Interpersonal Reactivity Research Articles

How collaborative, interpersonal, and disaster-responsive tendencies work together in non-face-to-face environments: lessons from prolonged pandemic experiences.

This study investigates the dynamics of collaborative characteristics, interpersonal reactivity, and disaster situation responses in non-face-to-face settings, a response mechanism increasingly relevant in the wake of prolonged pandemics. By examining a group of 123 university students engaged in a seven-week non-face-to-face collaborative project, the research identifies relational patterns between collaborative traits such as regulation and efficacy, interpersonal empathy, and responses to disaster situations. The research methodology employs a sophisticated analytical framework comprising factor and canonical correlation analyses to identify how empathy and collaborative efficacy significantly related with disaster response in online collaborations. The mediation and moderation models analyzed confirm mutual mediation effects of collaborative regulation and interpersonal reactivity on situational empathy without significant moderation effects. This suggests there were direct causal relationships of collaborative regulation, collaborative efficacy, interpersonal reactivity on situational empathy. The findings underscore the pivotal role of empathy in collaboration during disasters offering a nuanced understanding of the social and psychological underpinnings that enable collective responses to crises in environments lacking physical interaction and illuminating the critical role of collaborative and interpersonal skills in such settings.

Exemplary Teacher Characteristics, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Organizational Climate: A Causal Model on Keeping Quality Teachers in Private Educational Institutions

Exemplary Teacher Characteristics, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Organizational Climate: A Causal Model on Keeping Quality Teachers in Private Educational Institutions

Childhood maltreatment history and trauma-specific predictors of parenting stress in new fathers.

For new fathers, parenting stress is a risk factor for impaired early parenting and child maltreatment perpetration. Predictors of parenting stress, including fathers' own experiences of trauma, could be useful intervention targets to support new fathers. We aim to examine associations between new fathers' own histories of child maltreatment, and their perinatal mental health, relationships, and parenting stress. We recruited 298 first-time fathers for a survey that measured child maltreatment history, trauma sequelae including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), interpersonal reactivity, substance use, anger expression, coparenting quality, and parenting stress. On the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (from 36 to 180), bivariate analysis demonstrated that new fathers who experienced child maltreatment (n=94) had significantly higher parenting stress (x̅=85.3, σ=18.7) than those who did not (n=204; x̅=76.0, σ=16.6; P<.000). Hierarchical linear regression modeling indicated that a child maltreatment history, PTSD, and MDD were significantly associated with parenting stress. The strongest predictors of parenting stress were coparenting quality and complex trauma sequelae-interpersonal reactivity and anger expression. Interventions to reduce fathers' parenting stress by targeting known mental health and relationship sequelae of maltreatment are promising avenues to breaking intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and psychiatric vulnerability.

Self-compassion and interpersonal reactivity among Bangladeshi University students

Self-compassion and interpersonal reactivity among Bangladeshi University students

온라인 협력활동에서 대인관계반응, 협력성, 재난상황인식, 학습성과 간 영향 관계 분석

온라인 협력활동에서 대인관계반응, 협력성, 재난상황인식, 학습성과 간 영향 관계 분석

Personality and mentalization: A latent profile analysis of mentalizing problematics in adult patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between patients' mentalizing problematics and their personality; specifically, it aimed to identify clusters of individuals characterized by specific patterns of mentalizing imbalances and to analyze the relationship between these and diagnosis of personality disorder (PD), nonmentalizing modes, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal reactivity. Four hundred therapeutic dyads were recruited. A part of these (n = 183) only completed clinician-report measures, Mentalization Imbalances Scale, and Modes of Mentalization Scale,while others (n = 217) also completed patients' self-report measures, which were Reflective Functioning Questionnaire,Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale,and Interpersonal Reactivity Index. A latent profile analysis enlightened the presence of four clusters with problematics in the dimensions of mentalization, indicated by cluster names: (1) Affective-self-automatic profile (ASA-P) (with higher percentage ofPDs);(2) External profile (E-P) (with lower percentage of PDs); (3) Others-automatic-affective profile (OAA-P); (4) Cognitive-self-automatic profile (CSA-P). Multivariate analysis of variances confirmed that the four clusters differed in relation to the quality of mentalization, emotional dysregulation and interpersonal reactivity, with higher levels of nonmentalization modes, uncertainty about mental states and emotion dysregulation in ASA-P, higher levels of good mentalization in E-P, lower impulsivity in CSA-P, and greater empathic concern in OAA-P.

