Empathic Accuracy

ABSTRACT People are motivated to understand each other's psychological states as well as each other's personality traits. As a consequence, the more traditional study of accuracy in trait inference can be complemented by, and potentially benefit from, the insights provided by the more recent study of empathic accuracy. Findings in this area suggest that future research should devote more attention to (a) the history of the perceiver-target relationship; (b) the perceiver's desired future relationship with the target; (c) the possibility that perceivers have little or no “metaknowledge” regarding their own empathic ability; and (d) the possibility that, under certain conditions, perceivers might be motivated to be inaccurate, rather than accurate, in their inferences about other people's dispositions.     

Couples' Perceptions of Each Other's Daily Affect: Empathic Accuracy,Assumed Similarity,and Indirect Accuracy

This study examined couples' perceptions of each other's daily affect, using a daily diary methodology. Specifically, we tested the extent to which couples accurately inferred how their partner was feeling (empathic accuracy) and the extent to which spouses used their own feelings as a gauge for how their partner was feeling (assumed similarity). We also tested for indirect accuracy in couples' perceptions; that is, that assumed similarity in the context of actual similarity leads to empathic accuracy. Participants were 51 couples who completed daily diaries for seven consecutive nights. Results based on the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model indicated that couples showed both empathic accuracy and assumed similarity in their perception of their partner's positive affect; however, they used assumed similarity in rating their partner's hard negative (anger, hostility) and soft negative (sadness, fear) affect. Furthermore, tests of indirect accuracy found that wives were indirectly accurate in perceiving their husbands' positive affect and both husbands and wives were indirectly accurate in perceiving each other's hard negative affect because they were biased. Complementing laboratory studies, the present study highlights that examining couples' perceptions of each other's feelings in contexts of daily life, and differentiating positive and negative emotions, can further our understanding of the role of emotions for healthy relationship functioning.     

Shyness and Relationship Satisfaction: Evaluating the Associations Between Shyness,Self-Esteem,and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples

In the present study we explored the relationship between personality characteristics and relationship satisfaction in couples. Using a sample of 14,807 couples from the RELATE dataset, a model was tested examining the direct and indirect (via self-esteem) associations between personality traits (i.e., shyness) and relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, the model assessed shyness, self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction for both partners in the relationship. The results indicated that higher levels of shyness were associated with lower self-esteem in individuals, as well as lower relationship satisfaction. Implications of results and the use of partner ratings of personality indicators are discussed.     

Psychometric properties of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) in seven countries

Objectives

In the sport context, the coach-athlete relationship has been viewed and studied as a universal phenomenon. It is thus important to assess the universality of the psychometric scale that is used to measure the quality of coach-athlete relationships. The present study examined the cultural equivalence or measurement invariance of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (11-item, athlete version CART-Q).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

A total of 1363 athletes from Belgium (N = 200), Britain (N = 382), China (N = 200), Greece (N = 115), Spain (N = 120), Sweden (N = 169), and United States of America (N = 177) completed the CART-Q.

Results

Multi-group mean and covariance structure (MACS) analyses supported the factorial validity of the CART-Q in a three-first-order factor model across the seven countries. An examination of the latent mean differences of the CART-Q revealed some variation in terms of the intensity that athletes perceive in the quality of the relationship with their coach across the different countries.

Conclusions

Overall, these results supply additional evidence of the psychometric properties of the CART-Q and highlight that it is a sound instrument that can be applied cross-culturally.     

Gender Roles and Empathic Accuracy: The Role of Communion in Reading Minds

Although empathic accuracy is considered a stable skill, few individual difference measures consistently predict performance on Ickes’ (e.g., 2001) empathic accuracy measure. Because past work has shown that women are more empathically accurate than men when female gender roles are made salient before an empathic accuracy task, we hypothesized that self-reported communion and related variables might predict empathic accuracy. Participants (194 undergraduates) from a northwestern U.S. university completed an empathic accuracy task and self-report measures of communion and empathy. Communion and empathic concern predicted greater empathic accuracy, but only after controlling for socially desirable responding. The role of communion in empathic inference is discussed, along with the need to include measures of social desirability when examining correlates of empathic accuracy.     

Trauma Symptoms,Communication, and Relationship Satisfaction in Military Couples

Trauma symptoms are negatively correlated with couple relationship satisfaction, which is of particular importance in the relationships of military personnel who are often exposed to trauma whilst on overseas deployment. This study tested a model in which communication mediated an association between trauma symptoms and low relationship satisfaction. Thirty‐one Australian military couples were observationally assessed during a communication task, and assessed on their relationship satisfaction and individual functioning. As expected, trauma symptoms in the male military spouse were associated with low satisfaction in both spouses. Females’ low positive communication fully mediated the relationship between males’ trauma symptoms and low female satisfaction, but not male relationship satisfaction. Unexpectedly, males’ negative communication behaviors were associated with high male relationship satisfaction, and partially mediated the association between trauma symptoms and male satisfaction. Discussion focused on how some communication usually thought of as negative might be associated with relationship satisfaction in military couples.     

