Concept Of Empathy Research Articles

The discrimination of self from other as a component of empathy.

Despite the centrality of empathy in human social life, there is no widely agreed definition or characterization of the concept of empathy. A common thread in many of the proposed definitions, however, is that empathy presupposes the discrimination of self and other on the grounds that, to empathize with another individual, the mental state of the target individual must first be distinguished from the empathizer's own mental state. The purpose of this study is to investigate this proposal empirically. We employed a paradigm in which participants rated the emotional valence and degree of arousal of 93 facial expressions of mental states. We asked participants to infer the mental state represented by each facial expression (the Other condition) as well as to describe the effect of the expression on their own mental state (the Self condition). An absolute difference score between the Other and the Self conditions was used as an index of a capacity for self-other discrimination. Empathy was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results show that individuals high in trait empathy discriminate between self and other to a significantly greater degree when judging mental states than individuals low in trait empathy. This suggests that the capacity for self-other discrimination may be a component of the capacity for empathy and that future investigations of the concept of empathy ought to retain it. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Empathy as a virtue: a Confucian interpretation and a tool to address anti-Asian hate crime

ABSTRACT This paper extends the dominant understandings of empathy – as a trait, state, communication or relationship – by conceptualising it as a virtue and as a tool to address anti-Asian hate crime. Drawing upon the writings of the Confucian philosopher Xunzi, this article interprets empathy as a personal quality that attests to one’s moral excellence. It is argued that Xunzi’s concept of empathy revolves around the ethical attributes of zhong (authenticity) and ren (humaneness). This article amplifies Xunzi’s formulation of empathy by applying it to anti-Asian hate crime in the U.S. The authors propose that Xunzian empathy is a powerful tool to address racism and violence towards Asians through two related and mutually reinforcing approaches: undoing fixation by identifying and eliminating racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination; and habituating humane conduct by internalising and exhibiting li (normative behaviour) towards fellow human beings. These two approaches and a Confucian construal of empathy as a virtue can be enacted in schools through the strategies of role-taking, empathetic pedagogy, and Global Citizenship Education curriculum.

Cuteness anthropomorphic purchase intention for unattractive products: The Mediating Role of Empathy

Consumers usually prefer products with perfect appearance and attractiveness, as well as reject unattractive and low-attractive products, which puts forward higher requirements and thresholds for brand marketing and product design. Anthropomorphism is an effective communication element. Anthropomorphism of cuteness refers to anthropomorphizing the image of children or babies and endowing them with personality traits. Previous studies have shown that cute anthropomorphism has a significant impact on the purchase intention of unattractive products by affecting consumers' empathy. Empathy refers to the emotional response of individuals to the emotional state or painful experience of others.
 This study is based on the realistic dilemma of unsalable unattractive products, combined with anthropomorphic marketing theory, and introduced the concept of empathy in the field of psychology. Aiming to study the impact of anthropomorphism on the purchase intention of unattractive products, and further test the mediating role of empathy and modulatory effects of cuteness elements, this study identifies the underlying psychological mechanisms that affect consumer empathy.

Towards a Clear and Fair Conceptualization of Empathy

ABSTRACT Empathy is operationalised and measured in various different ways in research. I have identified several trends in empathy research that have resulted in what I refer to as neurotypical gatekeeping of the concept of empathy. Narrow assumptions on the relationship between experiences and expressions have made the concept exclusive to those who are perceived as neurotypical. In several ways, this has biased our knowledge of empathy, especially regarding autism. This does not only invalidate autistic empathy, but also sustains a harmful and stigmatizing narrative of autism. In this paper, I expand on the neurotypical gatekeeping of empathy as a matter of epistemic injustice and argue why and how neurodiversity calls for a reconceptualization of empathy. I continue by building a proposal for a clear and fair notion of empathy. I argue that we need to settle the dispute on empathy and morality by accepting the value associated with empathy in society, and use an anti-discriminatory normative conceptualization accordingly. I propose to understand empathy as appropriately attending to experiential differences and similarities, balancing between – what I introduce as - distantism and proximism. I discuss conceptual and methodological implications of this approach to empathy, as well as its application to neurodiversity.

How Can the Literature on Phenomenology Inform the Teaching of Accurate Empathy in Social Work Practice?

