"[Our study] suggests the film made participants either more willing or more capable of understanding another human being despite societal stigmas against them. This is more than a fleeting feeling, but a skill," said Marianne Reddan, a cognitive scientist at Stanford University, US, who co-led the study.
"It tells us that exposing people to the personal experiences of people who live very different lives from their own is essential for the development of healthy communities and healthy political structures," Reddan added.
"After watching Just Mercy, participants had increased empathy test scores towards men who had been in jail. These effects were found in politically left- and right-leaning participants alike."
"This study measured more than the feeling of empathy, but also participants' capacity to understand the emotions of a formerly incarcerated person."
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