Empathy in adolescence: Relations with emotion awareness and social roles

In this study, we aimed at gaining a better understanding of the individual differences contributing to feelings of empathy in adolescents. Therefore, we examined the extent to which emotion awareness (e.g., recognizing and appreciating one's own and the emotions of others) and a tendency for certain social roles (e.g., helping or teasing peers when being bullied) are related to adolescents’ levels of empathy. The sample was comprised of 182 adolescents aged between 11 and 16. Empathy and emotion awareness were assessed using self‐report measures. Peer reports were used to indicate adolescents’ different social roles: Bullying, defending the victim, and outsider behaviour. Outcomes demonstrated that evaluating one's own and the emotions of others, and more defending nominations were associated with both affective and cognitive empathy, whereas aspects of emotion awareness which are linked with internalizing symptoms were related to empathic distress, suggesting maladaptive emotion appraisal. Furthermore, outsider behaviour was associated with empathic distress, emphasizing a self‐focused orientation. In contrast, more bullying was negatively associated with cognitive empathy. Overall, these outcomes demonstrate that, besides social roles, emotion awareness is an important factor for adaptive empathic reactions, whereas emotion dysregulation might cause distress when witnessing the negative feelings of others.     

Associations among Life Events,Empathic Concern,and Adolescents' Prosocial and Aggressive Behaviors Toward Specific Targets

The goal of the present study was to examine the links between life events and adolescents' social behaviors (prosocial and aggressive behaviors) toward specific targets and to examine how empathic concern may play a role in these associations. The study examined two hypotheses: both the mediating role of empathic concern and the moderating role of empathic concern. The sample included 311 high school students from the Midwest (M age = 16.10 years; age range = 14–19 years; 58.7% girls; 82.7% White, 13.6% Latino). The results demonstrated support for the moderation model as well as complex links between life events and prosocial and aggressive behaviors toward specific targets. The discussion focuses on the role of empathic concern in understanding how life events are ultimately associated with adolescents' social development.     

神经科学视角下的共情研究热点

共情是指个体对他人情绪和想法的感受及理解。近年来关于共情神经机制的研究日益增多,但多集中在情感共情、认知共情、生理性疼痛共情等方面,而对社会痛共情、积极共情和不对称共情反应的研究相对较少。且由于研究范式及个体差异等原因,研究结果之间也充满着争议。未来研究可以设计更具生态效度的共情研究范式、进一步深化和细化共情的神经机制研究、从神经机制角度探讨不同共情能力个体的特点及共情反应的调节因素。     

Cognitive empathy moderates the relationship between affective empathy and wellbeing in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reportedly have reduced cognitive empathy (CE), yet intact levels of affective empathy (AE) when compared to typically developing individuals. To date, no research has examined the implications of this empathic imbalance on personal wellbeing (PWB). Method: Twenty four high-functioning adolescents with ASD (M _age = 13.21, SD = 2.83, 14 males) and 24 non-clinical control adolescents (M _age = 13.10, SD = 2.73, 15 males) took part in the present study. CE and AE were measured using the interpersonal reactivity index, while PWB was assessed via the personal wellbeing index-school children. Results: Participants in the ASD group scored significantly lower than the control group on measures of CE and AE. Moderated regression analyses revealed that for the ASD group only, CE appeared to moderate the relationship between AE and PWB. Specifically, when CE was low, the relationship between AE and PWB was significant and negative. However, when CE was high, the relationship between AE and PWB was significant and positive. Conclusions: CE appears central to the PWB of those with ASD. Only when CE is high were participants able to experience the positive relationship between AE and PWB. Interventions that target the cognitive dimensions of empathy may improve PWB.     

The Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-P (KIDI-P)

Several studies show that parental knowledge about child development and education is relevant to parenting actions. Considering that the lack of assessment instruments specific to this domain in Portugal is an obstacle to cross-cultural research and programme evaluation, the objective of this study was to make available a Portuguese version of the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory-P (KIDI-P). This inventory (58 items) allows for the calculation of three summary scores (Attempted, Accuracy and Total) that reflect correctness and confidence in one's knowledge. The Portuguese version of the KIDI-P confirmed a unidimensional structure and revealed good internal consistency (α = .89). In a sample of 252 mothers and fathers, educational level showed to be related to KIDI-P scores, unlike parents’ sex and age.     

