Empathy and Covid-19. Does empathy lead to show prosocial behaviour and make morally better choices?

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, grade: 1,3, University of Kent, language: English, abstract: This essay examines whether empathy leads both individuals as well as social groups to show prosocial behaviour and make morally better choices. ¿We have an empathy deficit.¿ That quote is from Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Empathy refers to processes through which people respond to others¿ emotions. Initially empathy was seen by the general population as something worth striving for. However, this view was recently challenged by the American psychologist Paul Bloom by stating ¿The problems we face as a society and as individuals are rarely due to lack of empathy. Actually, they are often due to too much of it.¿ Research indicates that individuals who make decisions based on empathy are often biased and irrational. According to this perspective increasing empathy in the population will not solve social problems, but rather have a negative effect on society.