Empathy During Crises: Investigating Attitudes, Tolerance, and Ingroup-Outgroup Dynamics in Response to Refugee Movements.

Objective: In times of societal crises, it is pivotal to understand and share others' feelings. Yet, the role of empathy in fostering prosocial responses during societal crises has not gained enough attention. Our study uses the onset of Russia's war on Ukraine to examine three key questions: (1) Is empathy related to attitudes toward pro-refugee policies? (2) Does empathy correlate with a higher tolerance for diverse opinions on refugee policies? (3) Is empathy linked to perceived interpersonal closeness toward social in- and outgroups, including refugees?

Methods And Results: Using observational data from online surveys conducted with a largely representative quota sample from Germany (N = 1199-1631) during the initial months of the war, we found that empathy was associated with significantly higher support of pro-refugee policies, driven primarily by empathic concern.

Can a beautiful smile win the vote?: .

Several empirical studies have linked political candidates' electoral success to their physical appearance. We reexamine the effects of candidates' physical attractiveness by taking into account emotional facial expressions as measured by automated facial recognition software. The analysis is based on an observational case study of candidate characteristics in the 2017 German federal election.

Displays of emotion and citizen support for Merkel and Gysi.

Emotional appeals have always been an important instrument in the mobilization of political support in modern societies. As found in several experimental studies from the United States, the emotions displayed by leading politicians in their televised public appearances have an impact on the political attitudes and behaviors of the public. Positive emotions such as joy or happiness, pride, and amusement elicit a more positive assessment of politicians, whereas showing negative emotions such as anger or outrage often diminishes the public's support.