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Krabbendam L, Sijtsma H, Crone EA, van Buuren M. Trust in adolescence: Development, mechanisms and future directions. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69:101426. [PMID: 39121641 PMCID: PMC11363724 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Trust is the glue of society. While the trust we place in close others is crucial for our wellbeing, trust in strangers is important to fulfill needs that families and friends cannot provide. Adolescence is an important phase for the development of trust in strangers, because the social world of adolescents expands tremendously. We provide an overview of the development of trust in adolescence by reviewing studies that used the trust game, an experimental paradigm to measure trust between dyads during monetary exchange. We start from the notion that trust is a form of social reinforcement learning in which prior beliefs about the trustworthiness of others are continuously updated by new information. Within this framework, development in adolescence is characterized by increasing uncertainty of prior beliefs, a greater tolerance of uncertainty, and a greater tendency to seek and use new information. Accordingly, there is evidence for an increase in initial trust and better adaptation of trust during repeated interactions. Childhood psychological and social-economic adversity may impact this development negatively. To further our understanding of these individual differences, we suggest ways in which the trust game can be enriched to capture trust dilemmas that are relevant to youth with diverse backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Krabbendam
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Hester Sijtsma
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mariët van Buuren
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Li W, He QF, Lan JZ, Attiq-Ur-Rehman, Ge MW, Shen LT, Hu FH, Jia YJ, Chen HL. Empathy as a Mediator of the Relation between Peer Influence and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence: A Meta-Analysis. J Youth Adolesc 2024:10.1007/s10964-024-02079-3. [PMID: 39302609 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02079-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
During adolescence, empathy and prosocial behavior contribute to the establishment of positive interpersonal relationships and social connections, promoting holistic development in youth. A substantial amount of research has provided compelling evidence that there is a relationship between peer relationships and empathy and prosocial behavior. Empathy, as a key mediating factor, links the influence of peers with prosocial behavior in adolescents, yet there is currently a lack of robust meta-analytic evidence regarding this mediating role. This study employed a two-stage structural equation modeling approach to synthesize existing research on peer influence, empathy, and prosocial behavior during adolescence. Systematic searches were conducted across three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO), identifying a total of 49 studies, with a systematic assessment of study quality. The results indicated that empathy plays a mediating role between peer influence and prosocial behavior. Positive peer influence is positively correlated with empathy and prosocial behavior, while negative peer influence is negatively correlated with empathy and prosocial behavior, and empathy is positively correlated with prosocial behavior. This meta-analysis demonstrates that during adolescence, empathy mediates the connection between peer influence and prosocial behavior, representing a potential process that can explain the relationship between peer influence and prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Qi-Fan He
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jian-Zeng Lan
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Attiq-Ur-Rehman
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
- Gulfreen Nursing College Avicenna Hospital Bedian, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Meng-Wei Ge
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Lu-Ting Shen
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Fei-Hong Hu
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yi-Jie Jia
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hong-Lin Chen
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
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Li X, Zhang W, Ji L, Cao Y. Potential Mechanism Linking Peer Relationships and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: Mediation of Cognitive Empathy and Moderations of OXTR and DRD2. J Youth Adolesc 2024:10.1007/s10964-024-02023-5. [PMID: 38834755 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Peers are important socializers of adolescent prosocial behavior. Still, the proximal cognitive and emotional process underlying this link and the sources of individual differences in sensitivity to peer influence have yet to be explored. Utilizing the gene-gene-environment (G × G × E) approach and multi-informant measurement, this study investigated how peer relationships operate to influence adolescent prosocial behavior by examining the mediating role of cognitive and emotional empathy, and the moderating role of the OXTR and DRD2 genes. The study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 1080, Mage = 13.32 years at T1). Results showed that cognitive empathy rather than emotional empathy mediated the link between peer acceptance/rejection and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, the association among peer acceptance, cognitive empathy, and prosocial behavior was moderated by OXTR and DRD2. Specifically, adolescents with the combinations of AA/AA or G/G genotypes of OXTR/DRD2 benefited more from peer acceptance compared to their counterparts carrying other combined genotypes. The findings highlight cognitive empathy as a proximal process linking peer interaction to prosocial behavior and lend support to the interaction between oxytocinergic and dopaminergic systems on environmental sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Li
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Linqin Ji
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yanmiao Cao
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, China.
