Measures Of Empathy Research Articles

Empathic Care of Neonates: A Critical Literature Review.

Clinical empathy is a multidimensional ability to feel the patient's suffering, branched into components such as cognitive, emotional, and action, which results in benefits for patients, parents, health professionals, medical students, and others. The authors performed a critical review of the literature about empathy in neonatal care, in 2 databases, and analyzed the co-occurrence of keywords in the last 10 years. Nine articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. They highlight the interconnection between empathy, communication, ethics, and palliative care. Empathy was analyzed in situations that included pain, death, and suffering in the neonate, especially related to critically ill neonates. Strategies such as self-reflection and digital storytelling may help increase the clinical empathy education of health professionals. There are gaps in research considering the measurement of clinical empathy in neonatal care, and this measurement should be encouraged. To change care practices, education on empathy for health professionals, especially physicians, should be improved.

Emotion dysregulation modulates visual perspective taking and spontaneous facial mimicry.

Understanding and sharing others' emotions (i.e., empathy) requires the ability to manage one's own emotions (i.e., emotion regulation). Indeed, empirical evidence suggests that empathy and emotion regulation are related. This evidence is largely based on self-report measures of both constructs. The current study examined how task measures that assess processes related to empathy are associated with self-reported emotion dysregulation in a young adult sample. An eye-tracking-based perspective-taking task was used as a proxy measure of cognitive empathy. A spontaneous facial mimicry (SFM) task, wherein the activation of the Zygomaticus Major and the Corrugator Supercilii was measured during the passive viewing of happy and angry faces, was used as a proxy measure of affective empathy. The perspective-taking task metric showed a negative relationship with emotion dysregulation. The overall SFM metric was not significantly associated with emotion dysregulation. Follow-up analyses revealed that SFM for angry faces was inversely proportional to emotion dysregulation; no such relationship was observed for SFM for happy faces. These findings build upon prior work by demonstrating a positive relationship between adaptive emotion regulation and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy. The findings for affective empathy are suggestive of a valence-specific relationship between SFM and emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Diagnostic Performance of Socio-Emotional Informant-Based Questionnaires for the Clinical Detection of the Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia.

Although social cognitive dysfunction is a major feature of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), quantitative measurement of social behavior changes is poorly available in clinical settings. The aim of the study is to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of social-emotional questionnaires in distinguishing bvFTD from healthy control (HC) subjects and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. We enrolled 29 bvFTD, 24 AD, and 18 HC subjects matched for age, sex, and education. Two informant-based measures of socio-emotional sensitivity and empathy (i.e., revised Self-Monitoring Scale (rSMS) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)) were administered. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare groups, whereas Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis tested questionnaire ability in distinguishing groups. A short version of IRI (sIRI) was obtained by excluding the non-contributing subscale (i.e., personal distress). Compared to HC and AD, bvFTD showed significantly lower scores in rSMS and IRI scores, except for IRI personal distress subscale. The sIRI showed an excellent performance in early diagnosis (bvFTD versus HC = AUC 0.95). Both sIRI and rSMS showed good performance in distinguishing bvFTD from AD (AUC 0.83). ROC analyses support the usefulness of informant social questionnaires in memory clinics and their potential value in screening procedures for research eligibility in forthcoming trials. In the timely diagnosis of bvFTD patients, IRI and rSMS may supply crucial information for the early detection of signs and symptoms affecting social-emotional skills, which might otherwise be underrecognized.

CARECOS study: Medical students’ empathy as assessed with the CARE measure by examiners versus standardized patients during a formative Objective and Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) station

Purpose To assess the Consultation And Relational Empathy (CARE) measure as a tool for examiners to assess medical students’ empathy during Objective and Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), as the best tool for assessing empathy during OSCEs remains unknown. Methods We first assessed the psychometric properties of the CARE measure, completed simultaneously by examiners and standardized patients (SP, either teachers - SPteacher - or civil society members - SPcivil society), for each student, at the end of an OSCE station. We then assessed the qualitative/quantitative agreement between examiners and SP. Results We included 129 students, distributed in eight groups, four groups for each SP type. The CARE measure showed satisfactory psychometric properties in the context of the study but moderate, and even poor inter-rater reliability for some items. Considering paired observations, examiners scored lower than SPs (p < 0.001) regardless of the SP type. However, the difference in score was greater when the SP was a SPteacher rather than a SPcivil society (p < 0.01). Conclusion Despite acceptable psychometric properties, inter-rater reliability of the CARE measure between examiners and SP was unsatisfactory. The choice of examiner as well as the type of SP seems critical to ensure a fair measure of empathy during OSCEs.

