Contribution The main contribution offered by my research is an increased understanding of medical students’ perceptions of empathy and the factors that influence this. By using an innovative method in medical education research, the study contributes to research methodology. Background Empathy is accepted as a fundamental part of the patient-doctor relationship and essential for effective clinical care. Current societal opinions are that some healthcare professionals lack empathy and that medical students become less empathetic during their training, although the reasons for this are not understood. If this perceived decline is to be addressed, medical educators need to understand students’ perspectives of the factors that influence their empathy. Aims of the research The study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the development of medical students’ empathy and the factors influencing this during their undergraduate training. It is hoped that this understanding may lead to improvements in medical education and patient care. Methods Ethical approval for the study was granted by the University. A phenomenological approach was adopted, which involved listening to the students’ views and experiences of their course. Serial, semi-structured, indepth, interviews were conducted with sixteen medical students. Each year the student completed an hour-long interview over three years. One group of eight students were followed during the preclinical years of the course (years 1-3) and the other group, during the clinical years (years 4-6). The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded using qualitative data analysis software (N Vivo), and analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Findings The students in the preclinical years described empathy as a personal attribute, emphasising its emotional dimension. In the clinical years, students viewed empathy differently: as a complex relational process with the patient, which varied in depth and quality according to the clinical context. They described the tensions between connecting with and detachment from a patient. Students indicated influences which enhanced their empathy, including patient contact and positive role models. They also identified barriers to empathy, including: the medical school culture, a biomedical bias in the curriculum, a lack of patient contact, negative role models and teaching of professionalism as distancing from patients. The preclinical group of students reported gaining in self-confidence during their course. The clinical group described how their empathy with patients had increased but they detected a conflict between empathy and efficiency. Conclusions The use of an innovative longitudinal, phenomenological approach in medical education research generated new understanding of a complex interpersonal view of empathy and highlighted aspects of a ‘hidden curriculum’. The students maintained that their contact with patients was the most useful way of developing empathy. They expressed a desire to connect emotionally with patients but were uncertain how to balance this connection with professional detachment. They described a marked biomedical emphasis in their course and perceived that teaching on professionalism encouraged a distancing from patients. In contrast to the widely-reported opinion that there has been a decline in medical students’ empathy, this study suggested that students perceived that their empathy increased during their training. However, some students had learned distancing behaviours to hide their empathetic feelings. In the light of this research, it is hoped that medical educators will develop ways of supporting students to deal appropriately with their own emotions and those of patients.

Theory of Mind (ToM) is often defined as “the ability to reason about mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, and to understand how mental states feature in everyday explanations and predictions of people’s behavior” (Apperly, 2012, p. 825). Recent research has introduced questions about performance on ToM tasks in emerging adulthood, a developmental period (ages 18-27) where exploration and identity formation occurs. The current study examined group differences between college students with acting experience, a population hypothesized to excel in ToM and empathy, and students without acting experience on cognitive and affective measures of ToM and empathy. The current study (N=162) used multiple tasks to measure ToM the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task (RME), Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC), Faux Pas task (detection and belief subscales). All four subscales (perspective taking, fantasizing, empathic concern, personal distress) of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) was used to measure empathy. It was hypothesized that students with acting experience would perform significantly better than those without acting experience on all measures of ToM and empathy. It was also hypothesized that the way emerging adults process identity relevant information, as assessed by the Identity Style Inventory (ISI), would be related to ToM and empathy. Students with acting experience performed significantly better on the RME task and the belief subscale of the Faux Pas task. Better performance on the RME task and the belief subscale of the Faux pas task suggest advantages in emotion processing and belief reasoning for students with acting experience. No group differences were observed on the IRI. Informational processing style was positively related to all measures of ToM and all empathy measures except the personal distress subscale of the IRI. Normative and diffuse-avoidant identity processing style was negatively related to all measures of ToM and the personal distress subscale of the IRI. Normative identity processing style was negatively related to the fantasizing subscale of the IRI. The current study supports a relationship between identity processing style in emerging adulthood and measures of ToM and empathy. A factor analysis was conducted to examine relationships between ToM and empathy, finding no distinctions between affective and cognitive dimensions but a clear difference between ToM and empathy. Students with acting experience performed significantly better on the ToM factor but no other factors, supporting the previous analyses. Implications for further research, therapeutic interventions, and occupational training integrating acting experience are discussed.

