Emotional Empathic Abilities Research Articles

No Words for Feelings? Not Only for My Own: Diminished Emotional Empathic Ability in Alexithymia.

The present study has been designed to disentangle cognitive and emotional dimensions of empathy in a group of mentally healthy and highly alexithymic individuals (ALEX, n = 24) and well-matched controls (n = 26) through questionnaire Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Multifaceted Empathy Task (MET) used during the fMRI and after the fMRI. Simultaneously, Skin Conductance Response (SCR) has been acquired as an implicit measure of emotional reaction. Results show an impaired emotional empathic ability in alexithymic individuals, with lower levels of SCR and higher activation in prefrontal brain regions such as the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Cognitive empathy was not impaired in the alexithymic group and the results were accompanied by a higher activation left IFG. The study leads to the conclusion that alexithymia does not only involve a diminished ability to identify and describe one’s own emotions. Furthermore, it is related to a deeper disability of emotion regulation, which becomes visible through impaired emotional concern for others and higher levels of personal distress.

Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Young Adolescents: an fMRI Study.

ObjectivesWe investigated the differences in cognitive and emotional empathic ability between adolescents and adults, and the differences of the brain activation during cognitive and emotional empathy tasks.MethodsAdolescents (aged 13–15 years, n=14) and adults (aged 19–29 years, n=17) completed a range of empathic ability questionnaires and were scanned functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during both cognitive and emotional empathy task. Differences in empathic ability and brain activation between the groups were analyzed.ResultsBoth cognitive and emotional empathic ability were significantly lower in the adolescent compared to the adult group. Comparing the adolescent to the adult group showed that brain activation was significantly greater in the right transverse temporal gyrus (BA 41), right insula (BA 13), right superior parietal lobule (BA 7), right precentral gyrus (BA 4), and right thalamus whilst performing emotional empathy tasks. No brain regions showed significantly greater activation in the adolescent compared to the adult group while performing cognitive empathy task. In the adolescent group, scores of the Fantasy Subscale in the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, which reflects cognitive empathic ability, negatively correlated with activity of right superior parietal lobule during emotional empathic situations (r=-0.739, p=0.006).ConclusionThese results strongly suggest that adolescents possess lower cognitive and emotional empathic abilities than adults do and require compensatory hyperactivation of the brain regions associated with emotional empathy or embodiment in emotional empathic situation. Compensatory hyperactivation in the emotional empathy-related brain areas among adolescents are likely associated with their lower cognitive empathic ability.

The role of sleep in aesthetic perception and empathy: A mediation analysis.

The ability to experience aesthetics plays a fundamental role in human social interactions, as well as the capacity to feel empathy. Some studies have shown that beauty perception shares part of the neural network underlying emotional and empathic abilities, which are also known to affect sleep quality and duration. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the effects of sleep on the relation between aesthetic perception and empathic abilities in healthy subjects using a mediation analysis approach. One-hundred and twenty-six subjects participated in this study. One-hundred and one subjects slept at home (Sleep Group). The remaining 25 subjects were tested as controls after 1night of sleep deprivation to assess the effects of lack of sleep on aesthetic perception and empathy (Sleep-Deprived Group). All participants underwent one testing session in which they performed a battery of empathy tests and an aesthetic perception task (Golden Beauty). The results showed that sleep duration mediates the relationship between empathy and aesthetic perception in the sleep group. The mediation effect of sleep was more evident on the emotional empathy measures. Conversely, in the sleep deprivation group the lack of correlations among empathy, aesthetic perception and sleep variables did not allow to perform the mediation analysis. These results suggest that adequate sleep duration may play a significant role in improving cognitive and emotional empathic abilities as well as the capability to give accurate aesthetic judgements.

Study on cyberbullying among adolescent bystanders – focusing on the empathy of middle school students -

