Increasing outgroup liking through empathy: the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingConference contributionResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Lysann Zander
  • Jannika Haase
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings
Subtitle of host publicationLecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering
EditorsAnthony L. Brooks, Domna Banakou, Slavica Ceperkovic
Pages219-227
Number of pages9
Publication statusPublished - 8 Jul 2025

Publication series

NameLecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST
Volume650 LNICST
ISSN (Print)1867-8211
ISSN (electronic)1867-822X

Abstract

This preregistered experimental study (N = 83) examined the impact of background music on perceived empathy towards, and, subsequently, liking of an immigrant child in a non-immigrant sample of 5 th to 10 th graders. Students watched a video in which an immigrant child described the challenging experiences upon arrival in the host country and what helped in overcoming these difficulties. Confirming our prediction, we found background music (vs. no background music) to be a positive predictor of empathy towards the child, which, in turn, predicted liking of the child. When testing the indirect effect of empathy as a mediator in the relationship between music and liking, we found a significant full mediation. Our findings provide first evidence that background music may be used to enhance the positive effect of immigrant children’s narrative videos on non-immigrants’ attitudes towards these children by increasing non-immigrants’ levels of empathy. Implications for intervention programs are discussed.

Keywords

    Music, Empathy, Outgroup attitudes, Liking, Immigrant students

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Increasing outgroup liking through empathy: the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students. / Zander, Lysann; Haase, Jannika.
ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering. ed. / Anthony L. Brooks; Domna Banakou; Slavica Ceperkovic. 2025. p. 219-227 (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; Vol. 650 LNICST).

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingConference contributionResearchpeer review

Zander, L & Haase, J 2025, Increasing outgroup liking through empathy: the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students. in AL Brooks, D Banakou & S Ceperkovic (eds), ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST, vol. 650 LNICST, pp. 219-227. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97254-6_16
Zander, L., & Haase, J. (2025). Increasing outgroup liking through empathy: the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students. In A. L. Brooks, D. Banakou, & S. Ceperkovic (Eds.), ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering (pp. 219-227). (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST; Vol. 650 LNICST). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-97254-6_16
Zander L, Haase J. Increasing outgroup liking through empathy: the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students. In Brooks AL, Banakou D, Ceperkovic S, editors, ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering. 2025. p. 219-227. (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-97254-6_16
Zander, Lysann ; Haase, Jannika. / Increasing outgroup liking through empathy : the catalyzing role of background music in narrative videos of immigrant students. ArtsIT, Interactivity and Game Creation - 13th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2024, Proceedings: Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering. editor / Anthony L. Brooks ; Domna Banakou ; Slavica Ceperkovic. 2025. pp. 219-227 (Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST).
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