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Robinson MD. Ability-Related Emotional Intelligence: An Introduction. J Intell 2024; 12:51. [PMID: 38786653 PMCID: PMC11121825 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12050051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotionally intelligent people are thought to be more skilled in recognizing, thinking about, using, and regulating emotions. This construct has garnered considerable interest, but initial enthusiasm has faded and it is time to take stock. There is consensus that ability-related measures of emotional intelligence (EI) can be favored to self-report tests, in part because the resulting scores cannot be equated with personality traits. However, there are questions surrounding measurement as well as predictive value. Experts in the field were encouraged to chart new directions, with the idea that these new directions could reinvigorate EI scholarship. Special Issue papers speak to theory, mechanism, measurement, and training. In addition, these papers seek to forge links with research traditions focused on interpersonal perception, emotional awareness, and emotion regulation. As a result of these efforts, new insights into what EI is and how it works can be anticipated in upcoming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Robinson
- Psychology, NDSU Department 2765, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA
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Hodges SD, Kezer M, Hall JA, Vorauer JD. Exploring Actual and Presumed Links between Accurately Inferring Contents of Other People's Minds and Prosocial Outcomes. J Intell 2024; 12:13. [PMID: 38392169 PMCID: PMC10890342 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The term "empathic accuracy" has been applied to people's ability to infer the contents of other people's minds-that is, other people's varying feelings and/or thoughts over the course of a social interaction. However, despite the ease of intuitively linking this skill to competence in helping professions such as counseling, the "empathic" prefix in its name may have contributed to overestimating its association with prosocial traits and behaviors. Accuracy in reading others' thoughts and feelings, like many other skills, can be used toward prosocial-but also malevolent or morally neutral-ends. Prosocial intentions can direct attention towards other people's thoughts and feelings, which may, in turn, increase accuracy in inferring those thoughts and feelings, but attention to others' thoughts and feelings does not necessarily heighten prosocial intentions, let alone outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara D Hodges
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1451 Onyx Street, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA
| | - Murat Kezer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1451 Onyx Street, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA
| | - Judith A Hall
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacquie D Vorauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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Tan X, Yang Y, Yu M. Longitudinal relationship of empathy and social anxiety among adolescents: The mediation roles of psychological inflexibility and rejection sensitivity. J Affect Disord 2023; 339:867-876. [PMID: 37467804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of study was to explore the roles of psychological inflexibility and rejection sensitivity in the relationship between (cognitive and affective) empathy and social anxiety among adolescents. METHODS A two-wave longitudinal design was adopted in the present study. A total of 2481 participants (41.60 % male; Mage = 16.48) aged from 13 to 21 in 2021 completed the Chinese Version of Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-C), Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), Chinese version of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y8), Child Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (CRSQ), and Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescent (SAS-A) at baseline assessment (T1), and completed the SAS-A again three months later (T2). RESULTS (1) Results showed, personal distress at T1 could significantly and positively predict social anxiety at T2. (2) Mediation analyses results demonstrated that adolescents' experience avoidance and rejection sensitivity at T1 were significant mediators between cognitive empathy at T1 and social anxiety at T2, but with the opposite effect. As for affective empathy, rejection sensitivity at T1 significantly mediated the relationship between adolescents' empathic concern at T1 and social anxiety at T2. Furthermore, experience avoidance and rejection sensitivity at T1 significantly mediated the association between personal distress at T1 and social anxiety at T2. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive and affective empathy had different roles in contributing to adolescents' social anxiety. The findings in the current study can also provide empirical support for targeting adolescents' social anxiety by reducing personal distress directly and decreasing experiential avoidance and rejection sensitivity indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Tan
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, PR China; The Guidance Centre for Student Development, Dongguan High School, Dongguan, Guangdong 523120, PR China
| | - Youtian Yang
- Centre for Psychological Health Education, Zhongshan Technician College, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, PR China
| | - Meng Yu
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, PR China; Department of Psychiatry, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, PR China.