The "Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood": Psychometric Properties and Associations with Externalizing Problems and Callous Unemotional Traits.

Empathy is crucial to the development of socio-emotional skills in youth and empathy development is central to understanding and subtyping youth with externalizing problems. This study explored for the first time the psychometric properties of the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC)in a sample of 652 Italian children aged 6 to 8 years. The gender invariance of MEEC scores and their associations with other measures of empathy and prosocial behavior, and children's externalizing problems and callous-unemotional (CU) traits were also evaluated. Results indicated that with some modifications, a 5-factor structure of the Italian version of MEEC scores fitted the data and was invariant across gender. Results further supported the reliability and validity of MEEC total and subscale scores. Practical implications of these results are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Theory of Mind Task Battery (French Version) in Neurotypical Children and Intellectually Disabled Children.

These studies tested the psychometric properties of the French version of the Theory of Mind (ToM) Task Battery (vf) in typically developing (TD) children and intellectually disabled (ID) children. The Battery was administered to 649 TD children (2 ½ to 12 years old) in Study 1 and 155 ID (4 ½ to 14 ½ years old) in Study 2. Their mothers completed questionnaires: in both studies, the Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI-1-vf); in Study 1, the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM-vf) and the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC-vf); and in Study 2, the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE-vf). The Battery showed good internal consistency in both groups. Positive links with age and differences between age groups were identified in their performances. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations between TD children's scores in the Battery and in ToMI1-vf, in empathy, in emotion regulation, and by a negative correlation with emotion dysregulation. In ID children, their scores in the Battery were positively linked with those in ToMI-1-vf, in some scales of SCEB-vf, and had a low level of internalizing problems. This Battery presents good psychometric qualities and could be useful for explicit assessment of ToM in TD and ID children in future research and intervention.

Adaptation and validation of the French version of empathy questionnaire in preschoolers

AbstractAt preschool age, children need to develop socio‐emotional skills, including empathy, in order to adapt their response during social interactions with peers and adults in various contexts. When preschoolers face difficulties in their social interactions, it is relevant to assess their empathy in order to know whether a specific preventive intervention is needed. This study aimed to adapt and validate the French version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue‐vf), which was completed by Belgian mothers of 307 children aged from 2 to 6 years. Mothers also completed the Griffith Empathy Measure (GEM‐vf), Theory of Mind Inventory (ToMI1‐vf) and Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC‐vf). A CFA confirmed a three‐factor structure for EmQue‐vf, including 14 items loading onto three factors: (1) Emotion Contagion, (2) Attention to Others’ Feelings, and (3) Prosocial Actions. This structure was confirmed for the boys’ and girls’ samples treated separately, as well as for the overall sample. Internal consistency ranged from acceptable for Emotion Contagion to good for Attention to Others’ Feelings and Prosocial Actions. In terms of concurrent criterion validity with GEM‐vf, the three factors of EmQue‐vf correlated positively with the affective empathy score and only the Prosocial Actions scale was positively linked with the cognitive empathy score. In terms of construct validity, Pearson's correlations showed a positive link between age and Prosocial Actions. Moreover, the three EmQue‐vf subscales were linked positively to Theory of Mind and emotion regulation scores. A negative link was obtained between Prosocial Actions and emotion dysregulation scores. In conclusion, EmQue‐vf presents good psychometric qualities. It will be a useful in future research and interventions involving French‐speaking children with and without developmental disorders.

