Lying Because We Care: Compassion Increases Prosocial Lying

Prosocial lies, or lies intended to benefit others, are ubiquitous behaviors that have important social and economic consequences. Though emotions play a central role in many forms of prosocial behavior, no work has investigated how emotions influence behavior when one has the opportunity to tell a prosocial lie-a situation that presents a conflict between two prosocial ethics: lying to prevent harm to another, and honesty, which might also provide benefits to the target of the lie. Here, we examine whether the emotion of compassion influences prosocial lying, and find that compassion causally increases and positively predicts prosocial lying. In Studies 1 and 2, participants evaluated a poorly written essay and provided feedback to the essay writer. Experimentally induced compassion felt toward the essay writer (Study 1) and individual differences in trait compassion (Study 2) were positively associated with inflated feedback to the essay writer. In both of these studies, the relationship between compassion and prosocial lying was partially mediated by an enhanced importance placed on preventing emotional harm. In Study 3, we found moderation such that experimentally induced compassion increased lies that resulted in financial gains for a charity, but not lies that produced financial gains for the self. This research illuminates the emotional underpinnings of the common yet morally complex behavior of prosocial lying, and builds on work highlighting the potentially harmful effects of compassion-an emotion typically seen as socially beneficial. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Peer‐based comparison and firms' discretionary cost decisions

This study investigates whether firms engage in peer-based benchmarking in their decision-making regarding selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) for a large sample of U.S. listed firms. Peer-based comparison relates to comparing own performance against the performance of a meaningful reference group of other firms. SG&A are to a large extent discretionary, but optimal levels of (relative) SG&A are hard to assess. Based on the behavioural theory of the firm and institutional theory, we argue that peer-based comparison is likely to be an important input to managers' SG&A decision processes. Results show that peer-based comparison significantly drives changes in firms' reported SG&A. In addition, the effect of peer-based comparison is found to depend on the firm's life cycle stage. Findings further indicate that peer-based comparison has a significantly stronger effect in reference groups characterised by high(er) SG&A similarity. Results are robust to using several industry classification systems, as well as, multiple approaches to identify firm life cycles

Thin-slicing study of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and the evaluation and expression of the prosocial disposition

Individuals who are homozygous for the G allele of the rs53576 SNP of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene tend to be more prosocial than carriers of the A allele. However, little is known about how these differences manifest behaviorally and whether they are readily detectable by outside observers, both critical questions in theoretical accounts of prosociality. In the present study, we used thin-slicing methodology to test the hypotheses that (i) individual differences in rs53576 genotype predict how prosocial observers judge target individuals to be on the basis of brief observations of behavior, and (ii) that variation in targets’ nonverbal displays of affiliative cues would account for these judgment differences. In line with predictions, we found that individuals homozygous for the G allele were judged to be more prosocial than carriers of the A allele. These differences were completely accounted for by variations in the expression of affiliative cues. Thus, individual differences in rs53576 are associated with behavioral manifestations of prosociality, which ultimately guide the judgments others make about the individual

EMERGENT ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY FOR COMPASSION

Our model of emergent organizational capacity for compassion proposes that organizations can develop the capacity for compassion without formal direction. Relying on a framework from complexity science, we describe how the system conditions of agent diversity, interdependent roles, and social interactions enhance the likelihood of self-organizing around an individual response to a pain trigger. When agents then modify their roles to incorporate compassionate responding, their interactions amplify responses, changing the system, and a new order emerges: organizational capacity for compassion. In this new order the organization\u27s structure, culture, routines, and scanning mechanisms incorporate compassionate responding and can influence future responses to pain triggers

The neurobiology of resilience

Neuroscience makes possible a new understanding of human nature. The practice of medicine is particularly stressful, and neuroscience helps explain why this is the case. When work is demanding and recovery poor, persistent stress begins to distort our view of ourselves, our patients, and our working world. Empathic doctors are safer, more effective and happier in their work, yet empathy fades as stress levels rise and this fuels the journey into ‘burnout’. If an unrelenting flight-or-fight mode makes us cognitively slower, less able to be empathic and communicative, family medicine turns into an overwhelming uphill struggle. Can this downward spiral be reversed? Resilience varies over time, depending on the balance of positive and negative influences; many of these needs being determined by our evolutionary heritage. A better grasp of current ideas about the interpersonal neurobiology of stress, emotion, social engagement and empathy can help us make sense of our predicament and find ways to embark on personal, organisational and cultural change. In challenging and stressful circumstances, if we can cultivate self-care and self-awareness, core values, and specially the ability to self-soothe, we may give ourselves a better chance to flourish both individually and as a profession