Trends of Change in Empathy Among Indian Medical Students: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study.

The development of an empathic approach is essential for doctor-patient relationships. Medical training is a challenging time that may affect empathy. This study aimed to assess the change in empathy in students during medical education. One hundred and fifty MBBS students were recruited at admission and assessed for empathy, interpersonal reactivity, and general health. They were followed for two years and assessed at three intervals. A significant decline was seen in empathy for both male and female students. The decline was correlated with psychological stress. Gender, family structure, having siblings, and increasing General Health Questionnaire score predicted change in empathy. Empathy declines with advancing training, varying with constitutional and situational factors. The medical curriculum should include skills like empathic communication as well.

LEVEL OF EMPATHY AND SEVERITY OF PSYCHOPATHIC TRAITS IN MEDICAL, LAW AND PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

The aim of this study was to show the differences between groups of medical, law and psychology students in terms of empathy and psychopathy, as well as to show whether there are relationships between these variables in the studied groups. The study involved 70 female and 50 male students, constituting three equal groups of 40 people each, studying Medicine, Law and Psychology respectively. Two standardized tools were used in the study: the Index of Interpersonal Reactivity (IRI) by M.H Davis and the Polish adaptation of I. Pilch and her team's Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), the original version of which was developed by Patrick, Fowles and Krueger, as well as a specially designed sociodemographic questionnaire. The study showed an inverse relationship between empathy and psychopathy and that there were differences in both empathy and psychopathy levels between different groups of students. Law students had lower levels of empathy in two di mensions according to the IRI than medical and psychology students. When analyzing the severity of some psychopathic traits and the overall psychopathy score according to TriPM, it was found that law students had the highest levels in the overall psychopathy score and meanness, but no statistically significant differences were observed in other TriPM variables between the groups studied. Law students had the lowest empathy scores of the groups studied, and medical students had slightly lower empathy scores than psychology students. It was also shown that law students had the highest overall psychopathy score of the three groups studied. Negative correlational relationships between empathy and psychopathy were observed in medical and law students – indicating that higher levels of empathy are associated with lower levels of psychopathy.

Assessing Compassion in Korean Population: Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scales.

A newly developed scale, the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale (SOCS) measures compassion for others and the self-based on an empirically supported five-elements definition of compassion: (a) recognizing suffering; (b) understanding the universality of suffering; (c) feeling for the person suffering; (d) tolerating uncomfortable feelings; and (e) motivation to act/acting to alleviate suffering. This study aimed to validate a Korean version of SOCS in a Korean adult sample. We administered the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale for Others (SOCS-O), the Sussex-Oxford Compassion Scale for the Self (SOCS-S), and other self-report measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, compassionate love, wellbeing, interpersonal reactivity, and mental health problems to analyze their psychometric properties. The findings support the five-factor hierarchical structure for the SOCS-O and SOCS-S, and as well as both scales’ adequate psychometric properties of measurement invariance, interpretability, internal consistency, floor/ceiling effects, and convergent/discriminant validity.

Association of Ageism With Death Anxiety, Self-Esteem, Interpersonal Reactivity, and Symbolic Immortality Among Nurses.