The usual definition of empathy that can be found in books is that is a charakter, condition and process. It is considered the basic precondition of effective nursing practice and a means for reaching goals of treatment. Communication is unrepeatable in nursing in particular. The qualitative method of data collection - a semi-directed interview - was chosen for the research investigation. The interviews were conducted with the research set of twelve nurses and twelve patients. Two goals of the diploma thesis were defined; the first one was to map out what nurses and patients think about manifestation of empathy in nursing. The other goal was to compare the opinions of nurses and patients and to describe the differences ascertained.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / O presente estudo pretende suprir parcialmente algumas lacunas nos estudos sobre o desenvolvimento da empatia. A primeira lacuna se refere a incluir os pais, além das mães, na pesquisa, uma vez que aqueles podem ter um papel ainda pouco explorado no desenvolvimento. A segunda se refere a abordar a empatia tanto por uma visão ontogenética como filogenética, pois ambas se complementam na compreensão das nossas capacidades e habilidades, essencialmente muito semelhantes às de nossos ancestrais no ambiente de nossa evolução. Presume-se que no ambiente de adaptação evolutiva (AAE) da nossa espécie as habilidades sociais foram importantes na resolução de conflitos e na manutenção da coesão intragrupais. A empatia, habilidade social foco desta dissertação, é definida como a capacidade de compreender e expressar compreensão sobre os pensamentos e sentimentos de outra pessoa e é uma característica da espécie que sofre desenvolvimento ontogenético, em culturas e nichos específicos de desenvolvimento. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo geral abordar a comunicação empática entre pais e mães e seus filhos pelo olhar da Psicologia Evolucionista do Desenvolvimento. Participaram deste estudo 10 crianças, entre oito e 11 anos e seus respectivos pais e mães, sendo cinco meninos e cinco meninas, todos da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. A empatia dos pais e dos filhos foi avaliada por meio de instrumentos (Inventário de Empatia e Entrevista sobre Cenas de Curta Duração), assim como as crenças parentais sobre a importância e o desenvolvimento das habilidades empáticas, por instrumento desenvolvido para este estudo (Crenças Parentais sobre Habilidades). As famílias participaram ainda de uma sessão de filmagem em três situações específicas de 10 minutos cada: jogo com peças de montar para construção conjunta de escolha livre e a representação de papéis em duas cenas do cotidiano familiar (conversar sobre um boletim da criança com notas vermelhas e sobre um problema que a criança trouxe para os pais). Os resultados foram apresentados e discutidos para cada uma das famílias. Pode-se observar que existem relações entre os escores de empatia dos pais e da criança nos instrumentos utilizados e que, em geral, os pais valorizam habilidades empáticas e atribuem seu desenvolvimento, principalmente ao exemplo e à aprendizagem e não a maturação e características de temperamento da criança. No entanto, nas tarefas propostas, dificuldades de comunicação empática são observadas, levando a que se hipotetize que não é direta a relação entre crenças, habilidades individuais e práticas em família. Reconhecem-se as limitações do presente estudo, de caráter exploratório. Novas investigações com observação da comunicação pais-filhos em situações cotidianas do ambiente natural podem contribuir para o avanço do conhecimento nessa área. / This study aims to partially fill some gaps in the study of empathy development. The first gap refers to the inclusion of fathers, instead of only mothers, in the investigations, since the former may have an unexplored role on child development. The second gap refers to an ontogenetic and phylogenetic approach to empathy, because these levels are complementary on the comprehension of our capacities and abilities, which are essentially very similar to those of our ancestors in our evolutionary environment. It is assumed that in our species‟ environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA), social abilities were important in conflict solution and in group cohesion maintenance. Empathy, the social ability which is the focus of this dissertation, is defined as the capacity to comprehend and express this comprehension of others‟ thoughts and feelings and is a species‟ characteristic that can be developed ontogenetically in specific cultures and niches of development. This dissertation‟s main objective is to approach to empathic communication between fathers, mothers and their sons/daughters from the Evolutionary Developmental Psychology point of view. The participants were 10 children, five boys and five girls, from eight to 11 years old, and their respective parents, all of them from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Parents‟ and children‟s empathy were assessed by instruments (an empathy inventory and an interview about short-scenes), as parental beliefs on empathic abilities‟ importance and development by an instrument created for this study (a questionnaire about parental beliefs on abilities). Families have also participated in a recorded session of three specific ten-minutes-activities: a game with building blocks for a free-choice group construction and a role playing of two daily family scenes (to talk about the child‟s school bulletin with red marks and to talk about a problem that the child brought to the parents). Results were presented and discussed for each family. There are parallels between the empathy scores of parents and their children on the instruments used and, in general, parents valorize empathic abilities and they credit its development mainly to their example and to learning and not to maturation and child temperament. However, difficulties of empathic communication were observed in the proposed activities, leading to hypothesizing that the relation between beliefs, individual abilities and family interaction practices is not direct. Limitations of the present study are recognized, as it is an exploratory study. New investigations with observation of parents-children communication in natural environment daily situations can contribute to the progress of knowledge in this field.

