College students’ aesthetic affection and prosocial behaviour: The role of empathy

Two studies were conducted to explore the influence of college students’ aesthetic affection on prosocial behaviour and the role of empathy. In Study 1, 343 college students completed the Chinese College Students Aesthetic Affection Questionnaire (CCSAAQ), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-C), and the Measure of Prosocial Tendencies (PTM-C). The results showed that students with higher aesthetic affection and trait empathy also had higher prosocial behaviour. Trait empathy partially mediated the relationship between aesthetic affection and prosocial behaviour. More specifically, aesthetic affection can directly promote prosocial behaviour and can indirectly promote prosocial behaviour through trait empathy. In Study 2, 121 students completed a behavioural “Dictator Game” experiment (two factors between-subject design) with manipulation of aesthetic affection (high group/low group) and state empathy (induction group/control group) to investigate effects on helping behaviour. The results suggested that induction state empathy and high aesthetic affection can lead to more helping behaviour (donation amount) and that state empathy can promote the helping behaviour of college students with low aesthetic affection. Based these findings, we conclude that empathy plays an important role in strengthening the relationship between aesthetic affection and prosocial behaviour.