Bleeding-Heart Horror Fans

Abstract: The horror genre portrays some of the most graphic and violent scenes in media. How and why some people find enjoyment in such a graphic genre is an age-old question. One hypothesis is that people lower in prosocial traits such as empathy and compassion are more likely to enjoy horror. We found evidence against this hypothesis across three studies. Study 1 demonstrated that enjoyment of horror movies was unrelated to affective empathy, negatively associated with coldheartedness, and positively associated with cognitive empathy. A preregistered follow-up study found that measures of empathy and coldheartedness were unrelated to how many horror movies a participant had seen. In Study 3, enjoyment of horror movies was unrelated to the amount of money a participant decided to donate to a less fortunate participant. These findings contradict beliefs from the public about horror fans possessing lower levels of prosocial traits such as empathy and compassion. They also put into question findings from older studies about the relationship between empathy and enjoyment of horror media.

Safer Patients Empowered to Engage and Communicate about Health (SPEECH) in primary care: a feasibility study and process evaluation of an intervention for older people with multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity)

BackgroundOlder people with multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity) (MLTC-M) experience difficulties accessing and interacting with health and care services. Breakdowns in communication between patients and staff can threaten patient safety. To improve communication and reduce risks to patient safety in primary care, we developed an intervention: Safer Patients Empowered to Engage and Communicate about Health (SPEECH). SPEECH comprises a booklet for patients and an associated guide for staff. The booklet is designed to provide patients with information about staff and services, skills to prepare and explain, and confidence to speak up and ask.MethodsA single-arm mixed methods feasibility study with embedded process evaluation. General practices in the North West of England were recruited. Participating practices invited patients aged 65+ with MLTC-M who had an appointment scheduled during the study period. Patients were asked to complete questionnaires at baseline and follow-up (four to eight weeks after being sent the patient booklet), including the Consultation and Relational Empathy measure, Empowerment Scale, Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire, and Primary Care Patient Measure of Safety. Staff completed questionnaires at the end of the study period. A sub-sample of patients and staff were interviewed about the study processes and intervention. Patients and the public were involved in all aspects of the study, from generation of the initial idea to interpretation of findings.ResultsOur target of four general practices were recruited within 50 days of the study information being sent out. A fifth practice was recruited later to boost patient recruitment. We received expressions of interest from 55 patients (approx. 12% of those invited). Our target of 40 patient participants completed baseline questionnaires and were sent the SPEECH booklet. Of these, 38 (95%) completed follow-up. Patients found the intervention and study processes acceptable, and staff found the intervention acceptable and feasible to deliver.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the intervention is acceptable, and it would be feasible to deliver a trial to assess effectiveness. Prior to further evaluation, study processes and the intervention will be updated to incorporate suggestions from participants.Trial registrationThe study was registered on the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN13196605: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13196605).

Basolateral Amygdala Functional Connectivity in Alexithymia: Linking Interoceptive Sensibility and Cognitive Empathy

Emotions rely on bodily states, and perceiving the emotions of others depends on awareness of one’s own emotional state. However, the intercorrelations among interoception, alexithymia, and empathy are not well understood, and the neural mechanisms behind this connection are also largely unknown. To address these issues, 297 college students participated in this study, completing measures of interoceptive sensibility (IS), empathy and alexithymia and undergoing resting-state fMRI scans. The functional connectivity of the amygdala was analysed to identify the neural substrates of alexithymia, and mediation analyses were conducted to examine the mediation effect of alexithymia and alexithymia-specific amygdala functional connectivity on the relationship between IS and empathy. The results showed that higher levels of IS were associated with increased cognitive empathy through weakened alexithymia. Functional connectivity analysis indicated that right basolateral amygdala (BLA)-left precuneus connectivity was negatively related to alexithymia, while right BLA-left precentral gyrus connectivity was positively related to alexithymia. Furthermore, right BLA-left precuneus connectivity was found to mediate the impact of interoception on cognitive empathy. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationships among IS, alexithymia, and empathy. The right BLA-left precuneus connectivity may serve as a shared neural substrate between interoception and cognitive empathy.

Are psychotic-like experiences associated with aberrant prosocial decision-making behavior?

