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Callaghan T, Colasante T, Muhammad S, Corbit J, Yavuz-Muren M, Raffaele C, Akter R, Al Janaideh R, Duan TY, Didkowsky N, Beuze JN, Homer B, Cameron CA, Malti T. Fostering Prosociality in Refugee Children: An Intervention With Rohingya Children. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2024; 89:7-109. [PMID: 39148465 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is a distinguishing characteristic of human nature. Although prosocial behaviors emerge early in development, contextual factors play an important role in how these behaviors are manifested over development. A large body of research focuses on the trajectory of prosocial development across diverse cultures and investigating contexts that foster it. Against this backdrop of developmental research endeavoring to understand and enhance the cooperative side of humanity, is the catastrophic impact of profoundly negative forces on social-emotional development for children forced to flee from violent conflict. Close to half a million Rohingya children, whose families were forced to flee genocide in Myanmar, now live in the largest refugee camp in the world. To examine the resilience of human prosociality in the face of extreme adversity, we documented initial levels of prosociality in Rohingya refugee children living in a mega-camp (Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh) and the extent to which those levels were improved following a multifaceted intervention designed to foster prosociality. The research was a partnership between Rohingya community members with lived experience, humanitarian practitioners, and developmental researchers. A sample of 152 Rohingya children (5-12 years) participated in pre- and postintervention assessments of prosocial behaviors and related cognitive-affective processes. The 10-day collaboration-based intervention was implemented between November 2021 and January 2022 by Rohingya researchers. Birthplace was used as a proxy measure of trauma level. Children born in Myanmar (N = 88) directly experienced relatively higher levels of trauma (genocide, forced migration) than children who were born in the camp after their families fled from Myanmar (N = 64). Children were individually tested pre- and postintervention with a task battery, including a helping (Origami) and two sharing tasks (Dictator Game [DG], Forced Choice sharing) measuring prosocial behavior. Assessments of related cognitive-affective processes included measures of empathic responding and emotion perspective-taking in story tasks (Imagine, Judgment) and executive function (EF) skills (Younger: Hearts & Flowers; Older: Dimensional Change Card Sorting). Small group intervention sessions conducted over 10 days targeted these prosocial behaviors and cognitive-affective processes and were based on collaborative activities, emotion perspective taking and EF skills training with the same partner throughout the intervention phase. We used latent change modeling to examine initial levels (preintervention) and intervention-related changes in these measures from pre- to postintervention. Prosocial responding was found across all measures (preintervention) and improvements (pre- to postintervention change) were apparent across most measures. Age and birthplace variables were significant predictors of initial levels and intervention-related change. Initial levels: Regarding age, older children (9-12 years) showed higher levels than younger children (5-8 years) of sharing in the Forced Choice task but lower levels in the DG. Older children also showed higher levels of empathic responding when asked to report how they would feel and respond to another person's misfortune in the Imagine task. Regarding birthplace, prior to the intervention camp-born children showed higher levels than Myanmar-born children of helping in the Origami task and reported more behavioral responses indicating how they would respond to misfortune in the Imagine task. In contrast, Myanmar-born children had higher levels of sharing in the DG and consistently chose equality over inequality in the Forced Choice sharing task, even when their partner would receive more, indicating a pattern of generosity in these children. Myanmar-born children had lower levels than camp-born children on EF measures. Intervention-related change: Regarding age, older but not younger children were more likely to increase choices for equality over inequality on the Forced Choice sharing task following the intervention. Regarding birthplace and helping, camp-born children increased behaviors that helped their partner make origami shapes themselves ("how-to" helping), whereas Myanmar-born children increased behavior that took over folding for their partner ("do-for" helping). For sharing tasks, Myanmar-born but not camp-born children increased sharing in the DG and showed an increased pattern of generosity in Forced Choice sharing task. In the Imagine story task, children born in Myanmar were more likely than those born in camp to increase empathic responding (i.e., imagining how they would feel). Children born in Myanmar showed less improvement on EF measures than children born in the camp. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that in a context of extreme adversity, Rohingya children exhibited prosociality and benefitted from a multifaceted intervention. Our research adds credence to the view that human prosociality is a fundamental characteristic of humanity that not only survives but can be enhanced in even the most adverse of childhood environments. Our multifaceted intervention, which was implemented within a collaborative social context and targeted prosocial behaviors and related cognitive-affective processes, was designed to be easily implemented within existing psychosocial support programs in refugee contexts. As the numbers of children affected by violent conflict and forced migration rise alarmingly worldwide, there is a critical need to expand research partnerships that aim to improve developmental outcomes for these millions of children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Callaghan
- Psychology Department, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | | | - John Corbit
