The three components model of empathy proposed by Decety and Jackson (2004) is currently the dominant model of empathy. The three components include: 1) the affective component (Simulation Theory), 2) emotional perspective taking, and 3) emotion regulation (self/other distinction). The purpose of the current study was to examine whether empathic perspective taking is dependent on context and to provide a behavioral basis for a follow-up fMRI study. More specifically, we wanted to know how body contexts (e.g. mood) and situational contexts (e.g. perceived fairness of a partner) affect emotional perspective taking. To examine the interaction between mood and perceived fairness of a partner, a 2 (mood group: neutral vs. negative) × 2 (fairness condition: unfair partner vs. fair partner) between-groups experimental design was employed. Mood induction videos were employed for the mood manipulation and participants played either a fair or unfair preprogrammed partner in a modified ultimatum game. After both manipulations, three measures were used to assess perspective taking and several post-game behavioral measures were also employed. Results were obtained from 73 participants (age: 18-22; female = 46, ~18 in each condition). The results demonstrated that participants in the negative mood had more difficulty empathizing with unfair partners and had a greater desire for revenge against them than participants in a neutral mood in the same unfair situations. Therefore, human empathy is not constant, but varies depending on a variety of contexts. We can now use this paradigm for a future fMRI study to investigate the neural substrates underlying this context dependency with a particular emphasis on the frontopolar cortex and the nucleus accumbens.

A growing literature documents the inherently stressful nature of working with persons who are suffering or traumatized, and the potential for the development of stress disorders among social workers and other helpers. Previous studies of compassion fatigue and burnout have provided important information about professional and workplace variables that might influence risk, but little attention has been given to studying intrapersonal skills/abilities that might reduce risk and/or increase resilience and work satisfaction among helping professionals. This exploratory study asked whether levels of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation would influence professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. Surveys consisting of demographic questions and four established scales measuring professional quality of life, mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation were mailed to a random sample of 400 licensed clinical social workers in Kentucky. Data were collected between Mar. 8, 2008, and May 29, 2008, and included 171 usable surveys, a 42% response rate. Data were analyzed using ordinary least squares multiple regression, analysis of variance tests, and Sobel tests of mediation. Findings show significant, direct associations of higher mindfulness and emotional separation scores with higher compassion satisfaction scores and lower burnout scores. Higher emotional separation was also directly and significantly associated with lower compassion fatigue, and mediation tests suggested an indirect negative relationship between mindfulness and compassion fatigue as well. The personal distress empathy subscale had a significant, direct, negative association with compassion satisfaction, while empathic concern had a significant, direct, positive association. In addition, tests for mediation suggested significant indirect effects of personal distress on all three dependent variables. Results suggest that an increased emphasis on the intentional management of internal emotional states may be as important for clinicians as it is for clients, and that professional training programs should consider how best to teach such skills.

Inledning: Det har funnits många aspekter av vad som påverkat psykoterapeuter i deras yrkesutövning.I forskning har psykoterapeuter uttryckt att den egna psykoterapin har varit en av de viktigas erfarenheterna i den egna utvecklingen som psykoterapeuter. Frågeställning: Hur har psykoterapeuter upplevt den egna psykoterapins påverkan på yrkesutövningen och har olika perioder av terapi haft olika inflytande? Metod: Denna studie har varit kvalitativ, i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, med sju stycken psykodynamiskt utbildade psykoterapeuter. Förutom intervjuer har också tidigare forskning och litteratur i ämnet redovisats.Bearbetning av resultatet har skett i tematisk analys. Resultat: Psykoterapeuternas egen psykoterapi har påverkat dem inom flera områden i deras yrkesutövning. Främsta skälet till att de har gått i egen terapi har varit personliga svårigheter men också utbildningskrav. Diskussion: Psykoterapeuterna har upplevt att den egna psykoterapin har stort inflytande på olika delar av identiteten som psykoterapeut. De har inte varit lika lätt att skilja ut olika perioder av terapi och deras påverkan. En hypotes har varit att olika terapier och livserfarenheter har byggt på varandra och resulterat i att psykoterapeuter senare i livet har en annan beredskap att klara sina egna och andras livskriser. / Introduction: Thera have been many aspects of what has influenced psychotherapist on their practice. in research has psychotherapist expressed that their own psychotherpy is one of the most important experience for their growth as therapists. Problem: How has psychotherapist experienced their own psychotherapys influence on their profession and has different episodes of therapy different influence? Method: This has been a qualitative study, with semistructured interviews, with seven psychodynamic psychotherapists. Besides interviews have also previous research and litterature on the subject been reported.Processing has taken place into the theamtic analysis. Results: Psychotherapists own psychotherapy has affected them in several areas of their professional. Main reason that they have gone into self-therapy has been for personal difficulties but also educational requirements. Discussion: Psychotherapists have experienced that their own psychotherapy has great influence on various parts of their identity as therapists. It has not been as easy to distinguish different periods of therapy and its impact. One hypothesis has been that various therapies and life experiences have built on each other and resulted in psychotherapist in later life has different capacity to cope with theirown and others life crisis.

