You may see people who are in trouble, and the emotions (if you are not a psychopath) triggered by that are the same in all of us. But whether that makes you intervene or not for helping a person in need is another issue.

A new research made by psychologist Lidewij Niezink, from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, has attempted to solve the connection between empathy and altruism. It appears that our altruism towards friends is caused by pure empathy, while we help relatives because we expect reciprocity.

The levels of empathy (how much you sympathize and identify with a character) in the subjects were assessed (via a questionnaire) after being presented the story of a young woman bound to a wheelchair after an accident.

"We all compare ourselves with the people around us, but some people do this more than others. When the people in this group compare themselves with someone in a worse position, they often experience negative emotions such as tension, agitation, anxiety and irritation," said Niezink.

The negative feelings appear actually to express empathy, involving the subject with the victim and identifying with him/her. When empathetic feelings were assessed in report with friends and family members, the specter was very different.
"People help friends out of feelings of empathy, but they help family members because they have expectations about reciprocation," said Niezink.

Thus, empathy does not express primarily in family relationships, and this is more logical than the long assumed and pretended concept.

"When you move house, it's always your brother who comes to help. You can usually rely on family. We do not choose our families, but we do choose our friends. We feel a greater sense of connection with friends, so feelings of empathy are more important," said Niezink.

The "altruistic choice model"

Niezink points that many studies investigating "empathy" analyzed different behavioral reactions, that's why she made an "altruistic choice model." Subjects are presented the suffering, and the exposure triggers subconscious, uncontrollable feelings of empathy.

This moment can be followed by sympathizing/identifying with the character, concern or "softheartedness". These are responses that can be controlled and influenced. They can cause compassion and altruism, by making the subject understand the suffering of the other and triggering the desire for help.

"Altruism is a choice and something that we can actively cultivate when we observe others in need," said Niezink.
In our social species, altruism should be more prevalent.

"Altruism makes the world a more pleasant place. Some people say, therefore, that helping others is based on selfish motives. If you help someone and it has positive consequences for you, that does not mean to say that your underlying motives are not altruistic," said Niezink.