Deficits in social functioning and decision-making are well-documented in schizophrenia, but their relationship with positive symptoms and social conflicts is poorly understood. We created a new paradigm based on the Dictator Game (DG) to explore differences in social decision-making between individuals experiencing high levels of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), particularly hallucinations and delusions, and controls with less PLEs. A large community sample (N = 1,161) completed a DG in an online study whereby extreme groups were built based on the positive subscale of the CAPE. Overall, participants experiencing PLEs did not act less prosocial than controls but showed a somewhat aberrant decision-making behavior, particularly a pattern of behaving more prosocial in fair situations and generally favoring punishment over compensation relative to controls. Mediation analyses suggest that measures of empathy and Machiavellism have predictive power for prosocial behavior beyond group status. The present study raises the possibility that individuals with high levels of PLEs may be less able to adapt their behavior to the situation at hand than controls. These irregularities might be due to deficits in social cognition which may elicit conflict, thus compromising social functioning and possibly contributing to the formation of positive symptoms.

Association of Vedic Personality Traits and Empathy among Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Medical students are expected to provide compassionate and empathic care to their patients. Empathy is a crucial component of the doctor-patient relationship. The Triguna theory is a fundamental concept in Hindu philosophy that describes three inherent qualities of nature: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Each individual has a unique combination of these qualities, which shapes their personality and behaviour. However, the relationship between Triguna personality and empathy in medical students has not been explored in depth. Aim: To examine the association between Triguna personality and empathy in medical students. Materials and Methods: The present study was a crosssectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among firstphase medical undergraduates in the Department of Physiology, Rama Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India from July 2024 to August 2024. A total of 122 medical students participated in the study. The Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI) was used for assessing personality, and the Brief form of Interpersonal Reactivity Index (B-IRI) was used for assessing empathy. Correlational analysis and an unpaired student’s t-test were performed. Results: There were 122 subjects; the proportion of male and female students was 52 (42.6%) and 70 (57.4%), respectively. The mean± Standard Deviation (SD) age was 20.43±1.23 years. Sattva score was positively correlated with Perspective-taking (PT) (r=0.193, p&lt;0.05) and negatively correlated with Personal Distress (PD) scores (r=-0.322, p&lt;0.01). Tamas scores were positively correlated with Fantasy (FT) (r=0.251, p&lt;0.01) and PD scores (r=0.401, p&lt;0.01). Female participants demonstrated significantly higher mean scores as compared to males in Empathic Concern (EC) (16.9±2.681 vs. 14.730±2.951), PT (15.442±2.618 vs. 14.038±2.779), and PD (13.552±2.776 vs. 12.288±3.291) in the present study. There was no significant difference in Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas scores between males and females. Conclusion: The study explores the association between the VPI traits, such as Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas, and empathy measures. Sattva shows a positive correlation with Perspective Taking (PT) and a negative correlation with PD, indicating that individuals with higher Sattva scores are likely to exhibit better social competence and emotional stability. Additionally, gender differences were observed in empathy scores, with females scoring higher than males in PT, EC, and PD, emphasising the relevance of considering personality traits in medical education to foster empathic skills among healthcare professionals.

Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study.

The present study examined whether people higher in psychopathy experienced less self-reported and psychophysiological nociceptive pressure than people lower in psychopathy. We also examined whether psychopathy affects empathy for others' pain via self-reported and psychophysiological measures. Three hundred and sixty-nine students (18-78 years; M = 26, SD = 9.34) were screened for psychopathic traits using the Youth Psychopathy Inventory (YPI). Stratified sampling was used to recruit 49 adults residing in the highest (n = 23) and lowest (n = 26) 20% of the psychopathy spectrum. Using skin conductance response (SCR) and self-report responses, participants responded to individually adjusted intensities of pneumatic pressure and others' pain images and completed self-reported psychopathy and empathy measures (Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, TriPm; Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI). People higher in psychopathy self-reported feeling less nociceptive pressure compared to people lower in psychopathy, yet we did not find any differences in SCR to nociceptive pressure. However, when viewing other people in pain, the high psychopathy group displayed lower SCR and lower self-reported empathy compared to those lower in psychopathy. Our results suggest psychopathic traits relate to problems empathising with others' pain, as well as the perception of nociceptive pressure. We also show support for the theory of dual harm which has been receiving increasing attention. Consequently, psychopathy interventions should focus both on recognising and empathising with the pain of others.

