It takes only a few seconds to find the most current statistics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. One can easily look up the total number of cases, total number of deaths, new cases per day, positivity rate, etc. These statistics are available on a global, national, and local scale. Information is certainly power, but when it comes to the power to help each other and act effectively during these difficult times, statistics can contribute to one particular problem: compassion fade. 

Compassion fade is a well-accepted and documented psychological and neurological phenomenon that causes the empathy felt toward an individual victim to be greater than the empathy felt towards two or more victims [1]. While empathy alone may not be that impactful, empathy is a powerful motivation to engage in altruistic behavior. The practical effects of compassion fade include the amount of money people are willing to donate to causes and, most relevant right now, how likely they are to change their behavior. 

There are two aspects to compassion fade: the singularity affect and the identifiability effect. 

• The singularity affect: the tendency to help a single victim is greater than the tendency to help multiple victims

• The identifiability effect (or identifiable victim effect): the tendency to help an identifiable victim is greater than the tendency to help an unidentifiable victim [1]

An example of these effects is when the world erupted in outrage and heartbreak when a photo of 3-year-old Alan Kurdi was taken as he lay deceased on a beach after his ship, filled with other Syrian refugees, sank. Less than a year later, more than 700 refugees drowned on a single day, but this event failed to garner the same amount of media attention [2]. When we can put a face and a story behind a cause, we experience stronger feelings of empathy and compassion, and this makes us more likely to take action, whether that means donating to a cause, informing ourselves, or acting in the interest of the greater good. 

Compassion fade is not the result of social conditioning or a society’s value system. It is a universal human phenomenon whose root cause lies in the way our brains process information about individuals versus groups. Studies have shown that the core empathy network, the part of the brain responsible for producing empathic responses, is much more engaged when processing stories about one person than stories about many people (ex: a news story about a community member who struggled with COVID-19 vs. a news story about a new record-breaking COVID-19 statistic)². In other words, our brains are responsible for how compassionately we react to information, and we naturally react more compassionately to individuals than groups. 

Individuals should be held responsible for their actions, but it is important to remember that the way information about COVID-19 is presented impacts the likelihood of an individual or community to take action. News channels rarely show footage of those hospitalized with the virus or share stories of individuals who have lost their lives to it, for fear of upsetting viewers or to protect the privacy of the victims. This kind of information is not as palatable as graphs and statistics, but it is far more potent and effective in spurring individuals to take action in the fight against COVID-19. 

Being aware of compassion fade is not a remedy for it. There is no easy way to rewire our brains to respond differently. But that does not mean we are powerless. We must continue to stay informed, but we need to seek more information than just the newest statistics and encourage others to do the same. Whenever possible, practice compassion and empathy. It’s a more powerful resource than we realize. 

Written by Sarah Stuetz

References:

Västfjäll, D., Slovic, P., Mayorga, M., & Peters, E. (2014). Compassion Fade: Affect and Charity Are Greatest for a Single Child in Need. PLoS ONE, 9(6). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100115

Ye, Z., Heldmann, M., Slovic, P., & Münte, T. F. (2020). Brain imaging evidence for why we are numbed by numbers. Scientific Reports,10(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66234-z