Compassion fade is the tendency to experience a decrease in empathy as the number of people in need of aid increases. This cognitive bias has significant implications for prosocial behavior, where helping actions diminish in the face of large numbers of victims. Coined by psychologist Paul Slovic, the term illustrates how compassion can weaken as situations involve larger groups of individuals suffering, leading to what is known as 'compassion collapse.'
For instance, when observing images or reports of a single child in need, many people feel compelled to help. However, as soon as the number of children in similar situations rises to two or more, people's empathy and willingness to provide aid often diminish significantly.
To counteract compassion fade, individuals can be encouraged to visualize the suffering of individuals or to focus on specific stories instead of generalized statistics, thereby fostering a personal connection to each victim's plight.