Exploring the Association Between Empathy and Congruent Selective Exposure

• In Event: Selective Exposure and Its Influences

Abstract

The current investigation explores the association between empathy and selective exposure. It is argued that people anticipate that if they read or see messages that do not accord with their ideology, they will be exposed to depictions of suffering of the other political side. Those who tend to be empathetic will expect to feel dissonance as a result. Given the fact that people try to avoid dissonance, it is hypothesized that more empathetic audiences will be more likely to expose themselves to congruent news sources. This hypothesis is tested in two studies (Study 1, N= 213; Study 2, N = 787), both utilized two measures of exposure and two measures of empathy. The results provide partial support for the hypothesis.

Author

• Yariv Tsfati, U of Haifa