Measures Of Empathy Research Articles

Evaluation of Headtorch WORKS as a workplace intervention for improved support and understanding of co-workers with poor mental health and well-being

ABSTRACT Promoting mental health in the workplace and creating a supportive environment for those experiencing poor mental health are important strategies that can be implemented by workplaces. The present research evaluates the effectiveness of Headtorch WORKS, a mental health and well-being intervention consisting of three online episodes, including original filmed drama and specialist documentary, intercut with a variety of open and closed questions. To evaluate the Headtorch WORKS intervention, a number of psychological measures were developed and adapted for a workplace context. These measures examined the topics of social distance, interaction, stigma, empathy and presenteeism. Data were obtained from fifty-five employees from six participating companies, with this process taking six to nine weeks for each company. Twenty-nine employees were part of the experimental group and twenty-six were in the control condition. Data from an additional 122 undergraduate students and 130 employees were used to examine the measures and to evaluate their psychometric properties. The main study took the form of a pre/post- design where individuals were tested before and after the Headtorch WORKS intervention. Results showed no significant effects on our measures of stigma, empathy and presenteeism, but we did find improvements in our measures of social distance and interaction.

Girls exhibit greater empathy than boys following a minor accident

Hundreds of studies find that girls and women report feeling greater empathy than boys and men in response to adverse events befalling others. Despite this, few non-self-report measures demonstrate similar sex differences. This produces the oft-cited conclusion that to conform to societal expectations of appropriate sex-typed behavior females report higher levels of empathy. Several studies of sex differences in areas of brain activation and on infants’ and young children’s behavior however provide suggestive findings that self-reports reflect actual underlying sex differences in experiencing concern about others. We demonstrate using behavioral indices that females experience more empathy than males after witnessing an adverse event befall a same-sex classmate. In our study, one member of a pair experienced a minor accident on the way to constructing a tower while a bystander observed. We measured whether bystanders ceased their ongoing activity, looked at the victim, waited for the victim to recover from the accident, and actively intervened to help the victim. Female more than male bystanders engaged in these activities. These behavioral results suggest that an adverse event produces different subjective experiences in females than males that motivate objectively different behaviors, consistent with findings from self-report measures of empathy.

Teacher empathy and students with problem behaviors: Examining teachers' perceptions, responses, relationships, and burnout

AbstractManaging students' problem behaviors in the classroom is a difficult challenge for many teachers. A teacher's ability to empathize with students' perspectives and life experiences could impact their approach to the student's problem behaviors; however, few previous studies examine teacher empathy. This study adapted an existing empathy measure to assess educators' cognitive and affective empathy for students. Participants were elementary school teachers (N = 178) who reported on their levels of empathy and completed measures of teacher‐student relationships, student behaviors, and approaches to handling behaviors for their self‐reported most challenging student. Results indicated the adapted measure reliably assessed teachers' cognitive empathy and an affective form of empathy characterized as empathic distress (experiencing personal distress from others' distress). Teachers higher in cognitive empathy reported more positive mindsets about student behavior, greater competence in handling problem behaviors, increased use of effective problem‐solving strategies, greater relationship closeness, and lower levels of job burnout. Teachers high in empathic distress showed largely opposite findings, with more negative misbehavior mindsets, greater relationship conflict, less competence, fewer problem‐solving strategies, and higher job burnout. These findings have implications for supporting teachers to effectively intervene and build positive relationships with behaviorally challenging students.

Effect of physician attire on patient perceptions of empathy in Japan: a quasi-randomized controlled trial in primary care

