Along with academically focused benefits such as vocabulary and literacy, fiction reading has social-emotional benefits. Readers of fiction can identify with characters, and be transported into the fictional world, to differing degrees. Fiction, specifically, can help foster empathy. It has been well established that lifelong fiction readers have higher levels of cognitive empathy than those who have had limited experience with fiction. This relationship between transportation and empathy is well-researched, but the effect of identification on transportation and empathy is less well-defined. The relationship between identification with characters and transportation has mixed findings, and has been studied mostly with films. The current study focuses on the relationship between identification and cognitive empathy, with transportation as a possible mediator. Participants (n=148, age 18-60) read the story The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, with explicit directions: either to read as if they were the main character (high identification), or read objectively (low identification). Participants then rated their identification (as a manipulation check) and transportation using self-report scales. Cognitive empathy was measured by the reading the Mind in the Eyes test, where participants saw a picture of eyes, and selected which emotion was being expressed. Results showed no difference between groups, indicating a failed manipulation. Further tests showed no significant correlation between condition and transportation; or condition and cognitive empathy; or transportation in cognitive empathy. There was also no significant regression equation. Future research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms, and more potential benefits of fiction.

Individuals who report better relationships with their mental health providers have better treatment outcomes. One element of the relationship is therapist empathy, or the therapist's ability to see the world from the client's point-of-view. Researchers have struggled to define, measure, and teach empathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether instruction in character analysis techniques, such as those used by actors, had an effect on cognitive empathy. A convenience sample of 20 adults enrolled in undergraduate or graduate-level coursework was recruited for participation in this study. Each individual provided demographic information and completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Literature Empathy Test (LET). The intervention group (n = 10) participated in a 45-minute character analysis training prior to completing the LET. The control group (n = 10) completed both assessments in a separate meeting with no intervention. A univariate analysis of covariance was used to discover the effect of character analysis training on LET scores in light of IRI scores. The data analysis revealed no significant relationship between the intervention and LET scores, but the findings provided several insights. Future research would benefit from modifications to the LET, inclusion of an additional empathy measure, and revisions to the sample size and inclusion criteria. Although the results of the present study were not significant, this area of research remains a promising means by which to promote social change by informing the pursuit of positive interpersonal relationships and prosocial behaviors

The accurate assessment of psychopathy constitutes a critical component of forensic assessments addressing offender populations. Among the core characteristics of psychopathy, the interpersonal component of deception and empathic deficits are prominently observed in offenders with psychopathic traits. Given the negative consequences of being classified as a psychopath, offenders may be likely to minimize their psychopathic traits. In particular, no research has investigated whether offenders with psychopathic traits are able to simulate empathy in an effort to mask their cognitive or affective empathy deficits (e.g., lack of remorse about offenses). The present study aims to contribute to the literature with regard to the simulation of empathy. Using a mixed between- and within-subjects design, 81 male detainees were placed into (a) a low psychopathy group, (b) a moderate psychopathy group, or (c) a high psychopathy group based on the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised. For the within-subjects component, all offenders answered empathy questionnaires under genuine and simulation conditions. Results indicate the sample possessed cognitive empathy, but did not display affective empathy under genuine instructions. Under simulation instructions, participants significantly increased their scores on several empathy measures. The implications of simulated empathy and comparisons between groups regarding simulation abilities are discussed.

Psychopaths have traditionally been excluded from the moral realm and have regularly been used as a paradigm case for explaining why emotions, or emotional knowledge, is necessary for the acquisition of moral knowledge. Psychopaths possess an affective deficit that results in an almost total lack of empathy. Emotionists argue that emotions (specifically empathy) are central to moral understanding, and that, since the psychopaths possess this affective deficit, they lack the capacity to acquire moral knowledge which is necessary to be morally responsible. Given recent neurological findings regarding psychopaths, I ague that Emotionists cannot use the psychopath as a case example supporting their argument that emotions are necessary for moral knowledge. I argue that despite psychopaths’ affective disorder, they possess three of the capacities (via cognitive mechanisms) considered by many to be necessary for moral responsibility. Those three capacities are the capacity to acquire moral knowledge, the capacity to be reason-responsive to moral demands, and the capacity to control one’s actions in light of moral demands and reasons. The upshot of my analysis is a rethinking of what it means to possess the right kind of emotional knowledge and a rethinking of the capabilities of psychopaths in relation to the moral realm. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / The commonly held view in philosophy is that psychopaths are not morally responsible. Psychopaths amount to about 1% of the current population and up to 25% of male criminal offenders. While these numbers seem rather small in comparison to the total population, philosophers, psychologists and behavioural psychologists regularly point to psychopaths for insight into the moral realm. The main aim of this dissertation is to block the Emotionist argument that emotions are necessary for moral knowledge and argue that psychopaths, despite their affective disorder, possess three of the capacities considered by many to be necessary for moral responsibility. The three capacities are the capacity to acquire moral knowledge, the capacity to be reason-responsive to moral demands, and the capacity to control one’s actions in light of moral demands and reasons. I conclude by arguing that psychopaths are capable of moral responsibility from a cognitive standpoint and that the Emotionist argument must seek another route to establish its conclusion that emotions are necessary for moral knowledge.

