Is Gen Z an empathic generation?
Previous research suggests that empathy and caring for other groups can be cultivated by social ideals and relationships with people. Our research examines family importance and religious importance as correlates of empathic concern, perspective-taking, and generativity – all motives of activism and prosociality – among a sample of young adults (N = 722). Given the ethnic-racial diversity of the emerging adult cohorts represented by the Millennials and Generation Z, the moderating role of racial group membership is explored as well.
Family importance is positively associated with empathic concern, perspective taking, and generativity for the overall sample, though the relationship is particularly strong for non-Hispanic Whites. Religious importance is significantly related to empathic concern and generativity (not perspective taking), primarily among people of color.
Due to the increasing visibility of victimization and violence towards groups of color, it is important to understand how attitudes oriented towards helping and empathizing with others are fostered. Implications for further research are discussed.