The Effects of Incidental Empathy on Outgroup Perception

Integral empathy (that stems from and is intrinsic to the outgroup) has been extensively studied in intergroup relations. In contrast, incidental empathy (that stems from factors unrelated and is extrinsic to the outgroup) still needs to be explored. In Study 1, we tested the effects of incidental empathy on outgroup perception, while in Study 2, we verified if the effects of incidental empathy on outgroup perception may be due to integral empathy felt toward it. Results show that evoking incidental empathy improves outgroup perception, which is perceived as more competent and sociable. Moreover, the positive effects of incidental empathy are partially due to the integral empathy felt toward the outgroup.