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a study abroad experience on levels of ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Now more than ever, universities are being asked to provide concrete evidence about the effectiveness and outcomes of studying abroad. Participation in study abroad programs has continued to substantially increase over the past decade, resulting in a higher demand of such international programs at universities (IIE, 2004). A sample of 76 university students completed the following measures: demographics questionnaire, Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy, and Global-Mindedness Scale. It was hypothesized that students who study abroad would exhibit higher levels of both pre- and post-test ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. It was also expected that participants with previous experience abroad would have higher levels of both pre- and post-test ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness. Results indicated that levels of ethnocultural empathy and global-mindedness did not differ based on the study abroad, diversity class, or control group, but that scores on both measures increased from the pre- to post-test for both the diversity class and the control group. Results for the study abroad group remained the same between the pre- and post-test for both measures. Despite the fact that this study had no significant findings, it has provided groundwork for future research regarding study abroad experiences, ethnocultural empathy, and global-mindedness. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Tidigare vårdforskning inom psykiatrin har främst utgått ifrån personalens erfarenheter. Forskning har visat på ett behov att studera patienters erfarenheter. När det gäller unga vuxnas erfarenheter av psykiatrisk vård saknas forskning och det har därför varit intressant att studera det. Som teoretisk utgångspunkt har Barker och Buchanan-Barkers tidvattenmodell använts. Data samlades in via tre intervjuer som sedan analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Syftet med studien var att belysa vad unga vuxna (18-24 år) beskriver som värdefullt i kommunikationen med sjuksköterskan. I analysen framkom tre kategorier samt ett tema. Kategorierna var betydelsen av personligt möte, att få vara delaktig och att få känna sig betydelsefull Temat som identifierades var att existera i ett sammanhang. Slutsatserna mynnade ut i fem viktiga frågor att tänka på för att etablera en god kommunikation med patienten. Ett område för fortsatt forskning skulle kunna vara att ta reda på hur sjusköterskor skulle kunna tillbringa mer tid med patienter. / Earlier research in the psychiatric field has primarily focused on the experiences of the staff. Research has shown that there is a need to study the experiences of the patients. When it comes to young adults experiences of psychiatric care there is a lack of research. Therefore it has been interesting to study that. The Tidal Model by Barker and Buchanan-Barker was used as a theoretical starting point. Data was collected from three interviews. The interviews where then analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The aim of this study was to highlight what young adults (18-24 years) described as valuable in nurse patient communication. The analysis gave three categories. They were the meaning of a personal meeting, to be involved and to feel important. The theme to exist in a context was identified. The final conclusions rendered five important questions to think of in order to establish a good communication with the patient. One area for further research could be to study how nurses could spend more time with patients.

Relational aggression encompasses behaviour meant to hurt others by destroying their friendships and reputation (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995). As peer relationships take on greater importance in early adolescence, relational aggression becomes more accepted and prevalent, yet perceived as equally or more harmful to its targets than physical aggression. The present study explored whether reactive and proactive subtypes of relational aggression were associated with an inability to empathize with others, regulate emotional states, and hold attitudes that it is acceptable to manipulate and harm others. Empathy, emotion regulation, and Machiavellianism’s roles in predicting reactive and proactive relational aggression was examined using Crick and Dodge’s (1994) reformulated Social Information-Processing Theory’s framework. Reactive relational aggression was expected to be associated with low empathy and high emotion dysreglation. Proactive relational aggression was expected to be predicted by high empathy, low emotion dysregulation, and high Machiavellianism. Low empathy was expected to predict overt aggression indices. One hundred and thirty-three children (73 females, 60 males, Mage = 12.84 years) in grades 6 through 8 from five schools in a public Ontario schoolboard were recruited. Caregivers completed a measure of their child’s emotions and behaviours (The Emotion Regulation Checklist; Shields & Cicchetti, 1995). Participating students completed four self-report measures assessing relational and overt aggression (Children’s Social Behaviour Scale – Self-Report; Crick & Grotpeter, 1995), proactive and reactive subtypes of aggression (Little, Jones, Henrich, & Hawley, 2003), empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index; Davis, 1980), and Machiavellianism (Kiddie Mach Scale; Christie & Geis, 1970) during one 60 minute session. Empathy, Machiavellianism, and emotion dysregulation scores were associated with total, reactive, and proactive relational aggression scores. When contrasting subtypes of aggression were controlled, however, these emotional and cognitive variables did not predict total and reactive relational aggression. There was a non-significant trend for higher levels of empathy to predict proactive relational aggression. Low empathy significantly predicted total and reactive overt aggression indices. Machiavellianism predicted reactive and proactive overt aggression. Emotion regulation was not a significant predictor in analyses. Results provide support for the role of Machiavellianism and empathy in relational aggression, particularly proactive or goal-oriented instances.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2002.