Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The main purpose of the study was to determine if altruism and empathy could be developed in Ecuadorian college students. Gender differences were expected in initial altruism and empathy measures. A predictive relationship between different dimensions of empathy (fantasy, perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress) and altruism was also expected. The intervention took the form of a mandatory service learning course, which included conferences and a service internship with continuous and shared reflection via computer mediated discussion groups. A mixed methodology design first used an experimental component in which participants were randomly assigned to experimental (with discussion groups) and control (without discussion groups) conditions, and a qualitative component in which semi-structured interviews were done with control and treatment participants approximately a year after the intervention. Quantitative results revealed a positive impact of the intervention in altruism and empathic concern, as well as a positive qualitative impact in treatment participants' critical thinking about their country's reality. Additionally, qualitative data showed a difference in thinking about their service experience between experimental and control group participants. Gender differences in altruism and empathy were not found in contrast with previous studies. The combination of empathy factors as measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1983) predicted scores in altruism as measured by the Self-Report Altruism Scale (Rushton, Chrisjohn & Fekken, 1981). It was concluded that the intervention had a modest effect on participants' empathy and a strong positive effect on participants' altruism. Instruments used in this study were differentially appropriate for the sample. The SRA appears to be more valid and reliable than the original and complete IRI. The IRI instrument appeared to have had some components (Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking) that were more related to the constructs under study and other components that were unrelated to this study. Some extraneous variables were not taken into account in data collection and analysis, and may have influenced the results, such as: Cultural knowledge about the importance of research, different service experiences due to different qualities of placements, and dispositional characteristics of participants. / 2999-01-01

Narratives in the forms of music or literature have traditionally been highlightedfor their ability to evoke empathy; however, the specific features of the narrativethat serve as the underlying mechanisms responsible for this effect remain unclear.The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of a narrative’s style onempathy. An experimental repeated measures research design was used with 41participants (31 female, 10 male; age range 20-63 yrs, M=30.2 yrs) that underwentthree conditions each comprised of a different stimulus (i.e., a song, a piece ofprose and a poem), with the same narrative content but differing in style. The orderof the stimuli was randomized across participants. After each stimulus, empatheticresponses were captured via self reports, measuring valence and arousal of theparticipant, as well as their perceived valence and arousal of the main character ofthe narrative. The song had a strong correlation between participant-rating andcharacter-rating on valence and arousal, thus evoking a stronger (affective)empathetic response than the other two styles of stimuli, having moderatecorrelations. The character-rating barely differed between the style of stimuli, andthe narrative first presented lowered the participants’ valence regardless of style.These findings could possibly be explained by cognitive empathy responding to thenarrative, evoking the same understanding of another person, whereas affectiveempathy seem more prone to respond to stylistic features. Future research andpossible therapeutic implications are discussed. / Narrativ i form av musik och litteratur är kända för att kunna framkalla empati hos mottagaren; däremot är det fortfarande oklart vilka specifika aspekter av ett narrativ som ligger bakom denna effekt. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka effekten av narrativ stil på empati. En experimentell studie med inomgruppsdesign användes med 41 deltagare (31 kvinnor, 10 män, åldersintervall 20-63 år, M = 30.2 år) vilka exponerades för tre olika stimuli; en sång, en prosatext och en dikt. Varje stimuli hade samma narrativa innehåll men skilde sig åt beträffande narrativ stil. Presentationsordningen för stimulina randomiserades för deltagarna. Efter varje stimuli mättes empatisk reaktion via självskattningar av valens och arousal hos deltagarna, liksom hur de skattade valens och arousal för berättelsens huvudkaraktär. Sången visade en stark korrelation mellan deltagarnas självskattningar och skattningar av huvudkaraktären på både valens och arousal, vilket innebär att sången skapade ett starkare (affektivt) empatiskt gensvar än övriga två stimuli, vilka hade måttliga korrelationer. Skattningar av huvudkaraktärens valens och arousal påverkades ytterst lite av narrativ stil. Presentationsordningen påverkade deltagarnas skattningar då första stimulit sänkte deltagarnas valens oavsett narrativ stil. Dessa resultat kan eventuellt förklaras genom att kognitiv empati svarar på narrativets innehåll, att oavsett narrativ stil framkallas samma förståelse för en annan person, medan affektiv empati verkar påverkas utav den narrativa stilen. Framtida forskning och terapeutiska implikationer diskuteras.