BackgroundThere is limited quantitative research on the effect of physician attire on patient–physician relationships. This study aimed to measure the influence of Japanese family physicians’ attire on the “human” aspects of medical care in terms of patient-perceived relational empathy.MethodsThis was a multicenter, prospective, controlled trial conducted in primary clinics in Japan. We explored the effects of family physician attire (white coat vs. casual attire) on patient-perceived empathy. Family physicians were allocated to alternate weeks of wearing a white coat or casual attire during consultations. Patients’ perceptions of physician empathy were evaluated using the self-rated Japanese Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure. We used a linear mixed model to analyze the CARE Measure scores, adjusting for cluster effects of patients nested within doctor, age, and sex of patients, and doctors’ sex and years of clinical experience. We used the same method with Bonferroni adjustment to analyze patient sex differences in perceived empathy.ResultsA total of 632 patients of seven family physicians were allocated to white coat-wearing consultations (n = 328), and casual attire-wearing consultations (n = 304). There was no difference in CARE Measure scores between white coat and casual primary care consultations overall (p = 0.162). Subgroup analysis of patient sex showed that CARE Measure scores of male patients were significantly higher in the Casual group than in the White coat group (adjusted p-value = 0.044). There was no difference in female patient scores between White coat and Casual groups (adjusted p-value = 1.000).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that physician attire (white coat or casual attire) in a primary care setting did not affect patient-perceived relational empathy overall. However, male patients of physicians wearing casual attire reported higher physician empathy. Although empathy cannot be reduced to simple variables such as attire, white coats may have a negative effect on patients, depending on the context. Family physicians should choose their attire carefully.Trial registrationJapanese University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN-ICDR). Clinical Trial identifier number UMIN000037687 (Registered August 14, 2019, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000042749). The study was prospectively registered.

Perception of Health Sciences Students about Impact of Hidden Curriculum on Burnout and Empathy

Objective: The main objectives of this study were to investigate how the implicit curricular aspects such as the hidden curriculum affect student empathy and burnout and we sought to describe the link between them.Methodology: This mixed methods study included validated measures of both empathy and burnout which were distributed in three institutes of three different cities in Pakistan followed by focus group interviews. The study cohort included students of health sciences. 2000 questionnaires were distributed of which complete data of 1100 (55%) were retrieved. The second part of the study included formation of two focus groups of 15 students each per campus for in-depth discussion of aspects relating to the hidden curriculum, burnout and empathy. Descriptive statistics, correlations and frequencies were analyzed by SPSS 22 and focus group discussions underwent thematic analysis after transcription.Results: Medical students followed by and physical therapy students experienced the greatest amount of burnout syndrome (p-value0.02 and p-value0.04, respectively) as compared to the other disciplines Final year students of each discipline reported higher rates of burnout as compared to all other years (p-value0.01).Medical students had lesser empathy as compared to other disciplines of health sciences. This finding showed statistical significance (F=4.66.p-value0.03). Furthermore, results shows females (5.56±0.72) had statistically significant higher empathy scores than male students (4.46±0.65) (p-value 0.04). The focus groups established that the hidden curriculum was a key player in student wellbeing and not just limited to subconscious attributes of the teacher but it also includes administrative issues, patient behavior, peer interaction, sociodemographic and national policy issues.Conclusion: Medical students experienced the greatest amount of burnout and subsequently reported lesser empathy reflecting the negative relation between them. Burnout and hidden curriculum are important factors in determining empathy in health care students. More positive role modeling, better understanding of the surrounding and a good distribution of work load will help the students handle burnout and act as positive factors of the hidden curriculum, hence increasing empathy.

Emotional and Cognitive Empathy in Caregivers of Persons with Neurodegenerative Disease: Relationships with Caregiver Mental Health.

Caregiving for a person with dementia or neurodegenerative disease (PWD) is associated with increased rates of depression and anxiety. As the population ages and dementia prevalence increases worldwide, mental health problems related to dementia caregiving will become an even more pressing public health concern. The present study assessed emotional empathy (physiological, behavioral, and self-reported emotional responses to a film depicting others suffering) and two measures of cognitive empathy (identifying the primary emotion experienced by another person; providing continuous ratings of the valence of another person's changing emotions) in relation to mental health (standard questionnaires) in 78 caregivers of PWDs. Greater emotional empathy (self-reported emotional responses) was associated with worse mental health, even after accounting for known risk factors. Neither measure of cognitive empathy was associated with mental health. A relationship between high levels of emotional empathy and poor mental health in caregivers suggests possible risk indicators and intervention targets.

A visit with Viv: Empathising with a digital human character embodying the lived experiences of dementia.

The Visit, an immersive participatory artwork (viewed on a screen or virtual reality headset), was produced as part of a research programme investigating the subjective experience of dementia and the relational dynamic between people with dementia and others. It invites viewers to engage with a digital human character, 'Viv', as she shares her experiences of living with dementia. The experiences that Viv recounts are based on verbatim accounts from in-depth interviews with four women living with dementia. The artwork was designed with the combined aim of generating insights into the lived experience of dementia and establishing conditions under which viewers might cultivate empathy for the character portrayed. Viewers engaging with Viv were invited to complete pre- and post-engagement measures of state empathy alongside an assessment of emotional distance. State empathy was significantly greater after engaging with The Visit, and correspondingly, there was a significant decrease in emotional distance (aversion), suggesting that the aims were met.