Os Transtornos Alimentares (TA) são caracterizados por graves perturbações no comportamento alimentar, geralmente de início precoce e curso duradouro. Vários fatores estão associados a sua etiologia, como fatores familiares, socioculturais, biológicos e psicológicos. Alguns autores demonstraram existir correlação entre gravidade nos comportamentos alimentares inadequados, baixos níveis de assertividade, altos níveis de hostilidade autodirigida e dificuldade em expressar a raiva. Além disso, a raiva tem sido relacionada principalmente aos episódios de compulsão alimentar e métodos compensatórios. A literatura, já há algum tempo reconhece o papel central do afeto negativo na etiologia e manutenção da compulsão alimentar. A teoria da regulação do afeto pressupõe que os episódios de compulsão alimentar estão associados a uma dificuldade para regular as emoções de forma adaptada, configurando-os como uma estratégia inadequada para aliviar sofrimento e reduzir afetos intensos. Pesquisadores indicam que um terço das mulheres com compulsão alimentar, comem em resposta a emoções negativas, mais especificamente a raiva, depressão e ansiedade. A compulsão alimentar teria como função regular a experiência emocional, reduzindo a consciência da emoção. A raiva também tem sido associada a déficits em habilidades sociais. A literatura sugere que os indivíduos socialmente habilidosos são mais propensos a manejar com a emoção da raiva do que aqueles com déficits em habilidades sociais e resolução de problemas, e que muitos dos tratamentos efetivos para raiva e comportamento agressivo incluem o desenvolvimento dessas habilidades. Assim como elevados níveis de raiva estão associados a comportamentos alimentares disfuncionais, evidências apontam para a relação entre déficits em habilidades sociais e gravidade do comportamento alimentar. A literatura mostra que no tratamento da raiva, o treinamento de habilidades sociais tem sido bastante efetivo. Dessa forma, identificar de que forma a raiva se relaciona ao comportamento alimentar inadequado , bem como aos déficits em habilidades sociais se torna relevante para a criação de programas de intervenção que tenham como objetivo ensinar o indivíduo a manejar com a raiva e frustração, aumentando assim, a capacidade de resolução de problemas e diminuindo a ocorrência de comportamentos alimentares inadequados. Portanto, o objetivo desse estudo é avaliar as relações entre habilidades sociais e a raiva em pacientes com Bulimia Nervosa e Transtorno da Compulsão Alimentar Periódica. Em função das críticas ao uso de questionários de auto-informe em pesquisas, essa tese foi dividida em três estudos. O primeiro foi uma revisão sistemática da literatura que teve como propósito avaliar as relações entre níveis disfuncionais de raiva e compulsão alimentar em pacientes com bulimia nervosa e TCAP. O segundo estudo avaliou as relações entre níveis de habilidades sociais, raiva disfuncional e gravidade da compulsão alimentar em amostra clínica, através de questionários de autorrelato. E por fim, o terceiro estudo teve como objetivo identificar pensamentos automáticos e comportamentos associados a emoção da raiva através de entrevista estruturada, composta por cinco questões abertas. Os resultados de cada estudo serão discutidos, assim como sua implicação no tratamento dos TA / Eating Disorders (ED) are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior, usually with early and lasting progress. Several factors are associated with the etiology, such as family, social, cultural, biological and psychological factors. Some authors have demonstrated correlation between severity in inappropriate eating behaviors, low levels of assertiveness, high levels of self-directed hostility and difficulty expressing anger. In addition, the anger has been mainly related to binge eating and compensatory methods. The literature, for some time now recognizes the central role of negative affect in the etiology and maintenance of binge eating. The theory of affection regulation assumes that binge eating episodes are associated with a failure to regulate adapted form of emotions, setting them to an inadequate strategy to alleviate suffering and reduce intense affections. Researchers indicate that one third of women with binge eating, eat in response to negative emotions, specifically anger, depression and anxiety. Binge eating would regular function emotional experience, reducing the thrill of consciousness. Anger has also been linked to deficits in social skills. The literature suggests that socially skilled individuals