According toterror management theory (TMT), older adults may often be a reminder of death for younger adults. Therefore, dealing with older adults may be associated with increased levels of death anxiety and decreased levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality, leading younger adults to develop ageist attitudes and behaviors in defense. However, to date, these associations have not been empirically examined, especially among nurses. Self-report questionnaires were used on a sample of 163 nurses to explore the issue of ageism among nurses from the TMT perspective. The results indicated that, after controlling for sociodemographic variables, high levels of death anxiety and low levels of self-esteem, interpersonal reactivity, and symbolic immortality were associated with increased levels of ageism among nurses. Thus, the current study uses TMT to explain ageism among nurses, and the study findings may contribute to the development of psychological interventions aimed at reducing nurses' ageism.

The Complex Nature of School Violence: Attitudes Toward Aggression, Empathy and Involvement Profiles in Violence.

BackgroundAggressive behavior in adolescents has become a concern in education, where adapting to and going through high school may generate important behavior problems in adolescents.PurposeAnalyze the relationships between parental and adolescent attitudes toward aggression and empathy. Identify profiles of direct and indirect involvement in school violence and determine differences between groups with respect to the components of empathy and attitudes toward aggression.MethodsThe sample was comprised of 1287 high school students who were administered the Beliefs about Aggression and Alternatives questionnaire, the Parental Support for Fighting and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index.ResultsThe results show that beliefs in favor of the use of aggression in adolescents correlate positively with the perception of strong support from parents for aggression in response to conflict. Similarly, higher levels of support for the use of nonviolent strategies are positively related to the perception of strong support from parents. The relationships established with the components of empathy analyzed, both cognitive and emotional, were negatively correlated with favorable attitudes toward aggression. Results concerning the groups directly involved indicated that there were significant differences in the components of empathy between the groups. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis applied to the direct involvement groups showed significant differences between the groups in taking perspective. Between-group differences in empathic concern were also statistically significant for the group of active observers.ConclusionTaking perspective and empathic concern are moderating variables both for observers and victims and their parents in situations of violence.

The reflex of the past – the role of youth victimisation trauma on the interpersonal reactivity

Introduction All types of violence perpetrated to a child or adolescent affect their future interpersonal relationships and may also have implications on mental health, academic, and professional performance [1]. About half of the people who have suffered at least one type of victimisation have shown behavioural changes [2]. The main objective of the current study is to analyse the relationship between youth victimisation trauma and the interpersonal reactivity (empathy) in adulthood. Materials and methods The sample was composed by 198 Portuguese adults between 18 and 69 years old (M = 26.9, SD = 11.7), the majority was single (n = 168, 84.8%), and completed higher education (n = 96, 48.5%). Participants answered online to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) [3], and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) [4]. The study was conducted following the ethical principles and was approved by the university institutional review board and ethics committee. Results There was a positive association between the total score of child abuse and the Personal Distress (r = 0.223, p =.002) and Fantasy (r = 0.160, p = 025) in adulthood. Personal Distress was positively correlated with Emotional Neglect (r = 0.191, p = .007), with Physical Abuse (r = 0.235, p = 0.01), and Physical Neglect (r= 0.252, p < 0.001). Fantasy was also positively correlated with Emotional Abuse (r = 0.182, p = .010) and Sexual Abuse (r = 0.160, p =.024). The total score of the IRI showed a positive correlation with Physical Abuse (r = 0.174, p = .014) and Physical Neglect (r = 0.167, p = .019). There was a negative correlation between Empathic Concern and Emotional Neglect (r = −0.153, p = .032). There was also positive statistically significant correlations between the total score of the CTQ and the occurrence of Emotional Abuse (r = 0.843, p < 0.001), Emotional Neglect (r = 0.793 p < 0.001), Physical Abuse (r = 0.641, p < 0.001) and Physical Neglect (r = 0.739, p < 0.001). Discussion and conclusions This study showed the relationship between youth victimisation trauma and the interpersonal reactivity (empathy), namely, with the increase of personal distress and the ability to place themselves in fictitious situations related to the fantasy in adulthood. Our research also provides a tendency to fall victim to various types of childhood abuse, such as emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse [5]. According to some studies, when children suffer from neglect, they tend to show future problems on interpersonal relationships, more specifically in the capacity to empathise with others [6], and this study corroborates those outcomes.