Caring For, About, and With: Exploring Musical Meaningfulness Among Suzuki Students and Parents

An investigation of the relationships between empathy, music learning, and shared music values may provide new insights into the ways that musical meaningfulness and the symbiotic eudaimonic ideal – “flourishing of oneselfandof others” – might be cultivated. We investigated the relationships between parent perceptions of children’s empathy, parent beliefs and values about music, and formal Suzuki training over a period of 6 months, to understand ways in which shared music learning experiences might relate to emotional and musical connections between parents and children. Participants were parents of 48 Suzuki students at a structured Suzuki school in the Midwestern United States. We designed a survey containing an adapted version of the Griffith Empathy Measure for children with additional questions regarding family demographics and values regarding music education. Participants completed the survey at the start of the lesson year, and again 6 months later. Children who persisted in group lessons throughout the study began with significantly higher empathy scores, compared to those children who did not participate in group lessons. Children’s initial empathy scores were significantly positively correlated with parents’ ratings of the importance of music instruction generally, and of Suzuki instruction particularly, to their family. A significant but moderate correlation was found between initial empathy scores and the belief that music would help the child succeed in other areas. This exploratory study highlights potential relationships between family music values, children’s empathy, and participation in group music-making. Our findings are consistent with research demonstrating that child and parent personalities predict the duration of formal music training for children. They also support the philosophy of musical meaningfulness, by suggesting ways in which meaningful connections may be forged simultaneously between people who care for one another, and between people and the activities they care about. Our results point to the importance of providing a variety of music learning activities and structures that reflect the personality, needs, and interests of children and parents. We offer specific recommendations for future research to draw further insights and implications about these relationships.

Evaluating the longitudinal impact of a disability education intervention on medical students’ attitudes towards persons with a disability

BackgroundThe attitudes and empathy levels of healthcare providers towards persons with a disability have been highlighted as important factors contributing to the quality of healthcare provided to this patient population. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether changes in medical students’ attitudes and empathy towards persons with a disability following an educational intervention were maintained when measured again one year post intervention. This study provided a one year longitudinal follow up to a previous study investigating the efficacy of an educational intervention to cultivate positive change in empathy levels and attitudes towards disability. MethodAn online survey was distributed to medical students who had completed a disability module one year previously during their second year of medical training. The survey comprised measures of attitude, empathy and level of social contact with persons with a disability. ResultsThough there was a statistically significant increase in both attitude and empathy measures immediately post intervention, these gains were not sustained when measured one year later. In the case of empathy, levels measured one year later had decreased significantly from baseline measures at pretest. No significant relationship was observed between level of social contact and measures of attitudes and empathy. ConclusionsWhile previous research suggests that the educational intervention has been successful in ameliorating both attitudes and empathy levels in the short term, this study highlights the difficulty in sustaining such improvements. Changes to the design and delivery of educational interventions may be necessary for the benefits to persist into the long term.

Socioeconomic, racial and ethnic differences in patient experience of clinician empathy: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

IntroductionEmpathy is essential for high quality health care. Health care disparities may reflect a systemic lack of empathy for disadvantaged people; however, few data exist on disparities in patient experience of empathy during face-to-face health care encounters with individual clinicians. We systematically analyzed the literature to test if socioeconomic status (SES) and race/ethnicity disparities exist in patient-reported experience of clinician empathy.MethodsUsing a published protocol, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, CENTRAL and PsychINFO for studies using the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) Measure, which to date is the most commonly used and well-validated methodology for measuring clinician empathy from the patient perspective. We included studies containing CARE Measure data stratified by SES and/or race/ethnicity. We contacted authors to request stratified data, when necessary. We performed quantitative meta-analyses using random effects models to test for empathy differences by SES and race/ethnicity.ResultsEighteen studies (n = 9,708 patients) were included. We found that, compared to patients whose SES was not low, low SES patients experienced lower empathy from clinicians (mean difference = -0.87 [95% confidence interval -1.72 to -0.02]). Compared to white patients, empathy scores were numerically lower for patients of multiple race/ethnicity groups (Black/African American, Asian, Native American, and all non-whites combined) but none of these differences reached statistical significance.ConclusionThese data suggest an empathy gap may exist for patients with low SES. More research is needed to further test for SES and race/ethnicity disparities in clinician empathy and help promote health care equity.Trial registrationRegistration (PROSPERO): CRD42019142809.