본 연구는 청소년들에게 사이버 공간이 중요한 환경으로 자리매김하면서 또래 괴롭힘에서 사이버 불링이 눈에 띄게 급증하고 있으므로, 중학생들의 사이버 불링 목격 실태와 목격 후 어떠한 행동을 보이는지를 파악하며, 중학생의 공감 능력이 목격 후 행동 유형에영향을 미치는지 탐색하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 경기도 11개 지역에 소재한 중학교의 총 595명 중학생을 설문조사하였다. 연구 결과는다음과 같다. 첫째, 전체 응답자의 61.2%가 다섯 가지 사이버 불링 상황을 목격한 적이 있다고 응답하였으며, 사이버 비방을 가장흔히 목격하였고 유포, 왕따, 성추행, 갈취 순으로 목격한 것으로 나타났다. 사이버 불링을 목격한 주변인은 방관 행동, 방어 행동, 동조 행동, 역할 없음 순의 행동 유형을 보였으며 이러한 행동 유형은 성별, 학년, 부모 관계 만족도, 사이버 불링 목격 정도, 사이버불링 가해 경험에 따라 유의한 차이를 보였다. 둘째, 정서적 측면의 공감 능력인 ‘공감적 관심’과 ‘개인적 고통’이 사이버 불링 주변인의 행동 유형에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 이상의 연구 결과를 바탕으로 한 가정교과에서의 시사점은 첫째, 응답자의 약 2/3 정도가 사이버 불링 상황을 목격한 것으로 나타나 사이버 불링의 심각성에 대한 이해의 폭을 확장시킬 필요성을 제기하였다. 특히사이버 비방, 유포, 왕따, 갈취, 성추행 등의 사이버 불링 상황을 다양하게 목격하고 있다는 사실을 통해 청소년들이 당면하고 있는구체적인 문제 상황을 환기시켰다. 또한 사이버 불링을 목격한 주변인의 행동 유형 분포가 성별, 학년, 부모와의 관계 만족도, 사이버불링 목격 정도, 사이버 불링 가해 경험에 따라 차이를 보이는 것으로 나타나 사이버 불링을 예방하기 위해 청소년 개인 뿐 아니라가족 및 사이버 환경에서의 교육이 다각도로 필요함을 시사한다. 둘째, 사이버 불링 상황을 목격한 주변인이 피해자를 방어하기 위해서는 정서적인 공감 능력이 중요하지만, 불안이나 긴장과 같은 부정적 공감 정서는 방어 행동을 저해한다는 사실을 확인함으로써정서적인 공감 교육은 감정 조절 교육과 함께 이루어질 필요가 있음을 시사한다.This study aims to explore the reality of middle school students witnessing cyberbullying and their types of behaviors after witnessing and to examine the role of empathy affecting the behaviors of bystanders of cyberbullying. For this purpose, we collected the survey data from 595 middle school students in the Gyeong-Gi region. Results show that 61.2% of the respondents report the witness of cyberbullying, Among which cyber slander is the most common, followed by spreading false information, outcast, sexual harassment, and extortion. The behaviors of bystanders who witnessed cyberbullying are categorized into spectating, defending, agreeing, or doing nothing. When it comes to the role of the students’ empathy, findings show that the ‘empathic concern’ and ‘personal pain’ -, parts of emotional empathic abilities, can significantly influence behaviors of cyberbullying bystanders. These findings not only call the attention to the seriousness of cyberbullying among middle school students, but they also suggest the implication that emotion empathy education is required along with emotion control education.

Impaired Empathic Abilities among Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Type I).

ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to evaluate differences in empathic abilities between patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) Type I and healthy control subjects (HCs) and to assess correlations between empathic abilities and multidimensional aspects of pain.MethodsEmpathic ability was measured in 32 patients with CRPS Type I and in 36 HCs using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). A comprehensive assessment of pain was conducted in the patient group using the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMPI). Psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI and BAI), and quality of life was evaluated using the WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.ResultsPatients with CRPS showed impaired cognitive and emotional empathic abilities compared with HCs. Significantly lower levels of perspective taking and empathic concern and higher levels of personal distress on the IRI were exhibited by the patient group. Perspective taking and personal distress were associated with affective distress and poor quality of life in social contexts (BDI, BAI, and WHOQOL). However, empathic concern was positively correlated with pain severity and social support from others (WHYMPI).ConclusionA tendency toward self-oriented distress in social cognition was exhibited among patients with CRPS Type I. Impaired empathic ability was shown to have potentially negative effects on subjective emotional outcomes and social performance in the lives of patients. Interventions to improve emotional awareness and theory of mind would be beneficial for enhancing social functioning in patients with CRPS Type I.