The ability to demonstrate empathy is identified as a key social work attribute by the professional regulator and other professional bodies as well as in government guidance and the relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Statement. Empathy is strongly linked to the ability to learn from experience and, as such, has relevance beyond social work to higher education in general. This paper will focus on how a phenomenological approach to theorising empathy might provide a framework for the development of the social work curriculum. I argue that representational accounts of interpersonal understanding offer a conception of empathy that is both limited and hubristic. From a representational perspective, empathy involves making informed guesses about the experiences of other people, often described using the overused metaphor of ‘walking in their shoes’ (Lathrop & Parish 1895). In contrast, an enactivist understanding of interpersonal relations, based on a phenomenological approach, provides a more hopeful and socially just basis for social work practice. It also has clear implications for teaching approaches and curriculum design in social work education including a focus on the student- teacher relationship, embodied practice, and more effective use of simulation.

Évolution de l’empathie d’étudiants en 4e année de médecine après un module obligatoire de formation à la relation thérapeutique

IntroductionSome studies have reported a decline in medical students’ clinical empathy during their first-year internships. Empathic skills in doctor–patient relationships have proven to have substantial benefit on the physiological as well as psychological parameters, and on the patients’ and physicians’ satisfaction. A range of experiential and interactive training modules have the potential to limit this decline and even foster the development of empathy, and yet French medical schools do not routinely implement such non-technical training. Moreover, there is no consensus about the concept of empathy, and previous studies rarely coordinate their definition with the method chosen to implement how it is measured. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a training module that combines human simulations (simulated patient interviews and role-playing) and Balint groups in order to develop medical students’ empathy as a measured cognitive attribute, declarative knowledge, and their correlation. MethodsWe implemented a monocentric prospective study of fourth-year medical students from the Île-de-France area, which included pre/post-test assessment. First-year clinical interns initially completed five role-play sessions of one hour and a half each, with a group of 12 to 14 students led by a trained senior medical doctor. The sessions addressed successively issues of the doctor–patient relationship, breaking bad news scenarios, management of chronic conditions, violence and aggression, inappropriate treatment requests, or communication about medical errors. A pre-briefing session provided oral and written instruction and promoted a non-judgmental approach. Then two students role-played the doctor–patient interaction. Finally, a three-stage debriefing supported reflective learning. Subsequently, the students attended six Balint group sessions of one hour and a half each, within the same groups. One of the students was encouraged to bring up a challenging clinical situation. Then, the trained Balint supervisor invited all the students to share their observations, so as to explore the assumptions, beliefs and emotions raised by this account, and to collectively reframe the multiple perspectives on the case. At the end of the year, each student carried out two ten-minute consultations with a simulated patient, without an observer. The clinical scenarios were an HIV diagnosis disclosure and resisting a request for a prescription for antibiotics for a common cold. After each simulation, the simulated patient (SP) provided direct feedback to the student, with at times additional feedback given by their supervisor. The SP feedback was focused on empathy. The level of the medical students’ empathy was assessed using the self-reported Jefferson Scale of Empathy, which measures their declarative knowledge through multiple-choice questions. ResultsOf the 100 students who completed the empathy questionnaires, we found a statistically significant difference between the pre (108.8±11.9) and post-test (113.7±10.4; P<0.001). On the three JSPE-MS subscales, two students reported a statistically significant improvement (perspective taking; and the ability to put themselves in the patient's shoes). Of the 101 students who completed the knowledge questionnaires, we found a significant difference between the pre (2.3±1.1) and post-test (2.9±1.2; P<0.001). Moreover, a weak correlation was found (r=0.256) between improvements of empathy and knowledge assessments. DiscussionThese results in the French context are consistent with those reported in international literature on the benefits of implementing simulation training and Balint groups to limit the decline of empathy during the medical students’ first clinical internships. These results are further reinforced by the consistency between the definition of empathy and the implementation of a means to measure it as a cognitive dimension. The reliance on self-assessment of empathy might lessen the validity of these results and stresses the need for a wider multidimensional approach. The quality of the evidence is also limited by a monocentric, non-randomized and non-controlled design, which calls for further research. ConclusionThe use of human simulations combined with Balint groups seems to support the development of the cognitive empathy of medical students in the French context. Given the recent developments in remote learning worldwide to comply with social distancing measures, their online translation into role-played tele-consultations would appear to be a very topical opportunity, while also avoiding the inherent limitations of virtual reality to address non-technical skills.