are more likely to manage with the emotion of anger than those with deficits in social skills and problem solving, and that many effective treatments for anger and aggressive behavior include the development of these skills. As well as high levels of anger are associated with dysfunctional eating behaviors, evidence points to the relationship between deficits in social skills and severity of eating behavior. The literature shows that the treatment of anger, social skills training has been very effective. This can be proven with research showing the moderating role of empathy about anger as well as the importance of assertiveness. Thus, to identify how anger is related to inappropriate eating behavior, and the deficits in social skills is relevant to the creation of intervention programs that aim to teach the individual to manage with anger and frustration, thus increasing , problem-solving ability and reducing the occurrence of inappropriate eating behaviors. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between social skills and anger in patients with Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. Depending on the criticism of the use of self-report questionnaires in research, this thesis was divided into three studies. The first was a systematic literature review that aimed to assess the relationship between dysfunctional levels of anger and binge eating in patients with bulimia nervosa and BED. The second study evaluated the relationship between levels of social skills, dysfunctional anger and severity of binge eating in clinical sample using self-report questionnaires. Finally, the third study aimed to identify automatic thoughts and behaviors associated with emotion of anger through a structured interview, consisting of five open questions. The results of each study will be discussed, as well as their involvement in the treatment of ED

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / A empatia, definida como a habilidade de compartilhar, compreender e de expressar o entendimento dos pensamentos e sentimentos dos outros, tem sido amplamente estudada. As trajetórias de desenvolvimento, que representam os diversos caminhos que o desenvolvimento do self pode tomar, também têm sido amplamente estudadas por pesquisadores transculturais, geralmente em contextos prototípicos e envolvendo três modelos de desenvolvimento do self: autonomia, interdependência e autonomia relacionada. Estudos anteriores mostraram que os participantes do Rio de Janeiro tendem para a autonomia relacionada, equlibrando características autônomas e relacionais, que são parte do nosso ambiente sociocultural, no qual habilidades sociais, como a empatia, são requeridas. O desenvolvimento da empatia pode ser relacionado à demanda ambiental por comportamentos, de acordo com aspectos sociodemográficos e valores compartilhados. Esta tese visa apresentar dados de 106 famílias do Rio de Janeiro: pai (idade média M = 51,6 anos), mãe (idade média M = 48,3 anos) e seus filhos jovens (17-25 anos, idade média M = 20,9 anos, 67,9% mulheres). A maioria dos pais, mães e dos filhos tinham Ensino Superior incompleto ou acima. Este estudo objetivou investigar a relação entre empatia e os modelos de desenvolvimento de self e a transmissão transgeracional em contexto não prototípico. O Inventário de Empatia de Falcone e colaboradores (IE) foi utilizado para avaliar a empatia. As Escalas de Desenvolvimento do Self de Kağitçibaşi (EDS), (Self Autônomo (AutS), Self Interdependente (IntS) de Self Autônomo-Relacionado (ARS)) foram utilizadas para avaliar o modelo de desenvolvimento do self. Filhos também responderam quantas horas semanais conviviam com pais e mães. Testes t pareados mostraram, como esperado, que os escores de ARS foram os mais altos para todos os participantes. Correlações de Pearson foram feitas entre os escores de IE e EDS de ambos os pais e filhos. Os escores de ARS de pais, mães e filhos correlacionaram-se positivamente, assim como seus escores de IE. Examinando entre instrumentos, para pais e filhos, altos escores em ARS foram correlacionados a altos escores de IE. O tempo de convívio relatado entre pais e filhos correlacionou-se com IntS e IE dos pais. Para testar o modelo teórico proposto de ARS de pais e mães e dos filhos e a empatia de ambos os pais como preditores da empatia dos filhos, análises de regressão foram utilizadas. A empatia dos pais e das mães previu, separadamente, a empatia dos filhos, mas não em conjunto. Nenhum dos escores ARS dos participantes previu o IE dos filhos. Estes resultados favorecem a hipótese