A child begins to cry when the mother refuses to buy a doll that the child liked. Hearing the child's cries, the mother becomes distressed. The mother buys the doll to reduce the child's distress. According to Batson's empathy-altruism hypothesis, the mother's decision to buy the doll is due to ________ motivation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Batson's empathy-altruism hypothesis suggests that when we feel empathy for another person, we are motivated to help them out of a genuine concern for their welfare, rather than for selfish reasons. In this scenario, the mother buys the doll to alleviate her child's distress, indicating an empathic motivation.

A Child Begins to Cry When the Mother Refuses to Buy