共情倾向与受害者可识别性对大学生捐款意愿的影响:共情反应的中介作用

以83名大学生为研究对象,探讨共情倾向和受害者可识别性对大学生捐款意愿的交互效应及内在机制。结果表明:(1)对低共情倾向的大学生,受害者可识别性对其捐款行为不存在显著影响,对高共情倾向的大学生,受害者可识别条件下的捐款意愿显著高于不可识别条件;(2)受害者可识别性通过增加高共情倾向大学生的同情反应,进而增强其捐款意愿。     

Social Functioning and Coping Strategies in Romanian and Moldavian Adolescents with Chronic Diseases

The present study aimed to explore the cultural differences in social functioning and coping strategies in chronically ill adolescents. One hundred sixty-eight chronically ill adolescents (45.8 % girls), age 11 to 17 years from Romania (N = 78) and Republic of Moldova (N = 90) were recruited. Participants filled in self-assessment measures for social functioning problems and coping strategies. Results indicated cross-cultural differences in the studied factors: Moldavian adolescents reported more social functioning problems and higher use of maladaptive coping strategies, while using less adaptive strategies than Romanian counterparts. The associations between social functioning and maladaptive coping strategies were stronger for Romanian than Moldavian adolescents. Further, various coping strategies acted as important predictors for social functioning in the two country samples. Findings suggest that, while the direction of the relation between coping and social functioning in chronically ill adolescents is cultural invariant, the importance played by specific coping strategies in determining social functioning varies by cultural context. Therefore, clinical interventions aimed at improving the social functioning of chronically ill adolescents should take into account the reality of their cultural setting.     

How do you think she feels? Vulnerability in empathy and the role of attention in school‐aged children born extremely preterm

The aim of this study was to examine empathic competence in children born extremely preterm (EP, <28 weeks) given vulnerabilities in social relationships. Empathy in typically developing children is mediated by executive functions. Executive functioning is also impaired in preterm children. Of particular interest in this study are the attentional components of executive functioning as mediators of empathic development. Thirty‐two 7‐year‐old EP children and 40 age‐matched term children participated in the Project K.I.D.S program and completed the Kids Empathy Development Scale (KEDS), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC‐IV), and Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA‐Ch). Children born extremely preterm exhibited poorer performance on all measures. The mediating role of attention in empathy competence was not supported by mediation modelling when FSIQ was controlled. As predicted, the EP group showed weaker empathic development relative to typically developing children. They also showed poorer attentional abilities. However, the effect of preterm birth on empathy was not mediated by executive‐level attention. The cognitive mechanisms underpinning poor empathy competence in EP children remain unclear. Future research needs to examine the role of inhibition, social–emotional recognition, and regulation.     

共情的神经机制

共情是社会认知中不可或缺的一部分,是维系积极社会关系的社会动机因素。近年来,脑成像技术的发展为共情的神经机制研究开拓了新的视野,共情的神经机制研究取得了很大的进展。共情神经机制的研究主要包括共情的"表征共享"基础、共情的镜像神经元特征、共情调节的早期、晚期评价模型、共情的调节因素以及特殊个体的共情研究。在此基础上指出现有研究中存在的问题和未来研究的方向。     

动物和人类的利他本性:共情的进化

共情指个体感知或想象其他个体的情感,并部分体验到其他个体感受的心理过程.利他指以增加其他个体的福利为最终目标的动机.共情起源于动物的亲代养育行为,其神经基础来源于古老的情感系统.共情从动物低水平的情绪感染逐渐进化到同情关注以及观点采择共情.另外,共情具有良好的环境适应性.未来可以进一步研究动物与人类的共情和利他行为的异同,加大研究动物的高级共情能力和利他行为以及深入研究共情受社会因素的调节机制.     

A Short Form of the Portuguese Version of the Youth Self-Report

The youth self-report (YSR), which is theoretically based in the field of developmental psychopathology and follows a dimensional approach, is an important instrument to assess the behavioral and emotional problems and the psychosocial competencies of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18 years in both clinical and research contexts. Our main aims were to propose a short form of the YSR, conduct a first validation study, and compare the short-form YSR with the full version of the Portuguese YSR. We conducted the first study (Study 1) in a sample of 1,266 Portuguese community adolescents between the ages of 11 and 21 years to analyze the factor structure of the YSR. We conducted the second study (Study 2) in a sample of 302 community adolescents between the ages of 11 and 21 years to validate the factor structure of the short form of the YSR, which consisted of 33 items that focused on the dimensions of internalization-depression, internalization-anxiety, externalization-destructiveness and externalization-exhibitionism. Our findings confirmed that the YSR-SF provides a good fit to the data, explains similarly the variance on several criteria compared with the longer version, and is sensitive to sex and age differences.     

