Relation of Empathy and Self-Esteem to Active Participation in Finnish Baseball

Abstract

The aim of the study was to survey the connection of empathy and self-esteem with active Finnish baseball playing which is nonviolent team play requiting affective and intellectual capacities and cooperation. The 1381 subjects, aged from 8 to 16 yr., were from the teams who had attended three national training camps. All were given the modified Mehrabian and Epstein Emotional Empathy Test, the Battle Self-esteem Scale, the Osborn and Harris Assertiveness Scale, and the Emmons Narcissism Scale. Empathy, self-esteem, and self-assertiveness seem to increase with age. Girls are more empathetic and more sensitive than boys. There are no sex differences in self-esteem; however, boys are more narcissistic than girls. The subjects became increasingly narcissistic and self-assertive but less sensitive with the years spent in active Finnish baseball training. No effect on total empathy scores was found, although the self-esteem increased with years of playing.