Perceived Parenting and Adolescent Cyber-Bullying: Examining the Intervening Role of Autonomy and Relatedness Need Satisfaction,Empathic Concern and Recognition of Humanness

Due to the progress in information technology, cyber-bullying is becoming one of the most common forms of interpersonal harm, especially among teenagers. The present study (N = 548) aimed to investigate the relation between perceived parenting style (in terms of autonomy support and psychological control) and cyber-bullying in adolescence. Thereby, the study tested for the intervening role of adolescent need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy and relatedness), empathic concern towards others, and adolescents’ recognition of full humanness to cyber-bullying offenders and victims. Findings revealed both a direct and an indirect relation between parenting and cyber-bullying. More specifically, parental psychological control directly predicted cyber-bullying, whereas parental autonomy support related to less cyber-bullying indirectly, as it was associated with the satisfaction of adolescents’ need for autonomy, which predicted more empathic concern towards others, which in turn differentially related to recognition of humanness to victims and bullies. The discussion focuses on the implications of the current findings.     

Emotional Intelligence,Relationship Satisfaction,and the Moderating Effect of ADHD Symptomatology

The present cross-sectional study examined the extent to which ADHD symptomatology moderated the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and relationship satisfaction. A sample of 139 undergraduate students completed self-report measures of ADHD symptomatology, romantic relationship satisfaction, and EI. Hierarchical regression analysis found a significant interaction between emotional intelligence and ADHD symptomatology in their associations with relationship satisfaction while controlling for comorbid depressive symptoms. Simple slopes analyses revealed that EI was positively associated with relationship satisfaction among individuals with higher ADHD symptomatology, but not significantly associated among individuals with lower ADHD symptomatology. These results suggest that EI might play a particularly important role in the relationship quality of individuals with ADHD symptomatology and suggest an important topic for future research.     

Emotional Support,Conflict, Depression,and Relationship Satisfaction in a Romantic Partner

One aim of this study was to determine the relative contribution of partner conflict and support to satisfaction with a romantic relationship when conflict and support are measured in terms of the same characteristics. Another aim was to ascertain whether support is indirectly associated with relationship satisfaction through reduced conflict and depression, as suggested by C. E. Cutrona (1996). The Relationship Assessment Scale (S. S. Hendrick, 1988), the Revised SCL-90-R Depression subscale (L. R. Derogatis, 1983), and a conflict and support scale were completed by 76 female and 35 male college students. Relationship satisfaction was explained only by support. Support was indirectly associated with relationship satisfaction through a reduction of depression but was not associated with conflict. The results suggest that a better understanding of satisfaction with a romantic relationship may be obtained through the study of support rather than conflict.     

物质主义价值观、金钱态度与薪酬满意度的关系研究

运用问卷调查法探讨了物质主义价值观、金钱态度与薪酬满意度的关系。对329名社会人员（男149,女178）的调查结果表明：（1）物质主义价值观、金钱态度对薪酬满意度具有显著的预测作用;（2）金钱态度在物质主义价值观与薪酬满意度之间起调节作用。     

The Relationship Between Individual Inputs, Perceptions, and Multidimensional Pay Satisfaction

Within the framework of revised discrepancy theory, this study examines the relationships of individual inputs and perceptual variables on four facets of pay satisfaction among 301 university faculty members. Statistically controlling for common method variance, actual pay exerted a strong direct effect on such satisfaction. While individual inputs were differentially related to the four measures of pay satisfaction, the perceptual variables (performance, pay fairness, contingent pay, commitment, and job satisfaction) were directly related to at least one dimension of pay satisfaction but did not generally interact with actual pay. The findings suggest perceptual variables affect pay judgments directly, while individual variables may directly or indirectly be related to aspects of pay satisfaction.     

Non-linearity,Complexity and Limited Measurement in the Relationship Between Satisfaction with Specific Life Domains and Satisfaction with Life as a Whole

In this article we defend that the adoption of a non-linear approach, theoretically framed on complexity theories can make some contribution to the bottom-up approach, which explains the levels of satisfaction with life as a whole through the combination of the levels of satisfaction in different life domains. Two approaches have been tested: (Rojas in J Happiness Stud 7:467–497, 2006) constant elasticity of substitution model and the model with quadratic terms and interaction effects (González et al. in Soc Indic Res 80:267–295, 2006; González et al. in Qual Quant 42:1–21, 2008). In order to prevent obtaining false non-linear relationships they have been analysed twice taking into account or not limited measurement of satisfaction with life as a whole. Results show that: (a) any of the two non-linear models fits better than the linear one; (b) any of the models failing to take into account limited measurement fits worse; (c) the non-linear model with quadratic terms and interaction effects fits better than Rojas’. The implications for the study of psychological well-being are discussed.     