da prevalência de selves autônomo-relacionados no Rio de Janeiro. Pais, mães e filhos mostraram similaridades e tiveram relações importantes entre seus escores de EDS, assim como para o IE. Apesar de o modelo com todos juntos não ter sido significativo, separadamente o IE de pais e de mães predisse o IE dos filhos. Este resultado sugere que a empatia parental pode ter algum efeito sobre a dos filhos jovens, mas não o modelo parental de desenvolvimento do self, inesperadamente. De modo interessante, os pais apresentaram um papel importante no desenvolvimento de seus filhos / Empathy, defined as the ability to share, comprehend and express understanding of others thoughts and feelings, is broadly studied. Developmental trajectories, that represent the diverse pathways that self development can take, have also been widely studied by cross-cultural researchers, generally in prototypical contexts and involving three models of self development: autonomy, interdependency and autonomy-relatedness. Previous studies have shown Rio de Janeiros participants tend towards related-autonomy, balancing autonomous and relational characteristics that are part of our sociocultural environment, in which social abilities, like empathy, are required. The development of empathy can be related to environmental demand to behave, according to socio-demographic aspects and shared values. This dissertation aims to present data from 106 families from Rio de Janeiro: father (mean age M = 51.6 yrs.), mother (mean age M = 48.3 yrs.) and their grown-up children (17-25 yrs., mean age M = 20.9 yrs., 67.9% were daughters). Most fathers, mothers and adolescents had incomplete college degree or higher. This study aimed at investigating the relation between empathy and the models of self development and the transgenerational transmission in a non prototypical context. Falcone and collaborators Inventory of Empathy (IE) was used to assess empathy. Kağitçibaşis Self Development Scales (SDS), (Autonomous Self (AutS), Interdependent Self (IntS) and Autonomous-Related Self (ARS) scales) were used to assess the model of self development. Adolescents also reported how many hours a week they lived with each one of their parents. Paired sample t tests showed, as expected, that scores on ARS were the highest scale for all participants. Pearson correlations were made between parents and adolescents IE and SDS scores. Fathers, mothers and adolescents ARS scores were all positively correlated, so as their IE scores. Examining between instruments, for both fathers and adolescents, higher ARS scores were correlated with their higher IE scores. The time adolescents reported living with fathers was correlated with fathers IntS and IE scores. In order to test the proposed theoretical model of parents and adolescents ARS and parents empathy as predictors of adolescents empathy, regression analyses were used. Fathers and mothers empathy predicted separately adolescents empathy, but not together. None of the participants ARS scores predicted adolescents IE. These results favor the hypothesis of prevalence of autonomous-related selves in Rio de Janeiro. Parents and adolescents showed similarities and had important relation between their SDS scores, so as for their IE. Despite not being significant in a model with them all together, separately, each fathers and mothers IE predicted adolescents IE. This result suggests parental empathy may have some effect on adolescents empathy, but not parental self development model, unexpectedly. Interestingly, fathers have shown an important role in their grown-up childrens development

Diversos estudos têm apontado os benefícios da habilidade empática. Ela está associada à saúde e bem-estar psicológicos, a relacionamentos mais satisfatórios, a comportamentos pró-sociais e morais, à resiliência etc., ao passo que sua ausência está associada a diversos prejuízos pessoais e interpessoais. Como habilidade social, entende-se que a empatia é um fenômeno multidimensional, com aspectos cognitivos, afetivos e comportamentais. Respectivamente, envolve a capacidade de compreender o ponto de vista do outro, de se interessar genuinamente pelo seu bem-estar, e de expressar, por meio de comportamentos verbais e/ou não verbais, sua compreensão e interesse ao interlocutor, permitindo a este se sentir entendido e validado em suas experiências. Esta habilidade tem sido associada, mais recentemente, por diversos estudos internacionais, à capacidade de perdoar um ofensor por suas transgressões. Com isso, o propósito do presente trabalho foi investigar a