Abstract
In this research note, we bring clarity to the concept of empathy in design research by discussing issues in its conceptualization and operationalization. We review literature to identify and clarify the core concepts of empathy and to showcase its potential operationalizations, borrowing from closely related fields of social psychology and neuroscience. We identify five core concepts: empathic understanding, empathic design research, empathic design action, empathic orientation, and empathic mental processes. We also identify six potential operationalizations: empathic tendencies, beliefs about empathy, emotion recognition, understanding mental contents, shared feelings, and prosocial responding. By combining the core concepts and operationalizations, we provide a frame of operation for future empathy research in design. • Core concepts of empathy in design are proposed to clarify its definition. • Empirical indicators for empathy are reviewed to support future research. • Many identified empirical indicators are not directly applicable in the design context. • Our review and conceptual clarification provide basis for transparent scientific discourse.
Highlights
Conceptualizations of empathyCurrent conceptualizations of empathy range from “a value to aspire to, cultivate and reinforce” (Heylighen & Dong, 2019, p. 108) to “a professional state” and “a communication process” (Strobel et al, 2013, p. 154), including related constructs, such as empathic design and its various tools to understand users and make design decisions (Koskinen, Mattelm€aki, & Battarbee, 2003)
In this research note, we bring clarity to the concept of empathy in design research by discussing issues in its conceptualization and operationalization
Current conceptualizations of empathy range from “a value to aspire to, cultivate and reinforce” (Heylighen & Dong, 2019, p. 108) to “a professional state” and “a communication process” (Strobel et al, 2013, p. 154), including related constructs, such as empathic design and its various tools to understand users and make design decisions (Koskinen, Mattelm€aki, & Battarbee, 2003). This plurality of definitions would benefit from clarification, lest research efforts remain scattered and empathy research in design could reach the messiness of psychology, where “there are perhaps as many definitions as there are authors in the field” (Cuff, Brown, Taylor, & Howat, 2014, p. 144)
Summary
Current conceptualizations of empathy range from “a value to aspire to, cultivate and reinforce” (Heylighen & Dong, 2019, p. 108) to “a professional state” and “a communication process” (Strobel et al, 2013, p. 154), including related constructs, such as empathic design and its various tools to understand users and make design decisions (Koskinen, Mattelm€aki, & Battarbee, 2003). While these mental processes are primarily studied in psychology, several design researchers have acknowledged their existence These include Kouprie and Visser (2009) discussing whether designers should imagine themselves in users’ situations or rather the user in the user’s situation, and various papers (ChangArana et al, 2020; Hess & Fila, 2016; Smeenk, Sturm, & Eggen, 2019a; Walther et al, 2017) describing how empathy is an interplay between affective and cognitive dimensions. It is known that the development of empathic understanding involves other elements, such as personal and interpersonal factors, but we leave these factors outside this note
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