Primary care providers’ perspectives on initiating childhood obesity conversations: a qualitative study

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are in a critical position for identifying, preventing and treating childhood obesity. However, a one-size-fits-all approach does not exist for having conversations about weight with families. A better understanding of how PCPs can address paediatric patients' weight concerns is needed in order to develop effective guidelines and trainings. To describe PCPs preferences and behaviours regarding weight-related conversations with paediatric patients' and their families. Twenty PCPs affiliated with the University of Minnesota, USA, were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. PCP's identified well-child visits as the most appropriate time for weight-related discussions with families. Physicians described what approaches/elements they perceived to work best during conversations: collaboration, empathy, health-focused and objective measures. Overall, PCPs were more comfortable with weight-related discussions during annual well-child visits and rarely initiated them during an acute visit or the first encounter with a patient. Objective measures, such as growth charts, were often utilized to start discussions. Considering a large proportion of well-child visits are missed, alternative opportunities to have discussions about healthy lifestyle behaviours should be explored. The integral role PCPs play in paediatric obesity warrants further research.

Facial expression in humans as a measure of empathy towards farm animals in pain.

People often express concern for the welfare of farm animals, but research on this topic has relied upon self-report. Facial expressions provide a quantifiable measure of emotional response that may be less susceptible to social desirability bias and other issues associated with self-report. Viewing other humans in pain elicits facial expressions indicative of empathy. Here we provide the first evidence that this measure can also be used to assess human empathetic responses towards farm animals, showing that facial expressions respond reliably when participants view videos of farm animals undergoing painful procedures. Participants (n = 30) were asked to watch publicly sourced video clips of cows and pigs undergoing common management procedures (e.g. disbudding, castration, tail docking) and control videos (e.g. being lightly restrained, standing). Participants provided their subjective rating of the intensity of 5 negative emotions (pain, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) on an 11-point Likert scale. Videos of the participants (watching the animals) were scored for intensity of unpleasantness of the participants’ facial expression (also on an 11-point Likert scale) by a trained observer who was blind to treatment. Participants showed more intense facial expressions while viewing painful procedures versus control procedures (mean ± SE Likert; 2.4 ± 0.08 versus 0.6 ± 0.17). Participants who reported more intense negative responses also showed stronger facial expressions (slope ± SE = 0.4 ± 0.04). Both the self-reported and facial measures varied with species and procedure witnessed. These results indicate that facial expressions can be used to assess human-animal empathy.

Mindfulness-based mobile app reduces anxiety and increases self-compassion in healthcare students: A randomised controlled trial

Objective To compare the effect of a mindfulness-based mobile application versus an in-person mindfulness-based training program in terms of reducing anxiety and increasing empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness in a population of healthcare students. Methods The authors conducted a single-blind, randomised controlled trial with three parallel groups. Participants were allocated to the mobile app, the in-person mindfulness-based program (IMBP), or a control group. Assessments at baseline and postintervention (8 weeks) included measures of anxiety, empathy, self-compassion, and mindfulness. Results Of 168 students randomised, 84 were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis (app: n = 31; IMBP: n = 23; control: n = 30). The mobile app group showed a large effect size for reductions in trait anxiety compared with controls (g = 0.85, p = 0.003), and a medium, nonsignificant effect compared with the IMBP group (g = 0.52, p = 0.152). Participants from both interventions experienced a significant increase in self-compassion and mindfulness compared with controls. Levels of empathy remained unchanged for the 3 arms. Conclusions A mobile app can be as effective as an IMBP in reducing anxiety and increasing self-compassion and mindfulness among healthcare students.

