Why are we more likely to offer help to a specific individual than a vague group?
Identifiable Victim Effect
, explained.What is the Identifiable Victim Effect?
The identifiable victim effect describes the likelihood that we feel greater empathy, and an urge to help, in situations where tragedies are about a specific, identifiable individual, compared to situations where the victims are a larger, vaguer group of people.
Where this bias occurs
Imagine coming across the following two stories when browsing a news website:
Children all deserve basic human needs and a happy healthy life. However, this is not the case for many young children across Africa. Over 26 million children are struggling because of starvation, causing them to be in chronic pain and to be emotionally and physically stunted. Your help is needed to overcome this tragic situation. Make a donation today.
Children all deserve basic human needs and a happy healthy life. However, this is not the case for Jimmy Kimathi. Jimmy is only 12 years old and struggles because of starvation. He has difficulty concentrating in school and doesn’t look like the rest of his classmates because of stunted growth. Jimmy needs your help to overcome his tragic situation. Make a donation today.
According to the identifiable victim effect, we are more likely to be motivated to help Jimmy, a single individual who is starving, than the 26 million children who we read about in the first story. Although the suffering is greater in the first story, our emotions are triggered by Jimmy’s story, causing us to be more likely to offer help.