#12050. Empathy, Deservingness, and Preferences for Welfare Assistance: A Large-Scale Online Perspective-Taking Experiment

August 2026publication date
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Journal’s subject area:
Sociology and Political Science;
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Abstract:
Online experiments have demonstrated great potential in reducing prejudice towards the disadvantaged (refugees or Roma). These experiments trigger empathy and evoke compassion. Meanwhile, literature argues that compassion towards the poor is an important predictor of support for social welfare. This paper assumes that perspective-taking with the poor could increase support for welfare assistance. The results suggest that participants engaged with the perspective-taking exercise wrote essays expressing strong emotions, but perspective-taking had no meaningful causal effect on general attitudes towards social welfare. The research results indicate that perspective-taking with a poor deserving individual does not necessarily reduce stereotypes about the poor; nor does it change views towards redistributive policies.
Keywords:
Deservingness; Empathy; Perspective-taking; Redistribution; Welfare attitudes

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