It is near universally accepted that empathy is a desirable trait for physicians and physicians in training. Empathy is not simply a desirable trait, it is part of the deontological duty of a physician. When physicians understand their patients they can offer them options which are best suited for them, thus giving patients autonomy. Empathy is especially important for patients in urban and undeserved environments as a weapon against conscious and unconscious bias. Interestingly, the data also suggest that empathy improves patient outcomes in multiple settings. Unfortunately the evidence would suggest that medical students become less emphatic over the course of their training. This paper argues that empathy should be emphasized in medical education and also gives suggestions as to how it can be better incorporated and nurtured in a curriculum. / Urban Bioethics

Empathy deficiency is considered a cardinal trait associated with psychopathy. This study examined empathy as cognitive and affective constructs during a mood task meant to evoke happiness and sadness. Fifty-two undergraduate students organized in same-gender pairs (17 female pairs and 9 male pairs) completed measures of empathy, psychopathy, social desirability, social anxiety, demographics and health. Participants engaged in a social mood task where one individual spoke about happy or sad events in the past year while the other individual listened. The procedure incorporated a within-subjects design, so that the participant order switched so each participant would listen and speak about both happy and sad events. Throughout the procedure, cardiac measures were collected through an electrode strap. Psychopathic traits was related to reductions in heart rate variability when listening to other participants discuss sad events, and this was most pronounced in those who also had low empathy scores. Trait cognitive empathy was unrelated to cardiac changes or to state cognitive empathy. Participants' own heart rate and heart rate variability were the only predictors of heart rate and heart rate variability during the mood induction procedures, while the other participant's heart rate and heart rate variability were not. Additionally, psychopathic traits did not moderate this relationship. Results are discussed in terms of how vagal withdrawal may be related to psychopathy and low empathy, especially when listening to sad events. / Ph. D.

The Transformer Station is a full-length collection of poetry that explores the points at which the surreal, empathy, and salvation meet. / Master of Fine Arts

This study deals with the following question': "Who is most 'trainable' as an effective empathic communicator?" In the process it will attempt to determine if self-concept is significantly correlated with communicative ability, specifically the ability to respond empathically to others. Measurement of self-concept will employ the Tennessee Self Vie Scale which will be administered to the members of an undergraduate speech course, Speech 360. Tests measuring the levels of empathic discrimination and empathic communication will be given to the same population in determining empathic communicative ability scores.

This thesis examines the transformation of work in two public sector organisations, the Commonwealth Employment Service and the Department of Social Security. The analysis considers the impact of organisational and technological change on operational staff at Administrative Service Officer 3 level within these agencies. The relationship between these changes, managerial control and the degree of alienation experienced by staff is highlighted. Considerable transformation of the labour process of workers in both organisations is evident. The most significant cause of these transformations has been facilitated by new technology. New technology has facilitated the reorganisation of work and permitted government policies to reorient the focus of these agencies. In both, a more professional relationship is being fostered between clients and staff, not only through government programs but also through a quality service emphasis. A close relationship between clients and public servants was contrary to all traditional notions of bureaucracy, where impersonality and impartiality are highlighted. This change in focus has been facilitated in the CES by circumstances which rendered newer staff unprepared in the face of increasing client numbers, inadequate training and constantly changing government policy. Staff under these circumstances resorted to empathetic behaviours and emotional labour to offset their deficiencies. These behaviours have now been incorporated into organisational practices. The emotional labour has become regulated empathy. In the DSS regulated empathy has been imposed upon staff as an outcome of new technology facilitating job redesign, and government policy requirements. The utilisation of emotional labour in the DSS is in an embryonic stage consistent with it having been imposed upon workers who were previously all but invisible to their clients. Regulated empathy is argued to be a new type of managerial control in the public sector, incorporating aspects of the worker's personality into the wage-effort bargain. Management has invaded spaces which were once private and has incorporated these into the labour process. Furthermore, it is concluded that the incorporation of these aspects into the wage-effort bargain has the potential to create incompatibilities between constructed work identities and non-work identities, resulting in psychological harm to workers.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1979.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1979.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1989.

Positiv empati kan definieras som att dela och förstå någon annans positiva känslor. Studiens syfte var att översätta den amerikanska positive empathy scale (PES), testa den på svenska högskolestudenter samt relatera PES till känsla av sammanhang (KASAM). En enkätstudie med 181 deltagare genomfördes där deltagarna skattade positiv empati och KASAM. Studiens resultat visade att den svenska översättningen av PES var tillförlitlig, mätt med Cronbach ́s alpha. Resultatet visade även att kvinnor tenderade ha högre positiv empati än män, men att ålder inte resulterade i högre positiv empati. Med hjälp av en hierarkisk multipel regressionsanalys visade resultatet att högre KASAM gav högre positiv empati. Studien visar att det nu finns en svensk positiv empatiskala som verkar tillförlitlig, även om den behövs testas vidare för att bidra till en djupare förståelse i ämnet.