Abstract
The ability to empathize with other people is a critical component of human social relationships. Empathic processing varies across the human population, however it is currently unclear how personality traits are associated with empathic processing. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that specific personality traits are associated with behavioral and biological indicators of improved empathy. Extraversion and Agreeableness are personality traits designed to measure individual differences in social-cognitive functioning, however each trait-dimension includes elements that represent interpersonal social functioning and elements that do not represent interpersonal social functioning. We tested the prediction that interpersonal elements of Extraversion (Warmth) and Agreeableness (Altruism) are associated with empathy and non-interpersonal elements of Extraversion and Agreeableness are not associated with empathy. We quantified empathic processing behaviorally (empathic accuracy task using video vignettes) and within the brain (fMRI and an emotional perspective taking task) in 50 healthy subjects. Converging evidence shows that highly warm and altruistic people are well skilled in recognizing the emotional states of other people and exhibit greater activity in brain regions important for empathy (temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex) during emotional perspective taking. A mediation analysis further supported the association between warm-altruistic personality and empathic processing; indicating that one reason why highly warm-altruistic individuals may be skilled empathizers is that they engage the temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex more. Together, these findings advance the way the behavioral and neural basis of empathy is understood and demonstrates the efficacy of personality scales to measure individual differences in interpersonal social function.
Highlights
What makes one person better at empathy than another? Empathy is the ability to share or recognize emotions experienced by another person [1,2]
We performed an analysis with domain scores for Extraversion and Agreeableness each entered as independent variables and empathic accuracy entered as the dependent variable
The results of this analysis indicated that the Assertiveness, Excitement-seeking, Straightforwardness and Modesty facets were not associated with empathic accuracy (E3: p = .88, E5: p = .19, A4: p = .17, A5: p = .23)
Summary
What makes one person better at empathy than another? Empathy is the ability to share or recognize emotions experienced by another person [1,2]. Personality and Empathy two trait-dimensions often associated with prosociability in general: Extraversion and Agreeableness. Both Extraversion and Agreeableness contain a diverse set of elements; some elements of Extraversion and Agreeableness represent the tendency to be prosocial while other elements do not [3,4]. The trait-dimensions within the Big 5 model of personality are designed to measure stable cognitive, social and affective tendencies throughout the human lifespan [5,6]. Extraversion is a trait that generally characterizes the tendency towards social motivation, reward sensitivity and excitement seeking [7,8]. This mixed pattern of results suggests that there may be some elements of Extraversion the Agreeableness that correspond to empathic processing, while some elements do not
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