Interpersonal reactivity: the impact of infant-juvenile positive experiences

Introduction Children's exposure to negative and positive experiences has consequences throughout their lifetime [1]. Positive experiences are associated with how the child sees and interacts with their world [2], and it helps to develop mitigating factors for the adverse effects of adverse experiences and promoters of resilience [3]. The objectives of this research are to study the relationship between interpersonal reactivity (empathy) and positive experiences in childhood and to compare victims and non-victims of traumatic events. Materials and methods The study design is descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki [4]. Participants responded to the protocol in the google form, having consented to their participation in order to advance in the protocol. This study comprised 147 Portuguese adults aged between 18 and 67 (M = 30.8, SD = 11.6). The link to the study was disclosed by e-mail and in social networks. Samples were divided into two groups: G1 – non-victims of traumatic events (n = 84) and G2 – victims of trauma in the last three years (n = 63). Participants responded online to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) [5], and the Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) scale [6]. Results Data showed statistically significant correlations between: Interpersonal Support and the Perspective Taking (V = 0.402, p = .035); Interpersonal Support and Empathic Concern (V = 0.371, p = .038); the Perceived Relational and Internal Safety and Security, and Fantasy (V = 0.438, p = .035); the total score of the BCEs and the subscale Fantasy in the IRI (V = 0.421, p = .036). Concerning the experience of traumatic events in adulthood, the results revealed statistically significant differences. Compared to G2, the G1, highlighted higher levels of total score of the BCEs [F= (1,145) = 5.07, p = .026]), Positive Experiences of Support [F = (1,145) = 6.02, p = .015]), and Positive Experiences of Security [F = (1.145) = 4.30, p = .040]) in infant-juvenile stage. Discussion and conclusions This research points to an association between the existence of positive experiences in the infant-juvenile phase and the development of empathy in adulthood. Some studies corroborate our results, demonstrating that the experiences in the first stages of life will have long-term repercussions on their social-emotional development [3]. Since empathy and positive experiences interfere in child development, that's important to promote, reinforce and safeguard these experiences throughout the stages of the life cycle.

A Pilot Study of Perspective Taking and Emotional Contagion in Mental Health Professionals: Glass Brain View of Empathy.

Background:Empathy plays a fundamental role in the context of psychotherapy. Mental health professionals (MHP) are required to express empathy on a daily basis. “Perspective taking” (cognitive empathy) and “emotional contagion” (affective empathy) are elements of empathy that are both innate and acquired. This study aimed to explore the underlying neural correlates of empathy using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Method:A total of six healthy subjects from MHP and other professionals (OP) were recruited in a single-assessment study design. Subjects were screened using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Standard Progressive Matrices. Behavioral measures such as cognitive and affective empathy, interpersonal reactivity, and emotional and social quotient were assessed. Perspective taking was examined with the fMRI face recognition task and the reading mind through eyes task. Emotional contagion was examined by the negative, positive, and pain emotions task. The fMRI was conducted in a 3T Siemens Magnetom Skyra scanner, using a block design paradigm.Results:Activation was noted in the following areas: cingulate and thalamus for positive and negative emotions, precuneus for negative emotion and pain, inferior parietal lobe for reading mind task and negative emotion, declive for reading mind and pain, and precuneus and frontal gyrus for reading mind task and facial recognition.Conclusions:There was no significant difference between MHP and OP groups on the behavioral measures. However, there were variations in cerebral and cerebellar activation in the functional imaging parameters.