Validation of Basic Empathy Scale: Exploring a Korean Version

The Basic Empathy Scale was designed to measure the multidimensional aspects of empathetic feelings, such as cognitive and affective empathy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). The Korean version of BES was administered to a sample of early adolescents aged 12–14 (N = 1524). The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed a two-factor solution with method effects associated with negatively worded items to be the most adequate model. Empathy was positively correlated with the measure of attachment, negatively correlated with the measure of bullying problems, and exhibited satisfactory internal consistency. BES proved to be a reliable assessment tool for empathy in a Korean adolescent sample. Moreover, in line with the previous research, girls were found to score significantly higher in both cognitive and affective empathy than boys.     

Should I invite them? Bystanders' inclusivity judgements towards outgroup victims and ingroup bullies in intergroup bullying

This study examined bystanders' judgements of bullying and their inclusivity towards refugee victims and ingroup bully peers. Participants included 587 Turkish adolescents (M_age = 13.14, SD = 1.60) who were presented with two stories: intergroup (Syrian refugee victim) and intragroup (Turkish victim) bullying. They indicated acceptability of bullying, retaliation, and how likely they would be to include victims and bullies in different social contexts. Empathy, prejudice, desired social distance, and peer norms towards Syrian refugees were examined as predictors. Adolescents in schools with a higher number of Syrian peers were more likely to expect they would include the Syrian victim than adolescents in schools with a lower number of Syrian peers. Further, adolescents with higher empathy were more likely to include the Syrian victim while adolescents with higher prejudice and desired social distance were less likely to include the Syrian victim. The results highlight the importance of attending to bystanders' future interactions with victims and bullies, as bystanders have the opportunity to challenge injustice by promoting inclusive school climates in diverse societies. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement .     

Cognitive and affective components of empathy and their relationship with personality dimensions in a Chinese sample

Empathy is an essential component of social interactions and may be related to personality characteristics. However, this issue has not been extensively examined in a Chinese sample. Students at six universities in China (N = 257) completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire‐Revised (EPQ‐R), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS‐21). Using multiple regression analyses, and after accounting for demographic variables (sex and age), it was found that the affective empathy component Personal Distress positively predicted EPQ‐R Neuroticism scores (β = .49), negatively predicted Extraversion (β = –.21) and Lie scale scores (β = –.22), and positively predicted DASS‐21 Depression (β = .26), Anxiety (β = .34) and Stress scores (β = .39). Empathic Concern positively predicted Lie Scale scores (β = .21), and negatively predicted Psychoticism scores (β = –.24). Individuals with high scores in Empathic Concern were also found to score more highly on Fantasy, Personal Distress, Neuroticism, Stress and Anxiety. Thus, more empathic individuals are likely to experience elevations in negative affectivity when they perceive the emotional suffering of others.     

From negative reactivity to empathic responding: Infants high in negative reactivity express more empathy later in development,with the help of regulation

Empathy has great effect on human well‐being, promoting healthy relationships and social competence. Although it is increasingly acknowledged that infants show empathy toward others, individual differences in infants’ empathy from the first year of life have rarely been investigated longitudinally. Here we examined how negative reactivity and regulation, two temperament traits that predict empathic responses in older children and adults, relate to infants’ empathy. Infants were studied at the ages of nine (N = 275) and 18 (N = 301) months (194 infants were studied at both ages). Empathic responses were assessed by infants’ observed reactions to an experimenter's simulated distress. Negative reactivity (fear, sadness, and distress to limitations) and regulation (soothability and effortful control) were assessed by parental reports. Negative reactivity was also examined by infants’ observed reactions to an adult stranger (fear) and during interaction with their mothers (displays of sadness/distress). When examined cross‐sectionally, infants’ fear and distress to limitations associated with self‐distress in response to others’ distress. In contrast, when examined longitudinally, early sadness and distress to limitations, but not fear, associated with later empathic concern and inquisitiveness. Moreover, this longitudinal relation was moderated by infants’ soothability and was evident only for children that had high soothability by the later time‐point. Our findings suggest that infants who at an earlier age show negative reactivity, react later in development with more empathy if they achieve sufficient regulation abilities. By that, the findings stress the developmental nature of temperament–empathy relations during infancy.     

Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Mathematics (AEQ-M) in adolescents: Factorial structure,measurement invariance and convergent validity with personality

ABSTRACT

The Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Mathematics (AEQ-M) is a self-report measure of emotions experienced in class, when self-studying, and during tests for the domain of mathematics. Our aim was to present a Portuguese version of this instrument for use with adolescents and to test its reliability, factorial structure, measurement invariance, and construct validity with personality dimensions. Our sample comprised 1,387 Portuguese students from the 7th, 8th and 9th grades (mean age = 13.2 years). Student responses to the AEQ-M were found to be reliable. Confirmatory factor analysis validated a seven-emotion × three-setting factorial structure. This model demonstrated measurement invariance across gender and grade. As a demonstration of construct validity, the emotions measured by the AEQ-M showed a pattern of associations with psychobiological personality dimensions that were in line with theoretical predictions. These results validate the AEQ-M as a suitable instrument for assessing adolescents’ mathematics-related achievement emotions and their associations with personality.     

The role of empathy and social anxiety in Latinx adolescents' indirect peer aggression during the transition to high school

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between decreased empathy (i.e., cognitive and affective) and indirect and cyber peer aggression among Latinx adolescents during their transition to high school. Further, we examined the degree to which social anxiety moderated this relationship. Participants were 469 Latinx ninth graders, ages 13–17 years (M = 14.52, SD = 0.58; 58% girls). Adolescents completed the Revised Peer Experiences Questionnaire, Cyber Peer Experiences Questionnaire, Basic Empathy Scale, and Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents at two different time points, 3 months apart. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed concurrent and prospective relationships between lower cognitive empathy and the perpetration of both indirect and cyber aggression. In addition, social anxiety moderated the concurrent associations between both types of empathy and both types of aggression perpetration. Results suggest that interventions that facilitate cognitive empathy and decrease social anxiety may help to reduce adolescents' indirect and cyber aggression toward peers throughout the high school transition.     

Factorial and Construct Validity of FACES IV Among Italian Adolescents

The aims of this study were to evaluate the reliability, validity and factorial structure of Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, Version IV (FACES IV), investigate the relevance of sex and age on family functioning and study the relationship between family functioning and adolescents’ perception of parent and peer attachment. The sample consisted of 1,416 participants (672 women, 744 men, M_age = 17.38 years; age range = 13–22 years) divided into three age groups: 13–15, 16–18, and 19–22 years. Factor analysis confirmed the dimensions formulated to define the construct of family functioning: all the items of each dimension were loaded in the same factor with a correlation of at least 0.30. Groups differed with regard to the age on Cohesion, Enmeshed and Rigid scales: Younger adolescents (age 13–15 years) showed significantly higher scores than adolescents (age 16–18 and 19–22). Sex differences revealed that females had a higher mean score on Cohesion and Flexibility, whereas males had a higher mean score on Disengaged, Enmeshed and Chaotic. Correlations between FACES IV and Parent and Peer Attachment Scale demonstrated the convergent validity of the FACES IV. Data confirmed the validity of FACES IV’s Italian version and suggested that the Circumplex Model has a cross-cultural applicability and it could be a useful instrument in the Italian context.     

移情反应的研究 ——基于个体倾向与情境的双重视角

摘 要：本研究基于个体倾向和情境的双重视角,将静态与动态相结合,探讨不同移情能力的个体在真实性不同情境中的移情反应。结果发现： （1）移情能力高、低分组得分存在显著性差异;（2）情境真实性高、低两种情境之间差异不显著;（3）在某些具体的移情反应上,移情能力与情境的交互作用显著;（4）性别差异不显著。属个体倾向范畴的移情能力对移情反应具有显著影响,情境对移情反应的影响与移情能力有关,移情能力高的个体对情境的变化更为敏感。     

The Italian version of the Empathy Questionnaire for 18- to 36-months-old children: psychometric properties and measurement invariance across gender of the EmQue-I13

Empathy is the basic ability to respond affectively to the emotions of others and is observed early in human development. This study (N = 304) tested the Italian version of the Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue), which is a parent scale assessing empathy-related behaviors in toddlers. For this study, it was completed by participants’ mothers only. The EmQue measurement model and its factorial invariance across children’s gender were tested via confirmatory factor analysis. Highly satisfactory goodness-of-fit indexes were found for a three factor-structure (contagion, attention to the feelings of others and prosocial actions) with 13 loading items. Furthermore, the data supported invariance of measurement across gender groups. These results suggest that the EmQue-I13 is a reliable instrument for investigating empathy and prosocial behavior in 18- to 36-month-old children in the Italian context.