from around the world. These questionnaires asked subjects broadly about generosity and compassion, like if they volunteered time for an organization or helped a stranger who needed aid, as well as happiness and satisfaction.
“We linked the responses of people from all different countries to our measure of empathy,” lead author William Chopik, an assistant professor of psychology at MSU, tells the Daily News. He looks at America's top 10 rank with guarded optimism. Previous studies have shown a downward trend in empathy in the U.S. Social media, increases in violence and changing family practices will all make an impact. These new findings, he says, are a “snapshot of what empathy looks like right now.” Stay tuned.
Quote:
The top 10 most emphatic countries:
Ecuador
Saudi Arabia
Peru
Denmark
United Arab Emirates
Korea
United States
Taiwan
Costa Rica
Kuwait
Empathy means different things to different cultures. it's socially constructed you know? that's why nations that are pretty brutal or seem to be un empathetic to us are on the top of the list because they prob answered the questionnaire with their own idea of empathy...empathy to saudis could be that they help one another financially, give charity etc...but that does not mean they are empathetic to women's struggles or homosexuality etc..
The results makes sense given the criteria. I imagine some of those countries maybe have "help those in need" as overreaching messages in their faith, so they at least believe it to be a thing one should do, and charity is a big concept in the US.
The results makes sense given the criteria. I imagine some of those countries maybe have "help those in need" as overreaching messages in their faith, so they at least believe it to be a thing one should do, and charity is a big concept in the US.
not surprised!