Moving the needle forward in health disparities: An education initiative

&lt;abstract&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Objective&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;This paper sought to evaluate the impact of a year-long Health Equity Curriculum (HEC) on the knowledge of health disparities, cross-cultural humility, and empathy among physicians, trainees, and research staff.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Background&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;There has been an increase in the inclusion of equity, cultural humility, and the social determinants of health into medical education at various levels. However, the frequency of this education is low and not well quantified or defined. The authors report the results of an education program, namely the HEC, on the knowledge of health disparities, cross-cultural humility, and empathy.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Materials and methods&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;The HEC was delivered between March 2020 and May 2021. It included the following four modules: the social determinants of health, cultural humility, health literacy, and unconscious bias. The participants attended lectures and reviewed articles/videos using online modules and reflection assignments. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) and the Cross-Cultural Competence Instrument for Health Care Professionals (CCCHP) were administered pre- and post-HEC. The results were statistically analyzed.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Results&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;Of the 102 enrolled participants, 46 completed the entire course. The JSE showed a statistically significant improvement in the empathy scores from pre-HEC to post-HEC (p &amp;lt; 0.01). The CCCHP showed a significant improvement from pre-HEC to post-HEC total scores and in subcomponent scores of Motivation/Curiosity, Attitude, and Knowledge (p &amp;lt; 0.05). There were no significant differences in scores for the Skills and Emotions/Empathy subcomponents.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;sec&gt; &lt;title&gt;Conclusions&lt;/title&gt; &lt;p&gt;Enrollment and completion in the HEC were associated with statistically significant improvements in the validated measures of cultural competence and empathy. Scaling this type of content and curriculum can educate professionals on equity and serving diverse communities. A further study is warranted.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/sec&gt;&lt;/abstract&gt;

The influence of "bad news" and "neutral/good news" on patients' perception of physician empathy during oncology consultations.

Being met with empathy increases information sharing, treatment coherence, and helps patients to recover faster. However, we do not know how the content of the conversation about disease progression, new treatments, or other issues concerning serious illness affects patients' perceptions of the physician's empathy, and thus, the quality of the conversation. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that patients will rate their physician lower following a "bad news" consultation using the consultation and relational empathy (CARE) measure. A total of 186 outpatients from the Department of Oncology were recruited for this study. After meeting with a patient, the physician filled out a form, placing the patient in either the "bad news" group, or the "neutral/good news" group along with information about the patient and the consultation. The patient was given the CARE measure after the visit. The patients who had received bad news rated their physicians a significantly lower score on the CARE measure, even though the effect size was small, than those who had neutral/good news. On average, bad news consultations were 11 min longer. Physicians need to be aware of the patients' need to be known and understood, in addition to having skills to attend to emotional cues and concerns, since the current study's finding could be a sign either of the content being projected onto the physician or that the physician is focused on the message rather than on the patient.

Involvement in cyberbullying events and empathy are related to emotional responses to simulated social pain tasks.

This study aims to explore the relationship between cyberbullying involvement either as a perpetrator or a victim and emotional responses to virtual social exclusion and inclusion. Previous research has predominantly focused on the impacts of in-person bullying. Our study shifts this focus to the cyber realm. A total of 156 adolescents living in northern Italy were recruited (Mage: 12.26; SD = 0.87; 43% female). After completing measures of empathy and involvement in cyberbullying, adolescents participated in the cyberball tasks. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups. We found three groups: Class 3, reporting negative responses to the social exclusion tasks and positive responses to the social inclusion tasks; Class 1, reporting neutral emotional responses to social inclusion and negative emotional responses to social exclusion; and Class 2, showing neutral responses to 'social exclusion' tasks and strongly positive responses to 'social inclusion' tasks. Linear regression revealed that cyberbullies report a typical emotional response to exclusion and inclusion tasks (Class 3), whereas cybervictims are more likely to report negative responses to both exclusion and inclusion events (Class 1). High levels of empathy are associated with the manifestation of a typical emotional response (Class 3), in contrast to an impaired emotional response characterized by neutral or positive responses to conditions of 'social exclusion' and positive responses to conditions of 'social inclusion' (Class 2). Results underscore the complex interplay between cyberbullying roles and emotional responses to virtual social experiences. Theoretical implications and limitations of the research are discussed.

