Does Empathy Matter? Measuring the Effect of Empathy on Immigration Policy Attitudes

• In Event: Attitudes About Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice Policy

Abstract

Although American’s attitudes toward immigration and immigrants have generally improved in recent years, many are still dissatisfied and argue immigration makes the effects of drugs, crime, and taxes worse. Prior research finds that socio-cognitive factors, such as empathy, underlie the development of these attitudes and can thus be used to reduce racial or generalized prejudice toward immigration and immigrants. To explore this possibility, the current study embedded a priming experiment in a survey of 331 U.S. adults to examine the effect of empathy on their immigration policy attitudes. Results reveal that (1) empathetic people have less punitive opinions toward immigration policy and (2) priming participants to empathy may be an effective way to reduce their prejudice against immigrants. Furthermore, increasing empathy for immigrants among the American public may be a first step to help mitigate the struggles they and their families face daily as they assimilate into America. With recent projections revealing that immigrants and their descendants are expected to account for 88 percent of the U.S. population by 2065, it is important that scholars continue to study and offer insight into how to reduce negative attitudes toward immigrants. Policy implications of this research will be discussed.

Authors

• Haley Puddy, University of Texas at Dallas

• Alexander Burton, University of Texas at Dallas