Einfühlung – Interpretation – Einverstehende Apperzeption. versuch einer kritischen Erklärung der ersten Ausarbeitung einer Fremdwahrnehmungstheorie Edmund Husserls

"Empathy – Interpretation – (Interpreting) Apperception. Attempts to Explain Husserl’s First Steps Towards a Theory of Intersubjectivity. The aim of this paper is to investigate Husserl’s first steps towards a theory of intersubjectivity and his early attempts to solve the intricate questions pertaining to the constitution of alter ego. The starting point of this investigation is Husserl’s critical examination of the concept of empathy theorized by Th. Lipps and his contention that empathy cannot be a passive and rather quasi-instinctive activity of the ego, but must be grounded in a kind of analogy between my own body and that of the other. This first attempt to explain in phenomenological terms how an ego can be aware of and perceive other thigs as egos is marred by difficulties that force Husserl to constantly rethink the question of the constitution of the alter ego and propose new ways of conceiving the special kind of apperception that opens up the possibility of perceiving the others as alter egos. Keywords: pure ego, alter ego, empathy, embodiment, interpretation, apperception. "

Cross-Cultural Differences in Empathy and Relevant Factors

This paper aims to discuss cross-cultural empathy and ways to promote the development of empathy in various cultures. Empathy is considered one of the most indispensable traits in every society. However, the concept of empathy differs in different communities, due to social, cultural, and religious influences. According to Mencius, empathy contributes to the expansion of moral cultivation. A core concept in Confucianism, benevolence (Ren), represents the relationship between people. The practice of compassion requires the ability to conduct moral reasoning. The development of such an ability relies heavily on empathy. Since empathy is crucial to people’s daily life in developing critical skills and relationships, fostering empathy in different cultures is helpful. Even though empathy varies significantly in many ways among different cultures, it possesses some fundamental similarities in all of them. The Golden Rule is an excellent example of an ethical principle that could be found in almost all civilizations. Respecting the differences in various cultures, learning more about other cultures and their social norms, and avoiding talking about sensitive topics can help people become more empathetic.

Empathy: a case study in the historical epistemology of psychiatry.

The hybrid constitution of psychiatry carries important implications for understanding the discipline and the legitimacy of its research approaches. One implication concerns the central role of concepts in forming the knowledge base of psychiatry. Because of this, it is vital to explore the structures and interrelationships of concepts through their historical constitution. Using this approach to compare concepts of empathy as articulated by R Vischer, T Lipps and E Stein shows that, despite overlap, the concepts vary in structure, in meaning and in the aspect of reality they capture. This suggests that the concept of empathy carries an unstable ontology and epistemology. In turn, this carries implications for the concept itself, for psychiatry and for research approaches in this field.

The Simulated Witness: Empathy and Embodiment in VR Experiences of Former Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camps

Abstract: Virtual reality (VR) is being established as a new medium for Holocaust memory. This article argues that VR experiences, which allow users to visit reconstructed campsites or even to temporarily take on the role of a victim, are changing conceptions of witnessing the Holocaust by simulating primary witnessing. It shows that such a simulation ties in with a wish for immediacy in recent Holocaust memory, as well as with the idea of VR as an "empathy machine," with empathy being defined very narrowly as a mirroring of sensations and emotions. The article advocates that future VR experiences should be grounded in a more complex conception of empathy, one that highlights rather than collapses the social, racial and historical differences between individuals.

A New Pyramid Model of Empathy

Empathy and compassion have become a major focus for international research and appear to be important concepts in human development. There are several definitions and models of empathy and compassion available in the literature. Based on theoretical foundations, a new model of empathy – compassion - love is proposed in the present article. This new model emphasizes the evolution of the concept of empathy, which, at higher levels, takes the form of compassion, which will then be transformed into even higher universal love making empathy and compassion a creative and significant process for the gradual evolution of individuals. In addition, emphasis is placed on ICT tools that contribute to the development of empathy and compassion.

A stenography of empathy: Toward a consensual model of the empathic process

Empathy has gained popularity in the general population and the scientific world during the past decade. Recently, several researchers found a significant decrease in empathy scores of healthcare students (notably medical students) and recommend promoting empathy skills in several fields of education. The current paper presents a new model of the empathic process: a stenography of empathy compelling scientific data and contemporary conceptions. Indeed, we combined all pioneer researchers’ conceptions of empathy (Davis, Decety, Batson, Preston & de Waal) into an integrative model. This model is centered on the empathizer (i.e., a person observing a target experiencing emotions) and displays how all empathy components are articulated, explaining the individuals’ general functioning and how the process might become dysfunctional. We illustrated applications of the model with three clinical examples (i.e., burnout, psychopathy, and borderline personality disorders) to display how empathy is related to psychopathological symptoms. We believe this new dynamic and sequential model would be helpful in explaining how empathy works, which is of great interest to healthcare students, clinicians, researchers, and academics.