Relation Between Cognitive Empathy, Self-Deception and&amp;nbsp;Deception With Depression From an Evolutionary Psychology Perspective

The aim of this research was to demonstrate relationship of cognitive empathy (basis for all social relationships), self-deception, deception and depression and to find a model to explain depression in terms of self-deception, other deception and cognitive empathy variables from an evolutionary psychology perspective. Method: In this research, pre-constructed questionnaires, i.e. the Beck Depression Inventory, the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding and the Interpersonal Reactivity (empathy) Index were used for collecting data. The statistical population of this research consisted of the students of Allameh Tabataba’i University in the academic year 2016-2017 and the study sample consisted of 397 students selected by convenience sampling. PLS-SEM software was used for data analysis. The results showed that self-deception, other deception and cognitive empathy have a positive relationship with each other and a negative relationship with depression. The findings also show that the constructed model demonstrates significant effect of cognitive empathy, self-deception and other deception on depression, and this can be a confirmation of Price’s social failure theory.

Findings from a mixed-methods pragmatic cluster trial evaluating the impact of ethics education interventions on residential care-givers.

There has been little previous research regarding the effectiveness of ethics education interventions for residential care-givers. The Researching Interventions to Promote Ethics in social care project responded to the question: Which is the most effective ethics education intervention for care-givers in residential social care? A pragmatic cluster trial explored the impact of three ethics education interventions for: (a) interactive face-to-face ethics teaching; (b) reflective ethics discussion groups; and (c) an immersive simulation experience. There was also a control arm (d). 144 trial participants were recruited from 39 residential care homes for older people in southern England. Change scores compared across intervention arms showed a significant reduction in work-related moral stress in the teaching arm compared with control group (p=.03); there were no significant differences between control and intervention arms in change scores for moral sensitivity, interpersonal reactivity (empathy) or ethical leadership. Qualitative data themes were as follows: ethical care; care challenges; and ethical care inhibitors. Overall findings stimulate reflection on the value of three different ethics education interventions and the most appropriate means to evaluate their impact. Findings suggest the complexity and diverse nature of ethical competence in care. We suggest a way forward for research evaluating ethics education.

Psychopathological features in referred adolescents with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures with or without epilepsy

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are episodic manifestations that mimic epileptic seizures (ES) although not associated with electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures and ES, however, can often cooccur. Emotional distress in adolescents can trigger PNES, but the psychopathological and personality features are still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore psychopathological features in a sample of referred youth with PNES, with or without ES, compared with a control group with ES. Thirty-four patients aged 12 to 21 years, 19 females and 15 males, were included in the study, 15 patients with PNES, 7 with PNES and ES, and 12 with ES. The three groups were compared according to psychiatric categorical diagnoses, psychopathological dimensions, life stressors, and personality traits, including alexithymia, interpersonal reactivity, and resilience, all assessed with structured measures. Patients with PNES, with or without ES, were more severely impaired, had a higher incidence of mood disorders, more frequent lifetime traumatic experiences, and lower resilience. All the three groups presented alexythimic traits and emotional dysregulation. Major limitations are the small sample size and the lack of a control group of healthy subjects. Disentagling psychopathological characteristics in PNES can help clinicians to focus diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions.

What Characteristics Help Entrepreneurs ‘Make It’ Early on in Their Entrepreneurial Careers? Findings of a Regional Study from Romania

Entrepreneurship plays an essential role in modern urban growth and development. Successful businesses engage more growth potential, but also failed ones produce significant losses. Therefore, in order to reduce losses, it becomes important to understand what contributes to entrepreneurial success. Based the character-based approach, the current study considers the entrepreneur a critical agent for the survival and success of the business, and aims to examine the differences between successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs in terms of human capital and personal characteristics. The sample consisted of 123 Romanian nascent urban entrepreneurs who participated in a government sponsored entrepreneurial support program and competed for a subsidy to start their business. A positive outcome in the competition (achieved by 39 study participants) was considered as entrepreneurial success. Based on the competition outcome, we split the sample in successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs and analyzed the differences between the two groups from the perspective of human capital and personal characteristics. In terms of human capital (education, professional experience, age, and sex), the results showed small differences between the successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs in the sample. In terms of personal characteristics, compared to their unsuccessful counterparts, the successful entrepreneurs registered increased levels of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and of problem-solving confidence, higher levels of trust in their capacity of taking up challenges, increased levels of adaptive assertiveness, and a greater confidence in their ability to control their entrepreneurial behaviour. No significant differences were recorded for the need for autonomy, tolerance of ambiguity, risk-taking propensity, impulsivity, and interpersonal reactivity. The findings indicate that the personal characteristics of entrepreneurs may have different influences on their success, depending on the stage in their entrepreneurial career.

