Sociodemographic, trait, and state predictors of empathy in psychology students
Date
2017
Authors
Lamont, Ashley J
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Abstract
Empathy is gaining increased attention in health practitioners,
especially in light of the reported declines in empathy over
time. However, empathy as a construct and its interactions with
associated variables are poorly understood.
Methods:
Undergraduate psychology students (N=380) completed a
questionnaire assessing empathy, age, gender, autistic traits,
Machiavellianism, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, burnout,
affective distress, and interoception. Hierarchical multiple
regression analyses examined the factors that most strongly
predicted variance in empathy scores. Mediational analyses
explored the possible indirect role of affective symptoms (i.e.
stress, anxiety, and depression) and interoceptive sensibility in
mediating with the relationship between the high expression of
the trait variables to low empathy levels.
Results:
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses predicted significant
variance in global (40.4%), affective (40%), and cognitive
(32.9%) empathy. A range of demographic (male gender),
personality (high Machiavellianism and autistic traits), and
state and body perception variables (high anxiety and low
awareness of Autonomic Nervous System reactivity; ANS-R)
predicted lower empathy, although personality constructs were
generally the strongest predictors. Indirect mediational
relationships were found to exist between high Machiavellian
views to low global empathy, with high interoceptive sensibility
as the mediator.
Conclusions:
Empathy was predicted by a combination of demographics (i.e. male
gender), personality constructs (i.e. autistic and
Machiavellianism), and state factors (i.e. high ANS-R,low
anxiety), suggesting that it is likely determined by a
combination of factors. Further, the results point to the
potential importance of targeting aspects of the self that can be
changed such as autonomic arousal and affective symptoms to
assist adults in maximising their empathy levels. The results are
likely to have implications for the training of psychology
clinicians and other health professionals.
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Keywords
Empathy, Clinician, Psychology, Student, Health professional, Personality
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Thesis (Masters)
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