influência da habilidade empática sobre o perdão interpessoal, em uma amostra brasileira. O perdão também vem sendo considerado uma experiência multifatorial, com domínios cognitivos, afetivos e comportamentais, que abrangem os pensamentos, as emoções e os comportamentos em relação a um ofensor. Para a realização desta investigação, 172 participantes responderam o Inventário de Empatia (IE), a Escala de Atitudes (o Enright Forgiveness Inventory EFI) e uma ficha sobre dados socidemográficos. O IE apresenta quatro subescalas: Tomada de Perspectiva, Sensibilidade Afetiva, Flexibilidade Interpessoal e Altruísmo. O EFI apresenta uma Escala Global de perdão e três Subescalas: Afetiva, Cognitiva e Comportamental. Testes correlacionais e de regressão foram processados a fim de investigar as relações entre os fatores do IE e do EFI, bem como a predição da empatia sobre o perdão. Os resultados indicaram diversas relações positivas e significativas estatisticamente: a Tomada de Perspectiva se relacionou à Escala Global do perdão e às Subescalas Afetiva e Comportamental; a Sensibilidade Afetiva e o Altruísmo se relacionaram à Escala Global e à Comportamental do perdão; a Flexibilidade Interpessoal foi o único fator empático que não apresentou correlações significativas com o perdão. Com a regressão, constatou-se que: Altruísmo e Tomada de Perspectiva, combinados, ou Tomada de Perspectiva, sozinha, predisseram o Perdão Global; Sensibilidade Afetiva, Tomada de Perspectiva e Altruísmo, combinados ou individualmente, tiveram valor preditivo sobre a Subescala Comportamental do perdão; e apenas a Tomada de Perspectiva, sozinha, predisse a Subescala Afetiva do perdão. Nenhum fator do IE teve valor preditivo sobre a Subescala Cognitiva do perdão e a Flexibilidade Interpessoal não predisse qualquer dimensão do EFI. Os resultados encontrados apoiam pesquisas anteriores, confirmando a importância da empatia para a ocorrência do perdão interpessoal. Contudo, ressalta-se que a Tomada de Perspectiva se destacou como a dimensão empática mais importante, sugerindo a relevância que a capacidade de adotar o ponto de vista do outro tem para que o perdão seja alcançado. / Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of empathic skill. It is associated with psychological health and well-being, the more satisfying relationships, pro-social and moral behaviors, resilience etc., while its absence is associated with various personal and interpersonal losses. As a social skill, empathy is considered a multidimensional phenomenon with cognitive, affective and behavioral aspects. Respectively, it involves the ability to understand the point of view of another person, to genuinely be interested in ones welfare, and to express, through verbal and/or non-verbal behaviors, ones understanding and interest to the interlocutor, allowing the former to feel understood and validated in his/her experiences. This skill has been linked more recently, by several international studies, to the ability of forgiving an offender for his/her transgression. Thus, the purpose of this work was to investigate the influence of the empathic skill about the interpersonal forgiveness in a Brazilian sample. Forgiveness has also been considered a multifactorial experience, with cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects, which encompass the thoughts, emotions and behaviors in relation to an offender. To carry out this investigation, 172 participants completed the Empathy Inventory (EI), the Attitude Scale (The Enright Forgiveness Inventory - EFI) and a form about sociodemographic data. EI has four subscales: Perspective Taking, Affective Sensitivity, Interpersonal Flexibility and Altruism. EFI presents a Global Scale of forgiveness and three Subscales: Affective, Cognitive and Behavioral. Correlational and regression tests were processed to investigate the relationship between factors of EI and EFI, and the prediction of empathy on forgiveness. The results indicated several statistically significant and positive relationships: Perspective Taking was related to the Global Forgiveness Scale and to the Emotional and Behavioral Subscales; Affective Sensitivity and Altruism were related to the Global and the Behavioral Forgiveness Scales; Interpersonal Flexibility was the only empathic factor that did not show significant correlations with forgiveness. Concerning regression, it was found that: Altruism and Perspective Taking combined, or Perspective Taking alone predicted the Global Forgiveness; Affective Sensitivity, Perspective Taking and Altruism, combined or individually, have predictive value on the Behavioral Forgiveness Subscale, and only the Perspective Taking, alone, predicted the Affective Forgiveness Subscale. No EI factor was predictive on the Cognitive Subscale of interpersonal forgiveness, and Interpersonal Flexibility did not predict any dimension of EFI. The results support previous researches, confirming the importance of empathy for the occurrence of interpersonal forgiveness. However, it is noteworthy that Perspective Taking stood out as the most important empathic dimension, suggesting the relevance that the ability to adopt the point of view of another person has to achieve forgiveness