Testing the social mindfulness paradigm: Longitudinal evidence of its unidimensionality, reliability, validity, and replicability in a sample of health care providers.

Social mindfulness is a relatively new concept in psychological research and is attracting increasing attention. Recent studies have provided evidence of its relevance with regard to prosocial behavior and empathy, but also concerning individual well-being and psychological health. In such studies, social mindfulness has been assessed using the social mindfulness paradigm by Van Doesum and colleagues, which is the standard measure of social mindfulness to date. However, evidence is scarce or lacking with regard to whether this measurement approach is unidimensional, whether it produces (test-retest) reliable and valid measurements, and whether its associations with personality and empathy are replicable. To test these assumptions, we assessed a sample of 265 participants currently working in health care professions on social mindfulness, several concepts of empathy, and the HEXACO personality dimensions longitudinally at two measurement occasions. The results supported the assumption of unidimensionality of the measure. Partial support was found for its reliability, validity, and replicability. Test-retest reliability was acceptable, but the associations with personality and empathy turned out weaker than expected. The social mindfulness paradigm is an interesting approach toward understanding social mindfulness, meaning mindfulness of other people's needs. Potential directions for the further development of the social mindfulness paradigm and its network of relations, especially to empathy, are discussed.

Empathic Approaches for Supporting Black Students During Remote Learning

This article examined how elementary educators understood the experiences of Black students during remote learning and subsequently demonstrated empathy for Black students during the 2020–2021 academic year. While there is ample literature on the benefits of empathy on student outcomes, much of this research falls short in capturing the utility and complexity of empathy in remote settings. Moreover, much of the literature on empathy omits the role that identity plays in conceptualizations of empathy. Findings from this study suggest that in order for educators to bypass the physical and psychological distance created by remote instruction, educators must develop innovative and iterative practices that allow them to develop an in-depth understanding of their students, which will allow them to demonstrate appropriate empathic actions.

‘It sounds like lived experience’ - On empathy in rape trials

In this article the intrinsic relation between the formal and the informal aspects of rape trials in Sweden will be scrutinized and discussed, for two main reasons (that are intertwined). Firstly, rape cases are characterized by a word-against-word situation, with few other forms of evidence, and with a rate of convictions much lower than for other criminal cases. The fact that the parties’ statements are placed at the core of the presentation and assessment of the evidence leaves much scope for argumentation about normality, rationality, logic and common sense. Secondly, rape trials have been subject to a significant amount of critique, in public as well as in legal debate due to gendered stereotypes, assumptions about autonomy, objectivity, ideal victims, real rape etc.The article aims to explore and shed some light on parts of the continuum of formality and informality in criminal trials in Sweden. By deconstructing rape trials through the lens of the emotion-sociological concept of empathy, the article contributes to deepened knowledge of the work performed by the legal actors in court in general and their work as empathic translators, in particular. We will focus on a specific part of the empathic process, namely emotion management to stage credible testimonies, in the sense that the stories told by the parties and/or witnesses are framed and presented by legal professionals in court as if they have been acting and reacting normal, natural, reasonable and rational.We present the analysis of the intrinsic relationship between the formal framework and the informal work performed by the legal actors, by exploring how the legal concepts are embodied in stories from everyday life in the trial, framed by the legal actors. The analysis includes a description of the stage at which these trials take place (the objectivity ideals and self-images) and the most important formal aspects and parts of the criminal and procedural regulation of rape trials. The article ends with final conclusions and reflections on the continuum of formality and informality in rape trials.The material in the study from which this article derives consists of observations of 18 rape cases, including written judgments and interviews with legal professionals in these cases.

“Genuine and fundamentally human”: a qualitative study into Dutch humanist chaplains’ conceptualizations of empathy

Empathy has been highlighted as a key concept in chaplaincy care, but its meaning has hardly been explored in depth within this field. This study aims to help develop stronger conceptual clarity by investigating humanist chaplains’ conceptualizations of empathy. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with twenty humanist chaplains working in health care, military, and prisons. A qualitative design was employed to clarify which components and features constitute empathy in humanist chaplaincy care. Empathy emerges as a multidimensional concept that is “fundamentally human.” Chaplains distinguish between true and pseudo empathy based on different features including authenticity and concern. This article provides a conceptual model that combines the different components and features of empathy in humanist chaplaincy care and the relationship between them in light of empathy’s humanizing quality. It may be used for educational purposes and could function as a conceptual framework for future research efforts.