Job Importance as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction

Moderated regression analyses are used to assess the degree to which indirect indicators of job importance moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. The 1971 Quality of American Life Survey (N = 2,164) and the 1972-1973 Quality of Employment Survey (N = 1,496) provide two large nationwide probability sample data sets for these secondary analyses. It is hypothesized that the strength of the job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationship is positively related to job importance. Contrary to this hypothesis, respondents whose jobs were expected to be more important do not have substantially stronger job satisfaction-life satisfaction relationships than respondents whose jobs were expected to be less important. The zero-order job satisfaction–life satisfaction correlations in both samples are stronger than expected (r = .48 and r = .49). Discussion focuses on the conceptual implications of the failure to find substantial moderator effects. Locke's (1969) theory of the implicit role of importance in determining satisfaction is invoked to explain the obtained pattern of results.     

Adult Attachment,Differentiation of Self,and Relationship Satisfaction in Lesbians and Gay Men

We examined adult attachment styles, differentiation of self, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 298 Italian lesbians (48%) and gay men (52%), all of whom were ages 19–71 years (M?=?36.1; SD?=?11.8) and in a couple relationship for at least six months. Participants were recruited via the Internet and completed a web-based survey. We tested the hypotheses that attachment insecurity and differentiation of self would predict relationship satisfaction, as well as that differentiation of self would mediate the relationship between adult attachment and relationship satisfaction. Results supported the hypotheses, thus indicating that attachment insecurity and differentiation of self were correlated with and predicted relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, results supported the hypothesized mediating role of differentiation of self. Finally, results indicated that younger participants, lesbians, and participants in civil unions reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction. Implications for counselors and therapists working with LG populations are discussed.

     

高校教师工作家庭关系、工作特征与生活满意度的研究

该研究通过对1149位高校教师的问卷调查,探讨了高校教师工作家庭关系的特点及其与工作特征、生活满意度的关系.结果发现:1)高校教师体验到的工作家庭冲突与工作家庭促进存在较弱的负相关.2)男性教师体验到的家庭-工作冲突显著高于女性教师,在工作-家庭冲突和工作家庭促进方面差异不显著.3)工作要求能正向预测工作家庭冲突和工作家庭促进;个人对工作家庭平衡的控制感能降低工作-家庭冲突、提升工作家庭促进,但同时也会使家庭-工作冲突增加.4)工作家庭促进会显著地提升教师对工作和家庭的满意感.工作-家庭冲突会削弱工作满意度,家庭-工作冲突则会导致家庭满意度下降.     

婚姻冲突、应对策略及其与婚姻满意度的关系

探讨婚姻冲突、应对策略、婚姻满意度的特点及其关系。采用方便取样,选取辽阳市已婚完整家庭1～10年的夫妻620对进行问卷调查。结果表明：1）夫妻报告的前三项冲突是：家务琐事、不良习惯和交流解决问题方面。在家务琐事、交流解决问题和孩子方面,妻子报告的冲突显著多于丈夫;妻子报告的双方回避应对显著多于丈夫;2）人际关系冲突和工作方面的冲突分别对妻子和丈夫的婚姻满意度有显著预测作用;双方都报告人际关系方面的冲突对对方婚姻满意度有显著预测作用,但妻子报告的人际关系冲突对丈夫婚姻满意的预测作用更大;3）自己和对方的应对策略在妻子报告的冲突与婚姻满意中起完全中介作用,在丈夫报告的冲突与婚姻满意中起部分中介作用。     

Empathic joy and the empathy-altruism hypothesis

Three experiments tested whether empathy evokes egoistic motivation to share vicariously in the victim's joy at improvement (the empathic-joy hypothesis) instead of altruistic motivation to increase the victim's welfare (the empathy-altruism hypothesis). In Experiment 1, Ss induced to feel either low or high empathy for a young woman in need were given a chance to help her. Some believed that if they helped they would receive feedback about her improvement; others did not. In Experiments 2 and 3, Ss induced to feel either low or high empathy were given a choice of getting update information about a needy person's condition. Before choosing, they were told the likelihood of the person's condition having improved--and of their experiencing empathic joy--was 20%, was 50%, or was 80%. Results of none of the experiments patterned as predicted by the empathic-joy hypothesis; instead, results of each were consistent with the empathy-altruism hypothesis.     

Modeling the Relationship Between Pay Level and Pay Satisfaction

The relationship between pay level and pay satisfaction was modeled in a field study with 456 employees of nursing departments in a large hospital. After controlling for person, job, and pay system characteristics, pay satisfaction variance was better explained by treating pay level as a power function rather than a linear function. This result was expected given the low wage rate relative to the market, the lack of a formal rewards system, and the high level of tenure in the workforce. Implications of this finding for theory, research, and practice were discussed.     

Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty on the Internet

Purpose  

Although the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty has been the focus of a good deal of research, the complex nature of that relationship continues to pose a good many unanswered questions. The present study proposes a four-way classification of the perspectives that tend to be taken by researchers on the said relationship. By theoretically and empirically reviewing these four approximations in an on-line context, the study aims to clarify the nature and strength of the relationship between these two variables.