Symmetrization, Mirroring and External Reality: An ‘Inner’ Perspective

In the last two decades, mirroring systems have been detected in the monkey and in the human brain. The mirroring mechanisms have been considered as the neural basis for social cognition and interpersonal reactivity, and they have been assumed to support imitation, sharing of emotional states and empathy. Here I would like to compare ‘mirroring phenomena’ to ‘symmetrization phenomena’. In psychoanalytic literature, the construct of symmetrization has been proposed in the context of the Bi-Logic theory by Matte Blanco in 1975, on the basis of clinical evidence obtained in the psychoanalytical setting and following a theoretical analysis derived from the Freudian distinction between Primary and Secondary Processes. I will consider two different types of behaviours, empathic social interactions and the creation of transitional objects and spaces as defined by Winnicott in order to argue that symmetrization, in Matte Blanco’s terms, cannot be reduced to mirroring. I will then sketch a hypothesis on the interplay between the symmetric aspects of the mind and external reality in the development of higher relational functions of humans, also taking playing, arts and creativity into account. Finally I will describe the paradigmatic shift in neuro-imaging studies that was introduced with the discovery of the ‘Default Mode Network’ and its potential relevance in the research on the symmetric and asymmetric aspects of the human mind.

Attachment-specific speech patterns induce dysphoric mood changes in the listener as a function of individual differences in attachment characteristics and psychopathology.

Early childhood experiences influence cognitive-emotional development, with insecure attachment predisposing to potential psychopathologies. We investigated whether narratives containing attachment-specific speech patterns shape listeners' emotional responses and social intentions. First, 149 healthy participants listened to three narratives characteristic for secure, insecure-preoccupied, and insecure-dismissing attachment. Following each narrative, the well-being and interpersonal reactivity as a particular aspect of emotional reactivity of the listener were assessed. Likewise, psychopathological aspects of personality were evaluated. A follow-up study compared 10 psychosomatic patients with a current depressive episode and/or personality disorder with distinct depressive symptoms and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Effects of narratives on listeners' mental state were tested with repeated-measures AN(C)OVA. Mediating effects in the listener (attachment characteristics in the context of personality traits) were explored. Narrative effects were compared between patients and controls. Listening to insecure attachment narratives reduced well-being in controls. Nevertheless, tendency for social interaction was highest following the insecure-preoccupied narrative. Importantly, listeners' individual attachment characteristics mediated the relationship between well-being/interpersonal reactivity following the insecure-preoccupied narrative and levels of psychopathology.Furthermore, compared with healthy participants, patients showed higher emotional reactivity following exposure to the insecure-preoccupied narrative, represented by lower well-being and lower estimation of friendliness towards the narrator. Exposure to attachment-specific speech patterns can result in dysphoric mood changes. Specifically, the insecure-preoccupied narrative influenced the listeners' emotional state, which was further mediated by the individual attachment patterns and psychopathological personality characteristics. This deepens the understanding of interpersonal processes, especially in psychotherapeutic settings. In clinical populations, insecure-preoccupied attachment has a high prevalence. In this study, listening to a narrative characteristic of insecure-preoccupied speech patterns resulted in reduced well-being in healthy listeners. Patients with depressive symptoms showed a higher emotional reactivity towards the insecure-preoccupied narrative compared to healthy controls. While working on (childhood) traumata, for example, in group therapy or inpatient settings, therapists should raise awareness to possible mood changes through discourse-conveyed attachment characteristics in listeners as a 'side effect'.