ABSTRACT
I t has been said that feeling is for doing. Emotional arousal is a “call to action” that can elicit behavioral responses where dispassionate analysis might not. Decisions about donating resources to alleviate humanitarian suffering are no exception: sympathetic emotions, affective reactions in response to others’ suffering, can exert powerful influence over decisions to help others. Emotions are thus helpful determinants of helping behavior (e.g., Batson, 1990). Without such emotions, people may behave more selfishly and less altruistically.
