Akbari, Sophia (2025) Empathy as a Mediator Between Attitudes Toward Refugees and Pro-Refugee Action Intentions. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
This study examined whether empathy mediates the relationship between attitudes toward refugees and behavioral intentions in response to an intergroup transgression. Previous research has shown that attitudes strongly shape both emotional and behavioral responses to refugee-related events, yet the role of empathy as an underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this experiment, 417 European participants were randomly assigned to read a fabricated news article depicting either refugees or local citizens as victims of violence. Focusing on the condition where refugees were the victims (N= 211), we examined whether empathy mediates the effect of attitudes on pro-refugee action intentions. The results showed that participants with more positive attitudes toward refugees experienced stronger emotional reactions, reported higher empathy toward refugees, and expressed greater willingness to support them. Importantly, empathy fully mediated the association between attitudes and pro-refugee action intentions. These findings suggest that empathy is a key driver of supportive behavior, but its presence depends on existing attitudes toward refugees. Understanding these emotional pathways can help inform strategies aimed at fostering more constructive public responses to refugee-related issues.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Gordijn, E.H. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Jul 2025 08:30 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Jul 2025 08:30 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5532 |
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