Empathic Concern Drives Pro-sociality Following Social Exclusion: The Moderating Role of Social Distance

A large body of research has demonstrated that social exclusion undermines empathy and prosocial behavior, with empathy serving as a key motivator of prosocial actions. However, it remains unclear which specific component plays a central role in the link between social exclusion and prosocial behavior. In Study 1, it was found that cognitive empathy and empathetic concern mediated the relationship between social exclusion and prosocial behavior tendencies. Additionally, according to the goal-driven resource allocation theory, individuals determine whether to engage in prosocial behavior based on the likelihood that their need to belong will be fulfilled, with social distance being one key criterion for this judgment. Therefore, Study 2 examined how social distance moderates the relationships among social exclusion, empathy, and prosocial behavior. Results showed that prosocial behavior was promoted in close social distance conditions, but inhibited in distant social distances, due to a reduction in empathetic concern. These findings highlight the pivotal role of empathetic concern in the link between social exclusion and prosocial behavior and demonstrate that social distance moderates this effect.