- Psychology Department, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Charles Raffaele
- Educational Communication and Technology Program, Steinhardt, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rozina Akter
- Psychology Department, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Redab Al Janaideh
- Centre for Leadership and Learning, York Regional District School Board, Aurora, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tz-Yu Duan
- Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nora Didkowsky
- Psychology Department, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Bruce Homer
- Program in Educational Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Catherine Ann Cameron
- Psychology Department, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tina Malti
- Psychology Department, University of Toronto, Alexander von Humbolt Professor, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Bilir Özturk P, Bayram Özdemir S, Strohmeier D. They Are Not All the Same: Defenders of Ethnically Victimized Adolescents. J Youth Adolesc 2024:10.1007/s10964-024-02026-2. [PMID: 38842747 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-02026-2] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Developing a comprehensive understanding of adolescents' defending behaviors in peer victimization incidents is crucial, as these behaviors are instrumental in preventing victimization in schools. Despite recent efforts to examine various defender subgroups and their characteristics, the heterogeneity in defending behaviors within the context of ethnic victimization remains unclear. To address this gap in knowledge, the current study examined naturally occurring subgroups of defenders in ethnic victimization incidents and investigated whether these subgroups differ in their socio-cognitive skills, class norms, and social status within peer relationships. The sample included adolescents in Sweden (N = 1065; Mage = 13.12, SD = 0.41; 44.5% females). Cluster analysis yielded four distinct subgroups: victim-oriented defenders (41.3%), hybrid defenders (23.5%), bully-oriented defenders (9.8%), and non-defenders (25.4%). Hybrid and victim-oriented defenders had higher levels of perspective taking skills and positive attitudes toward immigrants than non-defenders. All three defender subgroups perceived their classroom climate as more socially cohesive than non-defenders. All four subgroups did not significantly differ in their peer status. These findings emphasize the importance of fostering inclusive class norms and implementing classroom practices that facilitate the development of perspective taking skills among students. Such effort can enhance adolescents' active defending behaviors in instances of ethnic victimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Bilir Özturk
- Center for Lifespan Development Research, School of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.
| | - Sevgi Bayram Özdemir
- Center for Lifespan Development Research, School of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Dagmar Strohmeier
- School of Medical Engineering and Applied Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Linz, Austria
- Norwegian Centre for Learning Environment and Behavioural Research in Education, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
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Howe-Davies H, Manstead ASR, van Goozen SHM. Atypical Facial Expressivity in Young Children with Problematic Peer Relationships. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:695-704. [PMID: 36163417 PMCID: PMC11061040 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01445-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Peer problems are frequently associated with difficulties in recognizing and appraising the emotions of others. It has been argued that facial responsiveness to others' emotions-or motor empathy-is a precursor of emotion processing and affective empathy. Although mimicry impairments have been observed in studies of young people with conduct problems, to our knowledge no study has examined facial responsiveness to others' expressions in young children and examined how this relates to peer relationship problems. Four- to 7-year-old children (n = 91) with or without teacher-reported peer relationship problems (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire) viewed three dynamic film clips depicting a sad, happy, or scared child, while their spontaneous facial emotional responses were assessed using iMotions software that codes the movement of facial muscles. Children displayed facial expressivity that was congruent with the emotional expressions in the clips. Groups with and without peer problems did not differ in their responses to seeing a happy child. However, children with peer problems exhibited reduced or atypical facial emotional responses to the negative emotional clips. Decreased or atypical facial expressivity to negative emotions was also associated with severity of peer problems; atypical facial responsivity to sadness and reduced facial responsivity to fear predicted peer problems independently of one another. We conclude that reduced or atypical facial expressiveness in response to other children's dynamic facial expressions is associated with problematic peer relations in young children. The implications for early identification and interventions to support prosocial development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephanie H M van Goozen
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Lu H. Highlighting Victim Vividness and External Attribution to Influence Policy Support Regarding the Opioid Epidemic: The Mediating Role of Emotions. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:1333-1342. [PMID: 37157168 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2212139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing the need for more evidence-based interventions and the potential of well-crafted messages in communicating the opioid epidemic, this study investigates the effectiveness of two messaging strategies (i.e., victim vividness and external attribution) that have the potential to mitigate stigmatization and influence a wide range of public policies concerning the opioid epidemic. Building upon the attribution theory of interpersonal behavior, an experiment with a 2 (victim vividness: high vs. low) × 2 (external attribution: present vs. absent) between-subjects factorial design was conducted among a national sample of U.S. adults (N = 995). The findings show that the messages with greater victim vividness reduced support for victim-oriented punitive policies, whereas the messages that mentioned external attribution increased support for perpetrator-oriented punitive policies. In addition, the two messaging strategies also worked indirectly through various emotions to influence policy support. Discussions on this study's contributions to both theory and practice are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Lu