This study constructs a theoretical framework for exploring the relationship between art education practice and the development of empathy in early childhood. In this study, I construct a schema for the experience of empathy in kindergarten-aged students, derived from the work of Martin Hoffman, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Vittorio Gallese, which acknowledges both the affective and cognitive dimensions of the experience of empathy. This schema is examined within the context of aesthetic and artistic experience, as distinguished from each other by John Dewey. I articulate several ways that art education’s cultivation of subtle aesthetic perception may encourage affective empathy, and its cultivation of imaginative cognition may encourage cognitive empathy. Suggestions are made for projects and practice in the early childhood classroom.

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L’empathie est une faculté émotionnelle et cognitive précoce, universelle et modulable, qui nous permet d’être affecté, de reconnaître et de répondre de manière appropriée à la subjectivité d’autrui. L’empathie nous permet, ainsi, de ressentir les émotions et les sentiments de l’autre mais également de comprendre, de connaître et de prévoir son comportement afin de mieux adapter notre comportement intersubjectif. Ce comportement peut aller de la simple coordination sociale à un comportement véritablement éthique. L’objectif de ce travail est celui de présenter et de réfléchir aux conditions de possibilité d’une nouvelle éthique : une éthique de l’empathie qui considère cette faculté comme son fondement (contagion, détresse empathique, imitation), son moyen (simulation, imagination, mémoire, souci empathique) et sa fin (partage, confiance, coopération, respect). L’éthique de l’empathie est une éthique hybride, cognitivo-affective, à la fois réaliste et idéaliste ; une éthique minimaliste du point de vue du rapport à soi et à autrui car elle privilégie la relation à autrui aux devoirs envers soi-même ; une éthique qui concilie l’universalité et les cas particuliers ; qui concilie la nature humaine (l’être) avec les valeurs et les normes (le devoir être) tout en laissant une place au dépassement de l’être par la prise en compte de la perfectibilité humaine, notamment à travers l’éducation empathique. Nous proposons ainsi une recherche moderne interdisciplinaire qui prend en compte, non seulement, les dernières études dans les domaines des sciences naturelles et humaines sur notre capacité d’empathie, mais encore le nouveau monde global dans lequel nous vivons aujourd’hui. / Empathy is an emotional and cognitive early faculty which is universal and flexible, which allows us to be affected, to recognize and to respond properly to the subjectivity of others. Empathy allows us, therefore, to feel the emotions and feelings of the others but also to understand, to know and to predict their behavior in order to better adjust our intersubjective conduct. This behavior can range from simple social coordination to a true ethical conduct. The objective of this work is to present and reflect on the conditions of possibility of a new ethics: an ethics of empathy that considers this faculty as its foundation (contagion, empathic distress, imitation), its means (simulation, imagination, memory, attention empathic concern) and its goal (sharing, trust, cooperation, respect). The ethics of empathy is a hybrid ethics, cognitive-affective, realistic and idealistic, minimalist from the point of view of the relation to itself and with others because it prefers relationships with others to own duties. It is an ethics that combine universality and particular cases; that reconciles human nature (is) with values and principles (ought) while leaving space to be exceeded by taking into account human perfectibility, including through an empathetic education. We propose a modern interdisciplinary research that takes into account not only the latest studies in natural sciences and humanities on our ability to empathize, but also the new global world in which we live today.

Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka hur kön och rollspelande relaterar till affektiv och kognitiv empati. 204 personer deltog i föreliggande studie genom att besvara en elektronisk enkät och 192 ifyllda enkäter analyserades. Mätinstrumenten som användes för att undersöka empati och sensorisk föreställningsförmåga var IRI och PSI-Q. Två 2x2 ANOVA utfördes för att undersöka hur kön (man och kvinna) och rollspelande (rollspelande och icke-rollspelande) relaterar till upplevd grad av affektiv och kognitiv empati. Det fanns en signifikant interaktionseffekt mellan kön och rollspelande avseende affektiv empati. Manliga deltagare uppvisade ungefär lika hög affektiv empati oavsett om de spelade rollspel eller inte. Kvinnliga icke-rollspelare uppvisade högre affektiv empati än kvinnliga rollspelare. Det fanns en signifikant huvudeffekt av kön avseende kognitiv empati. Kvinnorna uppvisade högre kognitiv empati än männen. Det fanns även en signifikant huvudeffekt av rollspelande avseende kognitiv empati som erhöll att rollspelare uppvisade högre kognitiv empati än icke-rollspelare. Den aktuella studien kan medföra nytta för framtida forskning och bidra till idéer om tillvägagångssätt för att lära ut kognitiv empatisk förmåga. / The purpose of the present study was to investigate how gender and role play relate to affective and cognitive empathy. 204 people participated in the present study by answering an online survey and 192 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The instruments that were used to measure empathy and sensory imagery were IRI and PSI-Q. Two 2x2 ANOVA were performed to investigate how gender (male and female) and role playing (role playing and non-role playing) relate to perceived degree of affective and cognitive empathy. There was a significant interaction between gender and role playing regarding affective empathy. Male participants showed equal degree of affective empathy regardless of whether they role played or not. Female non-role players showed higher affective empathy than female role players. There was a significant main effect of gender on cognitive empathy. The women showed higher cognitive empathy than men. There was also a significant main effect of role playing with regard to cognitive empathy, role players showed higher cognitive empathy than non-role players. The current study can bring benefits to future research and contribute to ideas of approaches to teach cognitive empathy.

The thesis deals with the theme of empathy of teacher in educational theory and teaching practice. Its objective is to bring on an analysis of major Czech and foreign educational theories an overview of empathy as specific skills of teacher, its development and position within the given educational concept. The theoretical part first deals with the development of the concept of empathy in the context of psychology, differences between the concepts of sympathy and empathy, its relationship to sex, emotional intelligence, sociability, then focuses on empathy in the context of educational communication at school. The main part consists of analysis of important domestic pedagogical concepts of domestic authors, such as Comenius, Lindner, Úlehla, Chlup, Uher and Příhoda. Among foreign authors are, for example, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Herbart, Dewey, Steiner and Rogers. The aim of the empirical part is to implement and with the use of relevant research tools to verify the effectiveness of the learning program developing empathy of future teachers. The thesis should contribute to a deeper understanding of empathy in the educational process, both within the theoretical, based on reflection of this phenomenon in educational theories, and especially in practice in connection with the preparation of future...

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Only a few studies have examined relationships between social anxiety and subtypes of empathy. Findings are mixed. The present study examined social anxiety severity on a continuum and how it related to affective and cognitive empathy in 684 nonpsychiatric adults (77% female). Participants completed an online battery of measures that included: a self-report measure of social anxiety severity (Fear of Negative Evaluation), a self-report measure with subscales for affective and cognitive empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), and a behavioral measure of cognitive empathy (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task; MIE). After statistically covarying for general anxiety severity, biological sex moderated the relationship between social anxiety severity and performance on the MIE task. In women, a higher severity of social anxiety related to better performance on the MIE. This relationship was not statistically significant in men. IRI subscale scores did not show significant main effects or interactions with sex in relation to social anxiety. The findings suggest a possible difference in how each sex experiences and/or develops social anxiety. This has implications for assessment and treatment. Future research should examine these relationships in more diverse psychiatric samples.