Emotional Recognition of Musical-auditory and Artful-visual Stimuli in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia

This study aimed to explore thedifference in emotional recognition of musical auditory stimulation and artfulvisual stimulation between helathy people and patients with schizophrenia. 20 songs and 20 paintings thatcontained sad or cheerful emotions were presented to 123 patients withschizophrenia and 224 healthy people as control group. The subjects were askedto tell about their emotions that they had felt from each musical auditorystimulation and artful visual stimulation. To measure such emotions, the Emotional Empathy Scale was used. The level of psychopathology in patientsgroup were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Formal Thought Disorder Rating Scale. The correct answer rate to musical auditoryand artful visual stimulation of the patient group was significantly lower than that of thecontrol group. Thepatient group showed lower emotional empathic ability compared to the controlgroup. In the patient group, the correct answer rate to musical and artfulstimulation showed a negative correlation with score with Formal ThoughtDisorder Rating Scale. Patients with schizophrenia have difficulties inprecise emotional recognition to auditory and visual stimulations, and this isassociated with lowered empathic ability and thinking disorder of patients withschizophrenia. If an psychosocial rehabilitation program or psychotherapy isimplemented to patients with schizophrenia, it is deemed to be necessary tomake a mediation to improve the emotional recognition and expression ability ofpatients with schizophrenia.

Anterior insula GABA levels correlate with emotional aspects of empathy: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

Background: Empathy is a multidimensional construct referring to the capacity to understand and share the emotional and affective states of another person. Cerebral γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic levels are associated with a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the role of the GABA system in different dimensions of empathy has not been investigated. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two right-handed healthy volunteers took part in this study. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine GABA concentrations in the anterior insula (AI) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and to examine the relationship between the GABA concentrations and the subcomponents of empathy evaluated by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Result: Pearson correlation analyses (two-tailed) showed that AI GABA was significantly associated with the empathy concern score (r = 0.584, p<0.05) and the personal distress score (r = 0.538, p<0.05) but not significantly associated with other empathy subscales. No significant correlation was found between ACC GABA and empathy subscores. Conclusion: Left AI GABA was positively correlated with the emotional aspects of empathy. These preliminary findings call into question whether AI GABA alterations might predict empathy dysfunction in major psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, which have been described as deficits in emotional empathic abilities.

Two systems for empathy: a double dissociation between emotional and cognitive empathy in inferior frontal gyrus versus ventromedial prefrontal lesions

Recent evidence suggests that there are two possible systems for empathy: a basic emotional contagion system and a more advanced cognitive perspective-taking system. However, it is not clear whether these two systems are part of a single interacting empathy system or whether they are independent. Additionally, the neuroanatomical bases of these systems are largely unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that emotional empathic abilities (involving the mirror neuron system) are distinct from those related to cognitive empathy and that the two depend on separate anatomical substrates. Subjects with lesions in the ventromedial prefrontal (VM) or inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) cortices and two control groups were assessed with measures of empathy that incorporate both cognitive and affective dimensions. The findings reveal a remarkable behavioural and anatomic double dissociation between deficits in cognitive empathy (VM) and emotional empathy (IFG). Furthermore, precise anatomical mapping of lesions revealed Brodmann area 44 to be critical for emotional empathy while areas 11 and 10 were found necessary for cognitive empathy. These findings are consistent with these cortices being different in terms of synaptic hierarchy and phylogenetic age. The pattern of empathy deficits among patients with VM and IFG lesions represents a first direct evidence of a double dissociation between emotional and cognitive empathy using the lesion method.

Self-reported empathic abilities in schizophrenia

Background Increasing evidence indicates impairments of empathic abilities in schizophrenia that may impact outcome and course of the disease. While there is consensus on the presence of deficits in ‘theory of mind’ in this disorder, i.e. cognitive aspects of mental state attribution, the ability to infer emotional experiences of others, i.e. affective empathy, has not been investigated so far. Methods We assessed multiple dimensions of empathy in 45 schizophrenic patients and 45 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, with a self-rating instrument, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). To control for modulating effects of cognitive deficits, a neuropsychological test battery was employed. Results Schizophrenic patients showed significantly lower scores in cognitive empathy (‘perspective taking’: F = 12.176, df = 1, p = 0.001) but more self-related aversive feelings in response to the distress of others (‘personal distress: F = 16.477, df = 1, p < 0.001). Self-ratings of affective empathy, i.e. concern for others, did not differ between groups. Results in the domains of empathy were not explained by symptoms or neurocognition as revealed by regression analysis. However, lower scores in ‘perspective taking’ were found with advancing duration of illness ( r = − 0.453, p = 0.002). Conclusions Results indicate reductions of cognitive empathy but relatively preserved emotional empathic abilities in schizophrenia. Although previous studies observed deficits in emotion perception and expression, our findings support the concept of differentially disturbed abilities in cognitive and emotional empathy in schizophrenia.