EmPath: Harnessing Empathy as a Pathway to Resilience in Behavioural Responses to Shocks

Objective

EmPath studies how individuals build resilience to major life shocks—economic hardship, environmental disasters, and health crises—by integrating insights from behavioral economics and psychology, in particular theory of mind, and strategic perspective-taking. The project advances a framework that combines the “empathy gap” literature with models of strategic reasoning. The central hypothesis is that resilience can be fostered when individuals recognise the transience of current emotional states and anticipate both their own future states and the perspectives of others, via empathy. Methodologically, the project employs controlled laboratory experiments to identify mechanisms and large-scale representative online studies to test behavioural interventions. At the individual level, EmPath designs exercises that cultivate foresight and self-empathy to mitigate maladaptive post-shock choices. At the policy level, it develops communication strategies that sustain long-term support for health and environmental policies despite short-term disruptions. Hosted at Universitat Pompeu Fabra under the supervision of Prof. Rosemarie Nagel, the fellowship provides cutting-edge training in experimental design, modelling, and dissemination. By bridging theory and applied interventions, EmPath delivers insights for science, policy, and society—supporting EU priorities on resilience, climate adaptation, and public health, while enhancing democratic stability and individual well-being.