- Department of Communication and Media, University of Michigan
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5
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Ju U, Kim S. Willingness to take responsibility: Self-sacrifice versus sacrificing others in takeover decisions during autonomous driving. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29616. [PMID: 38698973 PMCID: PMC11064069 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29616] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
In Level-3 autonomous driving, drivers are required to take over in an emergency upon receiving a request from an autonomous vehicle (AV). However, before the deadline for the takeover request expires, drivers are not considered fully responsible for the accident, which may make them hesitant to assume control and take on full liability before the time runs out. Therefore, to prevent problems caused by late takeover, it is important to know which factors influence a driver's willingness to take over in an emergency. To address this issue, we recruited 250 participants each for both video-based and text-based surveys to investigate the takeover decision in a dilemmatic situation that can endanger the driver, with the AV either sacrificing a group of pedestrians or the driver if the participants do not intervene. The results showed that 88.2% of respondents chose to take over when the AV intended to sacrifice the driver, while only 59.4% wanted to take over when the pedestrians would be sacrificed. Additionally, when the AV's chosen path matched the participant's intention, 77.4% chose to take over when the car intended to sacrifice the driver compared with only 34.3% when the pedestrians would be sacrificed. Furthermore, other factors such as sex, driving experience, and driving preferences partially influenced takeover decisions; however, they had a smaller effect than the situational context. Overall, our findings show that regardless of the driving intention of an AV, informing drivers that their safety is at risk can enhance their willingness to take over control of an AV in critical situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uijong Ju
- Department of Information Display, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sanghyeon Kim
- Department of Information Display, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea
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Dickerson KL, Quas JA. Compensatory prosocial behavior in high-risk adolescents observing social exclusion: The effects of emotion feedback. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 241:105840. [PMID: 38245916 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105840] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Although exposure to violence has been consistently associated with deficits in prosocial behavior among adolescents, effective methods of mitigating these deficits have yet to be identified. The current investigation tested whether prosocial behavior could be promoted by providing adolescents with feedback about the emotional states of others and whether the effects of feedback varied between adolescents who had versus had not experienced violence in the home or in the community. Adolescents aged 8 to 17 years with (n = 87) and without (n = 61) histories of violence exposure completed a virtual social exclusion ball-tossing paradigm in which information about an excluded peer's emotions (sad, angry, or neutral) was experimentally manipulated. Among adolescents with histories of violence exposure, those who received feedback that the peer was sad due to being excluded compensated by throwing the ball more often to that peer. In contrast, adolescents without histories of violence exposure did not engage in compensatory prosocial behavior, instead maintaining a relatively even number of tosses to all players. Findings offer new insight into simple potential methods of eliciting prosocial behavior in adolescents for whom such responding may be compromised and may provide a potential starting point for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Dickerson
- Department of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Jodi A Quas
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Luo X, Yu T, Tan M, Zhong Y. Impact of Empathic Concern on Prosocial Behavior in Gain and Loss Contexts: Evidence from Event-Related Potential. Brain Sci 2024; 14:400. [PMID: 38672049 PMCID: PMC11047841 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040400] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This study employs event-related potential (ERP) to examine the impact of empathic concern on prosocial decision-making with costs in both gain and loss contexts. In this experiment, participants can choose between two types of lottery tickets and pay lottery money to help the target person gain more money or lose less money. The behavioral results showed that regardless of the context of the decision (financial loss or gain), participants tended to help individuals who had induced high empathic concern. ERP results show that compared to the low-empathic-concern condition, the high-empathic-concern condition induced greater P3 amplitude in the gain context. However, this change in P3 amplitude caused by empathic concern did not occur in the context of loss. These findings indicate that empathic concern has different psychological mechanisms that moderate prosocial behavior in gain and loss contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Luo
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (X.L.); (M.T.)