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Koessler AK, Heinz N, Engel S. Perspective-taking with affected others to promote climate change mitigation. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1225165. [PMID: 37842719 PMCID: PMC10575756 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Prior evidence suggests that perspective-taking may promote pro-environmental behavior, at least for low-cost behaviors or local environmental problems. Climate change, however, requires costly mitigation efforts and is a global problem. Thus, in this study, we examine whether perspective-taking in the context of climate change is effective in promoting mitigation behaviors, including actual and/or costly behaviors, the mechanisms through which perspective-taking works, and if the distance to the person adversely affected by climate change matters for the effect. We conducted an online experiment with a non-student sample from Germany (n = 557), utilizing a 2 × 2 factorial design, to investigate the impact of perspective-taking and distance on three outcome measures: a climate donation, signing a petition, and approval of mitigation policies. We find that perspective-taking does not promote these mitigation behaviors, yet it raises the degree perspective-takers value and - for close others - feel connected with the affected person. Exploratory analysis shows that dispositional perspective-taking and empathic concern are correlated with mitigation behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kathrin Koessler
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- School of Business Administration and Economics and Institute for Environmental Systems Research (IUSF), Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Nicolai Heinz
- Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- School of Business Administration and Economics and Institute for Environmental Systems Research (IUSF), Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
- Environmental Politics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefanie Engel
- School of Business Administration and Economics and Institute for Environmental Systems Research (IUSF), Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Bjånesøy L, Bye HH. Norwegian citizens' responses to influxes of asylum seekers: comparing across two refugee crises. SOCIAL INFLUENCE 2023; 18:2242619. [PMID: 38013947 PMCID: PMC10470148 DOI: 10.1080/15534510.2023.2242619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
We compared Norwegians' attitudes to immigration, perspective taking, and intergroup behaviors directed at asylum seekers in 2016 (Syrians and Afghans) and 2022 (Ukrainians). We find evidence for a stronger exclusionary response to the asylum seekers in 2016 than in 2022. Attitudes to immigration were more negative in 2016 than in 2022, and skepticism and avoiding asylum seekers was more common. However, the dominant behavior in both years was prosocial (greeting and donating) and Norwegians' willingness to take asylum seekers perspective was similar in 2016 and 2022. These results may reflect an absence of a symbolic threat in 2022 and may be connected to differences in the political rhetoric about asylum seekers in 2015/2016 and 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Bjånesøy
- Department of Government, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hege H. Bye
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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How the self guides empathy choice. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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10
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Epley N, Kumar A, Dungan J, Echelbarger M. A Prosociality Paradox: How Miscalibrated Social Cognition Creates a Misplaced Barrier to Prosocial Action. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1177/09637214221128016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Behaving prosocially can increase well-being among both those performing a prosocial act and those receiving it, and yet people may experience some reluctance to engage in direct prosocial actions. We review emerging evidence suggesting that miscalibrated social cognition may create a psychological barrier that keeps people from behaving as prosocially as would be optimal for both their own and others’ well-being. Across a variety of interpersonal behaviors, those performing prosocial actions tend to underestimate how positively their recipients will respond. These miscalibrated expectations stem partly from a divergence in perspectives, such that prosocial actors attend relatively more to the competence of their actions, whereas recipients attend relatively more to the warmth conveyed. Failing to fully appreciate the positive impact of prosociality on others may keep people from behaving more prosocially in their daily lives, to the detriment of both their own and others’ well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Kumar
- McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin
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11
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Lehmann K, Böckler A, Klimecki O, Müller-Liebmann C, Kanske P. Empathy and correct mental state inferences both promote prosociality. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16979. [PMID: 36217015 PMCID: PMC9550828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20855-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In a world with rapidly increasing population that competes for the earth's limited resources, cooperation is crucial. While research showed that empathizing with another individual in need enhances prosociality, it remains unclear whether correctly inferring the other's inner, mental states on a more cognitive level (i.e., mentalizing) elicits helping behavior as well. We applied a video-based laboratory task probing empathy and a performance measure of mentalizing in adult volunteers (N = 94) and assessed to which extent they were willing to help the narrators in the videos. We replicate findings that an empathy induction leads to more prosocial decisions. Crucially, we also found that correct mentalizing increases the willingness to help. This evidence helps clarify an inconsistent picture of the relation between mentalizing and prosociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Lehmann
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Anne Böckler
- University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olga Klimecki
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Müller-Liebmann
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Depow GJ, Lin H, Inzlicht M. Cognitive effort for self, strangers, and charities. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15009. [PMID: 36056071 PMCID: PMC9440104 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19163-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Effort is aversive and often avoided, even when earning benefits for oneself. Yet, people sometimes work hard for others. How do people decide who is worth their effort? Prior work shows people avoid physical effort for strangers relative to themselves, but invest more physical effort for charity. Here, we find that people avoid cognitive effort for others relative to themselves, even when the cause is a personally meaningful charity. In two studies, participants repeatedly decided whether to invest cognitive effort to gain financial rewards for themselves and others. In Study 1, participants (N = 51; 150 choices) were less willing to invest cognitive effort for a charity than themselves. In Study 2, participants (N = 47; 225 choices) were more willing to work cognitively for a charity than an intragroup stranger, but again preferred cognitive exertion that benefited themselves. Computational modeling suggests that, unlike prior physical effort findings, cognitive effort discounted the subjective value of rewards linearly. Exploratory machine learning analyses suggest that people who represented others more similarly to themselves were more willing to invest effort on their behalf, opening up new avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Depow
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Hause Lin
- Hill/Levene Schools of Business, University of Regina, Regina, Canada
- Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Michael Inzlicht
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
- Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Behler AMC, Berry DR. Closing the empathy gap: A narrative review of the measurement and reduction of parochial empathy. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria C. Behler
- Department of Psychology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Daniel R. Berry
- Department of Psychology California State University San Marcos San Marcos California USA
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