abstract: Previous research has shown that highly empathic children are generally more emotionally positive, sociable, and altruistic compared to their less empathic peers (Miller & Jansen op de Haar, 1997). These traits and behaviors linked with empathy have been associated with positive outcomes such as popularity in the peer group (Decovic & Gerris, 1994). However, a negative relation between these constructs has been found when studied in the context of preadolescence for boys (Oberle, Schonert-Reichl, & Thomson, 2010), suggesting a potential moderating effect of gender typicality since empathy is classified as a communal and therefore stereotypically feminine trait. The current study examines the relation between the constructs of gender, empathy, gender typicality, and peer acceptance in a preadolescent sample, and mixed findings suggest differential effects of empathy on peer acceptance for preadolescent boys and girls. Future research should continue examining these differential effects for boys and girls throughout childhood and adolescence. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Family and Human Development 2015

abstract: The goals of this dissertation were to develop a measurement called the Empathetic Expressions Scale (EES) for Negative and Positive Events, to evaluate expressions of empathy from the receiver perspective, and to provide initial evidence for empathetic expressions as a separate construct from the empathy experience. A series of studies were conducted using three separately collected sets of data. Through the use of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the EES for Negative Events and the EES for Positive Events were created from the emerged factors. A five-factor structure emerged for the EES for Negative Events, which include Verbal Affirmation, Experience Sharing, Empathetic Voice, Emotional Reactivity, and Empathetic Touch. This scale was found to have good convergent and discriminant validity through the process of construct validation and good local and model fit through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A four-factor structure and two-factor structure emerged for the EES for Positive Events. The four factors include Verbal Affirmation, Experience Sharing, Empathetic Voice, and Emotional Reactivity. The two factors in the second structure include Celebratory Touch and Hugs.The final study focused on evaluating different empathetic expressions from the receiver perspective. From the receiver perspective, the participants rated five types of empathetic expressions in response to negative or positive events disclosure. According to the findings, Emotional Reactivity was rated as the most effective empathetic expression in negative events on both levels of supportiveness and message quality scales whereas Verbal Affirmation received the lowest ratings on both criteria. In positive events, Experience Sharing was evaluated as the most supportive and highest quality message whereas Verbal Affirmation was evaluated the lowest on both criteria. Taken together, the series of studies presented in this dissertation provided evidence for the development and validity of the EES for Negative and Positive Events. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Communication 2016

Money is considered as a motivator for floor level employees, however it has temporary affect and employees’ motivation to work reduces with time. This study is conducted to know, how to motivate “amotivated employees”. In this study, the author has tested “monetary rewards” and “leaders’ empathy” in motivating amotivated floor level employees. The findings are that monetary rewards have no effect on employees’ state of amotivation. Whereas, “leaders’ empathy” has healing effect on employees’ amotivation. In response to “leaders’ empathy”, the amotivated employees have shown interest as well as responsibility in their work.