- School of Physics and Chemistry, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha 410205, China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha 410081, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory for Children’s Psychological Development and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Changsha 410205, China
| | - Taowen Yu
- Department of Psychology, Changsha Normal University, Changsha 410100, China;
| | - Min Tan
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (X.L.); (M.T.)
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Yiping Zhong
- Department of Psychology, School of Education Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; (X.L.); (M.T.)
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Changsha 410081, China
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8
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Martínez-Velázquez ES, Ponce-Juárez SP, Díaz Furlong A, Sequeira H. Cooperative behavior in adolescents: a contribution of empathy and emotional regulation? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1342458. [PMID: 38638520 PMCID: PMC11024332 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1342458] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim This study aims to identify different levels of empathy and emotional regulation along adolescent years and their relationship with cooperative behavior. Methods Eighty healthy males were divided into four age groups: 20 Early Adolescents, 20 Middle Adolescents, 20 Late Adolescents and 20 Adults. Participants responded to empathic and emotional regulation scales, then were assigned to an unknown partner to perform the prisoner's dilemma paradigm. Results The statistical analyses allowed to distinguish the groups on the basis of the components making up the two scales: scores on the Perspective Taking component were higher for Adults and Late Adolescents participants than for Middle Adolescents and Early Adolescents groups (p < 0.05); scores on the Personal Distress component were higher for Early Adolescents group than for Late Adolescents and Middle Adolescents groups (p < 0.05); scores on the Difficulties engaging in goal directed behavior component were higher for Middle Adolescents and Early Adolescents groups than for Adults group (p < 0.05). We observed differences between groups (p < 0.001) with higher number of cooperation responses in Adults compared to Middle Adolescents (p < 0.05) and Early Adolescents groups (p < 0.001). Discussion These findings suggest that the cooperative behavior changes during the different stages of adolescence seem to be related to the development of empathy and emotional regulation components.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra Pamela Ponce-Juárez
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Díaz Furlong
- Admissions Department and Academic Follow-Up, Vicerectory of Teaching, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Henrique Sequeira
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Affectives (SCALab), CHU Lille, UMR CNRS 9193 – University of Lille, Lille, France
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Iosifidou E, Varsamis P. Goal Contents, State Empathy and Instructional Goals in a Physical Disability Vignette. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:717-728. [PMID: 36823037 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2181679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Setting and recommending instructional goals represents an important communication process in educational and health domains, which are intersected in many cases. However, little is known about the antecedents of instructional goals. The aim of the present study was to examine how the contents of participants' personal goals in life (i.e. goal contents) and state empathy during message processing affected the processes of prioritizing instructional goals in the case of an adolescent who presented physical disability and impaired cognitive functioning, as presented in a video vignette. Health and care practitioners who were members of the educational system, in-service teachers and university students of disciplines related to health, rehabilitation or education, participated in a cross-sectional study. The findings showed that the participants proposed instructional goals according to their current goal contents and state empathy. In particular, state empathy demonstrated both main effects and mediations in influencing intrinsic instructional goals. However, state empathy, in fact its associative component, influenced an extrinsic goal domain as well. Interpretations of this phenomenon are presented, and the limitations of some tools are demonstrated. In addition, suggestions are put forward regarding implications and future research for a proximal causation of the instructional goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Iosifidou
- Department of Educational and Social Policy, University of Macedonia
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10
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Sağel-Çetiner E, Yılmaz Irmak T, Açık Yavuz B. To tell the truth or not: What effortful control, false belief, and sympathy tell us about preschoolers' instrumental lies. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 240:105839. [PMID: 38184957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105839] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the predictors of instrumental lies in preschool children, specifically focusing on false belief, effortful control, and sympathy. Instrumental lies are intentional falsehoods used to achieve personal goals such as avoiding punishment and obtaining an undeserved reward. A total of 192 preschool children (age range = 32-73 month-olds), along with their mothers and fathers, participated in the study. The Temptation Resistance Paradigm, an experimental task, was employed to elicit instrumental lies from the children. The children also completed first-order false belief measures, and their parents filled out questionnaires assessing their children's effortful control and sympathy skills. Results revealed a positive association between children's effortful control and their decisions to tell instrumental lies. However, no significant relationship was found between false belief and instrumental lying. Age moderated the link between sympathy and the decision to tell instrumental lies, with sympathy being negatively associated with lie-telling behavior among older children but showing no effect among younger children. The study variables did not predict the maintenance of instrumental lies. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the role of effortful control and sympathy as underlying temperamental and emotional processes influencing children's decisions to engage in instrumental lie-telling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Sağel-Çetiner
- Department of Psychology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, 09010 Efeler/Aydın, Turkey.