A validation study of the Korean version of the Toronto empathy questionnaire for the measurement of medical students\u2019 empathy

BackgroundThis study aimed to validate the Korean version of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) and to determine its suitability for the measurement of empathy in medical students.MethodsThe study sample was Year 1 and 2 medical students at two medical schools on six-year undergraduate medical programs in South Korea. The study participants completed the Korean TEQ, which has a single factor structure and consists of 16 items; responses are scored using a 5-point Likert scale, giving a maximum possible score of 64. Psychometric validation of the questionnaire was performed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and the goodness of fit test. Average variance extracted was calculated to establish convergent validity, and associations between factors and construct reliability were analyzed to establish discriminant validity. Cronbach’s alpha values were utilized for reliability analysis.ResultsA total of 279 students completed and returned the questionnaire (a 96.2% response rate). Participant empathy scores ranged from 20 to 60 (M = 44.6, SD = 7.36). Empathy scores were higher for females than males (p < .05). The cumulative variance of the Korean TEQ was 32%, indicating that its explanatory power was rather weak. Consequently, goodness-of-fit testing was performed on four hypothetical models, among which a three-factorial structure consisting of 14 items demonstrated satisfactory fit indices and explained 55% of the variance. Reliability estimates of the three subscales were also satisfactory (Cronbach’s α = .71–.81). This three-factorial model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis and demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validity.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated psychometric validation of the Korean TEQ for measuring medical students’ empathy. We suggest a modified 14-item model with a three-factorial structure, which demonstrated better psychometric properties than the original scale.

Measures of empathy and the capacity for self-reflection in dental and medical students

BackgroundEmpathy and self-reflection have been studied among medical students, but fewer studies have examined the presence of these attributes among dental students and investigated the correlation between empathy and self-reflection.MethodsFirst-year dental and medical students (n = 198) beginning their studies at the University of Oulu, Finland in August 2017 participated in this study, which was conducted via an internet-based questionnaire. Data were collected on personal characteristics and scores on Davis’s Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and Roberts’s Self Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS).ResultsDifferences in IRI scores between dental and medical students were significant only in male students and in two IRI domains. Mean (SD) scores for male dental and medical students were personal distress, 8.2 (4.0) and 10.7 (3.1) (p = 0.022); empathic concern, 15.0 (4.0) and 16.9 (3.5) (p = 0.054). Mean SRIS scores did not differ between sexes or training programs. Positive correlations (r = − 0.3–0.65) were observed between some empathy and self-reflection subscales.ConclusionsA lower degree of empathy was observed among male dental students than in male medical students. A positive correlation between empathy and self-reflection was demonstrated in both study groups and sexes. However, more research in this field is warranted.

Investigating associations between hoarding symptoms and affective and cognitive empathy.

Hoarding is associated with poor interpersonal functioning, such as social isolation and difficulties in forming relationships, but the reasons for these social problems are not well understood. Previous studies have identified empathy as an important precursor to social functioning, particularly for clinical disorders characterized by social deficits. The aim of the current study was therefore to investigate associations between measures of cognitive and emotional empathy and hoarding symptoms. A total of 278 participants recruited via MTurk completed online self-report questionnaires on hoarding, empathy (including cognitive and affective components), and depression. All participants subsequently completed The Awareness of Social Inference Test-Short version (TASIT-S), a behavioural measure of theory of mind, a concept used interchangeably with cognitive empathy. Hoarding symptoms were associated with greater self-reported emotional empathy, specifically emotional contagion, and less self-reported cognitive empathy. Emotional empathy predicted hoarding even after controlling for depression symptoms. Hoarding symptoms were also associated with poorer performance on the TASIT-S with respect to both emotion recognition and theory of mind, with theory of mind remaining a unique predictor of hoarding symptoms after controlling for depression. Participants who reported clinically significant hoarding symptoms were impaired in emotion recognition and theory of mind according to TASIT-S norms. Hoarding symptoms are associated with increased emotional contagion and decreased cognitive empathy. Empathy may be an avenue for understanding and treating interpersonal difficulties in hoarding disorder. As hoarding increased, self-reported emotional contagion increased As hoarding increased, self-reported and behavioural cognitive empathy decreased Self-reported emotional empathy and behavioural cognitive empathy predicted hoarding even after controlling for depression Empathy may be an avenue for understanding social difficulties in hoarding disorder.

The Utility of Physiological Measures in Assessing the Empathic Skills of Incarcerated Violent Offenders.

Since lack of empathy is an important indicator of violent behaviors, researchers need consistent and valid measures. This study evaluated the practical significance of a potential physiological correlate of empathy compared to a traditional self-report questionnaire in 18 male violent offenders and 21 general population controls. Empathy skills were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) questionnaire. Heart-Rate Variability (HRV) was assessed with an electrocardiogram. The RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive beat-to-beat Differences), an HRV index implicated in social cognition, was calculated. There were no group differences in IRI scores. However, RMSSD was lower in the offender group. Positive correlations between RMSSD and IRI subscales were found for controls only. We conclude that psychometric measures of empathy do not discriminate incarcerated violent offenders, and that the incorporation of psychophysiological measures, such as HRV, could be an avenue for forensic research on empathy to establish translatable evidence-based information.