Empathy and the work of clinical psychiatrists: narrative review

SUMMARYClinical research suggests that empathy is associated with better clinical outcomes in various areas of medical care, raising the question of whether a similar effect occurs in psychiatry. The aim of this review is to explore philosophical, neuroscientific and psychological perspectives on the concept of empathy in the context of the day-to-day work of clinical psychiatrists. The definition of empathy is outlined and sociodemographic factors, working conditions and psychiatrists’ beliefs that can potentially affect empathy in clinical encounters are explored; educational and training aspects are also reviewed. The review concludes suggesting that research on empathy is needed to understand contextual, training and relational factors that could benefit mental healthcare as well as the working conditions of clinical psychiatrists, both inextricably linked.

Correlation between mindfulness, empathy and compassion levels of nursing students: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe concept of mindfulness does not attract enough attention in the field of health. Despite this, it is thought to be effective on the concept of empathy and compassion, which have an importance in nursing practices. AimThe aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between the mindfulness, empathy and compassion levels of nursing students. MethodsThis is a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional study which comprised 347 students in the nursing department of a university. As data collection tools, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the Basic Empathy Scale and the Compassion Scale. FindingsThe results of the study show that no significant correlation was found between the mindfulness, total empathy levels and cognitive empathy levels of the students, and that there was a significant negative correlation between their emotional empathy levels. There was found to be a significant positive correlation between their mindfulness and total compassion levels. DiscussionThe findings of this study contribute to the literature that the mindfulness of nursing students is not related to total empathy levels, but is closely related to compassion levels. Some studies in the literature support these findings. ConclusionIt is thought that knowing, teaching and developing the concepts of empathy and compassion in nursing education is important for raising nurses who can provide compassionate care with a high level of empathy. The practice of mindfulness should always have a prominent role in nursing education. Its correlation with empathy and compassion should be consistently highlighted.

Developing Socially Responsible Students of Engineering at the First-year level through Design Thinking Approach- A New Understanding

Engineers, as problem solvers, need to stay connected with society. Delivering the expected service to the community and making it worth living requires a strong social connectedness because the engineering profession is not only about Technology but, more importantly, about creating social values by providing solutions to societal challenges. This is possible by placing the students in an ecosystem that provides the scope to develop socially responsible students with the designer’s mindset, to establish a positive social connection. Such an ecosystem is possible to build using the Design thinking approach. Design thinking, as the name implies, comprises two elements, a designer mindset, and a well-defined process. For engineers, it is mandatory to have a designer mindset to sharpen their problem-solving skills, which is the basic quality expected. The Design Thinking approach helps students in building an empathetic mindset which establishes a strong positive connection with society and makes them socially responsible. The core strength of the design thinking approach is the concept of empathy. The whole approach revolves around empathy and the user for whom the solution is developed. It believes that the people who face problems are the one who holds the key to the solution. At every stage of design thinking, a strong connection with society in the form of the user is experienced. This paper derives a new conceptual understanding of how the design thinking approach will help students to become socially responsible engineers. The study was conducted on a student group of 500 from a first- year engineering Program. Phase-wise presentation made by individual teams of 5-6 students on the societal problems was assessed using rubrics. In conclusion, the design thinking approach has been an effective tool for developing socially responsible students in their first year of engineering. Keywords—: Design thinking; empathy; mindset; socially responsible.

Should Judges Be Empathic? The Place of Judges’ Empathy in Therapeutic Jurisprudence

Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) has had a influence on the judiciary and legal practice given the emergence of special courts, the so-called problem-solving courts. As understood by David B. Wexler, TJ is an approach that combines experience from many scientific fields, constituting an interdisciplinary field of research that focuses on the therapeutic and antitherapeutic consequences of laws, legal procedures, and the roles and behaviours of legal actors such as lawyers and judges. The role that they play during a trial is particularly emphasized in this theory in the context of causing both positive and negative consequences for those participating in the trial. The first purpose of this paper is to reconstruct the understanding of empathy and its role in the therapeutic jurisprudence, and to show how the concept of empathy is understood in the context of a judge’s work, particularly in relation to main TJ authors, David B. Wexler and Bruce J. Winick.