Much HCI research on prompting prosocial behaviors focuses on methods for increasing empathy. However, increased empathy may have unintended negative consequences. Our work offers an alternative solution that encourages critical reflection for nurturing compassion, which involves motivation and action to help others. In a between-subject experiment, participants (N=60) viewed a climate change documentary while receiving no prompts (CON), reflective prompts to focus on their emotions (RE) or surprises (RS). State compassion, critical reflection, and motivation to act or learn were measured at the end of the session (post-video) and two weeks later (follow-up). Despite participants' condition not affecting compassion, critical reflection was positively correlated with post-video state compassion. RE and RS participants demonstrated deeper reflection and reported higher motivation to learn post-video, and more prosocial behavioral changes during follow-up. RS participants reported better follow-up recall than RE participants. We conclude by discussing implications on designing technology to support compassion and longer-term critical reflection.

翻译：许多人机交互领域关于激发亲社会行为的研究聚焦于增强共情的方法。然而，共情的增强可能带来意想不到的负面后果。我们的工作提供了一种替代方案，即通过鼓励批判性反思来培养同情心——这涉及帮助他人的动机与行动。在一项被试间实验中，参与者（N=60）观看了一部气候变化纪录片，期间分别未收到任何提示（CON组）、收到聚焦情绪的反思提示（RE组）或收到聚焦惊喜的反思提示（RS组）。实验结束后（视频后）和两周后（后续追踪）分别测量了状态同情心、批判性反思、行动或学习动机。尽管实验条件未对同情心产生显著影响，但批判性反思与视频后的状态同情心呈正相关。RE组和RS组参与者表现出更深刻的反思，并在视频后报告了更高的学习动机，同时在后续追踪中表现出更多的亲社会行为变化。RS组参与者在后续追踪中的回忆效果优于RE组。最后，我们讨论了这些发现对设计支持同情心与长期批判性反思技术的启示。