Existing research concerning the effects of empathy development has primarily focused on the role of parents, culture, and education but has overlooked the role of siblings. This current retrospective study investigates sibling relationship quality and cognitive and affective empathy in young adults to address the question of whether siblings influence young adults’ empathy processes. A total of 205 young adults participated in the study and completed questionnaires examining their sibling relationship quality and empathy. Strong positive relationships were observed between affective empathy and sibling relationship quality, which suggests that siblings may play a unique role in shaping each other’s affective empathy development. Young adults with a sibling who made a positive impact on them had higher sibling relationship quality and affective empathy scores. Additionally, female participants showed higher affective empathy and quality relationship with their siblings than male participants.

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.

En kvantitativ undersökning har genomförts med syftet att undersöka om kulturell inriktning har betydelse för affektiv och kognitiv empati. Studien genomfördes genom en elektronisk enkät via läroplattformen It’s Learning, där urvalet bestod av 250 studenter vid Karlstad Universitet. För att mäta kulturell inriktning användes mätinstrumentet Culture Orientation Scale som mäter vertikal samt horisontell individualism och kollektivism. För att mäta affektiv och kognitiv empati användes The Basic Empathy Scale in Adults (BES-A). Datamaterialet analyserades genom SPSS och två multipla regressionsanalyser utfördes. Resultatet visade att horisontell individualism och horisontell kollektivism var signifikanta prediktorer av affektiv empati där 11,6 % av variansen förklarades. Vidare visade resultatet att vertikal individualism och horisontell kollektivism var signifikanta prediktorer av kognitiv empati där 14,8 % av variansen förklarades. Sambandet mellan variablerna diskuteras utifrån tidigare studier och definitioner. Studiens resultat indikerar på att det är specifika karaktäristiska drag inom de kulturella inriktningarna som har ett samband till den empatiska förmågan. Slutsatsen utifrån studiens resultat samt tidigare studier var att kulturell inriktning har betydelse för empatin, om än dock en liten betydelse. / A quantitative study has been carried out with the aim to examine if cultural orientation has significance for affective and cognitive empathy. The study was conducted through an electronic survey via the learning platform It’s Learning, where the sample consisted of 250 students at Karlstad University. To measure the cultural orientation the Culture Orientation Scale was used, which measure degree of vertical and horizontal individualism and collectivism. To measure cognitive and affective empathy the Basic Empathy Scale in Adults (BES-A) was used. The data were analyzed by SPSS and two multiple regression analyzes were. The result showed that the horizontal individualism and horizontal collectivism were significant predictors of affective empathy where 11.6% of the variance was explained. Furthermore, the results showed that vertical individualism and horizontal collectivism were significant predictors of cognitive empathy where 14.8% of the variance was explained. The relationship between the variables is discussed based on previous studies and definitions. The study's results indicate that it is particular characteristic within the cultural orientations that are related to the empathic ability. The conclusion of the study and previous studies was that cultural orientation is important for empathy, however in a small extent.

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.

The current study examined whether a sample of detained male adolescents (n = 107; Mean age = 15.50; SD = 1.30) could be disaggregated into two distinct groups, consistent with past research on primary and secondary variants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in adolescents. This study also sought to determine a possible explanation for the CU traits among youth in the secondary variant by examining whether they differ from primary variants on measures of cognitive and affective empathy. Using Latent Profile Analyses, two groups of adolescents high on CU traits were identified, a large group (n = 30) high on CU traits but low on anxiety (primary) and a smaller group high on both CU traits and anxiety (n = 10; secondary). Using self-report and computerized measures of affective (e.g., emotional reactivity) and cognitive empathy (e.g., affective facial recognition and theory of mind (ToM)), results revealed that the secondary variant demonstrated the lowest levels of cognitive empathy. In contrast, the primary variant demonstrated the lowest levels of self-report affective empathy, but these levels were not significantly different from the secondary variant. Multiple regression analyses testing the association among measures of empathy, CU traits, and anxiety produced a mostly consistent pattern of results. One exception was the finding of an interaction between CU traits and anxiety in the prediction of fear recognition accuracy that indicated that CU traits were positively associated with accuracy in recognizing fearful facial expressions when anxiety was low. The current study builds upon previous work examining primary and secondary variants of CU traits by suggesting that both primary and secondary variants may exhibit similar deficits in affective empathy, but that secondary variants may also exhibit deficits in cognitive empathy and perspective-taking that are not present in primary variants.

The present study aimed to investigate the cyber bullying and empathy relationship with respect to gender by utilizing the traditional bullying and empathy relationship. Additionally, the predictive role of traditional bullying, frequency use of information and communication tools, and adult monitoring of the Internet use on cyber bullying was examined. The sample consisted of 717 adolescents (411 females, 302 males) with a mean age of 16.83 (SD=1.46). Cyber Bullying Inventory (Erdur-Baker &amp / KavSut, 2007) was revised, Traditional Bullying Questionnaire was developed and Basic Empathy Scale (Jolliffe &amp / Farrington, 2006) was adapted into Turkish and utilized in the present study. Results of the study pointed that 55.2% of the adolescents reported to engage in traditional bullying and 47.6% of them reported to involve in cyber bullying. Males&rsquo / scores were higher than females&rsquo / for both traditional and cyber bullying. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that traditional bullying and frequent use of ICT predicted cyber bullying well. Finally, results of multiple regression analyses indicated that gender was a mediating factor in the negative relationship between empathy and bullying. In other words, females who have higher empathy scores reported to have less frequent traditional and cyber bullying experience. Males who have lower empathy levels reported to have more frequent traditional and cyber bullying experience. However, gender did not moderate the negative relationship between empathy and bullying. Findings were discussed in the light of the literature.