An Examination of Empathy and Interpersonal Dominance in BDSM Practitioners

BackgroundRecent research has indicated that participation in BDSM (bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, and/or sadism-masochism) is not associated with psychological distress or psychopathology but that sexual roles may be associated with personality characteristics, specifically interpersonal dominance and empathy. AimThe present study examined potential differences between those who identify as dominant, switch, and submissive on interpersonal dominance and empathy. MethodsIndividuals who identified as members of the BDSM community were recruited online via a social networking site. Main Outcome MeasuresSelf-reported demographic variables, the Personality Assessment Inventory, Dominance subscale, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Empathic Concern subscale. ResultsParticipants were well distributed across sexual roles (n = 279; 25.4% dominant, 38% submissive, 36.6% switch), identified as primarily female (59.5%), primarily heterosexual (53.4%), and the most common age group was 25-34 years (27.2%). BDSM role was associated with scores on the Dominance subscale; dominant BDSM practitioners scored significantly higher on the Dominance scale than switches, who in turn scored significantly higher than submissives (dominant mean [M] = 61.44, standard deviation [SD] = 8.26; switch M = 53.99, SD = 11.18, P < .01; submissive M = 49.41, SD = 11.46, P < .01). There were no differences on the measure of empathy between dominant, submissive, and switch BDSM practitioners. On average, individuals who identified as submissives and switches scored in the average range on the Dominance scale compared with the normative sample, and individuals who identified as dominants scored higher but not in the markedly elevated range. Clinical ImplicationsThe study provides information on the relationship between interpersonal dominance as a personality trait and dominance as a sexual role and has implications for reducing stigma related to these practices. Strengths and LimitationsThe study contributes to the growing literature suggesting that while BDSM roles may correspond with specific personality characteristics, they are not indicative of personalities significantly different than the general population's. The study also included individuals who identified as switch, a group often excluded from quantitative research in the BDSM community. The sample was, however, recruited exclusively online, and findings may not be applicable to all BDSM practitioners. ConclusionThese findings suggest that there are no differences in empathy between BDSM practitioner roles, and although there are differences in interpersonal dominance, these characteristics are not likely to be prominent in individuals’ everyday interactions.Jansen KL, Fried AL, Chamberlain J. An Examination of Empathy and Interpersonal Dominance in BDSM Practitioners. J Sex Med 2020;XX:XXX–XXX.

Psychometry and empathy levels and its dimensions in postgraduate students of dental specialties.

Empathy is an attribute that has an important role in the dentist-patient therapeutic relationship, clinical care and adherence to treatment, amongst other benefits. The aim of this research was to determine empathy in dentists in the process of specialisation. Through an observational and cross-sectional study, all postgraduate students of Dentistry Faculty of Universidad Andrés Bello (Chile) were analysed (N=195). The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy Scale was applied. The results show an adequate reliability of the empathy measure (α=0.819, ω=0.928). A three-factor structure is evidenced by confirmatory factor analysis (χ2 /df=1.445, GFI=0.952, RMSEA=0.047) and adequate factor invariance between men and women. Women showed greater empathy on the global scale and in the perspective adoption dimension, with no gender differences found in the dimension Compassionate care and putting oneself in the other's shoes (POOS). The median empathy reaches 120 points. Below, are placed, the specialty of oral rehabilitation (Med=114.5), surgery (Med=117) and periodontics (Med.=117.5). With superior scores, temporomandibular disorder (Med.=121), endodontics (Med.=121), Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics Med.=122), Implantology (Med.=125) and Pediatric dentistry (Med.=127.5) are located. Women were more empathetic than men. In general, empathy levels are relatively high, but the common feature in which all students examined in different specialties have low levels in dimension POOS.

A closer look into empathy among medical students: The career eulogy as a lens

Empathy is widely considered to be key to being an effective physician. The measurement of empathy is important to those designing medical education. The majority of the literature on empathy is based on survey scales that ask the learner to express their degree of agreement with a series of statements. We have previously studied and published an entirely projective measure that we term a career eulogy.