Ağız Sağlığı ve Diş Protez Teknolojisi Öğrencilerinin Empati Düzeylerinin Değerlendirilmesi: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate empathy levels and perspectives of oral health and dental prosthetic technology students. The study was designed as a survey conducted among second-year students who started clinical education in the Department of Oral Health and Dental Prosthetics Technology at Bingol University Health Services Vocational School. The JSPE-HP version of the physician empathy scale was used to measure empathy levels. A total of 53 students participated in this study, of which 58.5% were dental prosthetic technology students and 41.5% were Oral Health students. The overall average JSPE-HP score for all participants was found to be 74.49±9.55. Although the average empathy score of the female students was higher than that of the male students, no statistically significant difference was found (p=0.293). This study shows that the JSPE-HP scale provides a reliable and valid measure of empathy among vocational school students, and there is no difference in perspective-taking ability based on this measurement. These results suggest that clinical and theoretical education should be added to the development of empathy skills.

데이터 시각화 유형에 따른 수용자 공감 수준 분석

This study aims to explore techniques for eliciting emotional empathy in data visualization. To achieve this, it utilizes preceding research to derive tools for measuring levels of empathy, and analyzes the impact of different types of data visualization on empathy and charitable behaviors to develop a humanism-based data design strategy. The methodology encompasses both literature review and empirical research, reviewing 11 previous studies to identify the types of data visualization and tools for empathy measurement. For empirical analysis, four types of visualizations were created and subjected to an online survey with 95 Korean adults between April 10 to 15, 2023. The analysis revealed that the type of data visualization significantly influences the viewer's emotional response and charitable actions. Notably, realistic illustration elicited the highest level of empathy, while metaphorical infographics induced moderate levels of empathy and donations. This research provides valuable insights for establishing data visualization strategies grounded in humanism.

Student Perspectives While Serving Asylum Seekers: A Pilot Study

Background: Medical student-run asylum clinics, which support asylum seekers with medical/psychological evaluations provided by asylum clinics, have significantly expanded in the United States in the last ten years, but minimal data reviews the impact of a program like this on the professional development of providers and students. This study analyzes how student participation impacts cultural competency and professional adeptness. &#x0D; Methods: Fifty-eight CDAC (n=26) and non-CDAC (n=32) participants were surveyed on demographics, comfort, and experiences interacting with asylum populations, as well as philanthropic characteristics of altruism, empathy, and compassion. Data collection and analysis were conducted using Qualtrics, R, and non-parametric testing (Mann Whitney U test, Fisher’s exact test).&#x0D; Results: Those who participated in CDAC endorsed greater overall experience interacting with asylum populations (p=0.01), particularly serving refugee populations (p=0.004) and having difficult conversations about physical and mental trauma (p=0.02). CDAC participants also scored higher on select measures of altruism and empathy.&#x0D; Conclusion: Participation in service-learning programs is important to medical education and practice, particularly in primary care. CDAC offers a unique learning opportunity for clinicians to gain cultural competency skills while providing vital assistance to marginalized populations, even for those with no prior formal training.

The Role of Empathy in Peer Relationships During Childhood and Adolescence

Empathy holds pivotal significance in fostering favorable peer engagements throughout the phases of childhood and adolescence. Although there is a large body of literature that addresses this issue, studies undertaken with children and adolescents have shown inconclusive results about the correlation between empathy and peer relationships. Various measures of peer relationships (such as peer attachment, friendships, and peer acceptability) and empathy (including affective and cognitive empathy, perspective-taking, and Theory of Mind) all contributes to challenges in reaching definitive conclusions. Hence, the association between peer relationships and empathy in children and adolescents remains unclear. Current work seeks to (a) provide an overview of how empathy is commonly conceptualised and quantified in child development and adolescent research, and (b) address pressing difficulties with empathy research in both child development and adulthood. It indicates the distinct roles played by affective and cognitive empathy in different constructs of peer interactions and prosocial behaviours. Additionally, the relationship between empathy and various aspects of peer relationships shows variation between genders and by using different measurements. We conclude by offering suggestions for future research on (a) distinguishing different aspects of empathy; (b). providing a more comprehensive framework of empathy; (c). examining the mediating role of gender in association between empathy and peer relationships.