| | | | - Begüm Açık Yavuz
- Department of Psychology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, 09010 Efeler/Aydın, Turkey
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Silke C, Brady B, Dolan P, Boylan C. Empathy rules, maps and paths: A qualitative exploration of the factors that facilitate or inhibit empathy and prosocial responding among youth. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 52:326-343. [PMID: 38235840 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.23106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore young people's perspectives on the factors that facilitate or inhibit empathy and prosocial responding among youth. Qualitative focus groups (n = 29) were undertaken with Irish young people aged 13-17 years relating to their views on the factors that facilitate or inhibit the expression of empathy. Parents, friends, and social media were found to be key influences, whereas barriers identified included societal norms, gender norms, lack of skill, or knowledge and target characteristics. This research provides important insights into adolescents' perceptions of the social correlates of empathy. Concepts from the sociology of empathy, such as empathy maps and paths, are helpful in drawing out the implications for future research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Silke
- UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Bernadine Brady
- UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Pat Dolan
- UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ciara Boylan
- UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, School of Political Science & Sociology, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Rose L, Kovarski K, Caetta F, Makowski D, Chokron S. Beyond empathy: Cognitive capabilities increase or curb altruism in middle childhood. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 239:105810. [PMID: 37981466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105810] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Altruistic behavior, which intentionally benefits a recipient without expectation of a reward or at a cost to the actor, is observed throughout the lifespan from everyday interactions to emergency situations. Empathy has long been considered a major driver of altruistic action, but the social information processing model supports the idea that other cognitive processes may also play a role in altruistic intention and behavior. Our aim was to investigate how visual analysis, attention, inhibitory control, and theory of mind capabilities uniquely contribute to predicting altruistic intention and behavior in a sample of 67 French children (35 girls and 32 boys; Mage = 9.92 ± 0.99 years) from Paris and neighboring suburbs. Using a Bayesian analysis framework, we showed that in younger grade levels visual analysis and selective attention are strong predictors of altruistic intention and that inhibitory control strongly predicts altruistic behavior in a dictator game. Processes underlying theory of mind, however, negatively predict altruistic behavior in the youngest grade. In higher grade levels, we found that stronger attention and inhibitory control predicts lower altruistic intention and behavior. Empathy was not found to predict altruistic intention or behavior. These results suggest that different cognitive capabilities are involved in altruistic intention and behavior and that their contribution changes throughout middle childhood as social constraints deepen and altruism calls on more complex reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Rose
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France.
| | - Klara Kovarski
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l'éducation (INSPE), 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Éducation de l'enfant (LaPsyDé), Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Florent Caetta
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France
| | | | - Sylvie Chokron
- Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 75006 Paris, France; Institut de Neuropsychologie, Neurovision et NeuroCognition, Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France
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Rodrigues DL. A Narrative Review of the Dichotomy Between the Social Views of Non-Monogamy and the Experiences of Consensual Non-Monogamous People. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:931-940. [PMID: 38177608 PMCID: PMC10920412 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02786-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Monogamy is deeply rooted in most Western societies, shaping how people construe and behave in romantic relationships. These normative views facilitate the emergence of negative perceptions and evaluations when people choose not to adhere to mononormativity. Even though people in consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationships are targets of stigmatization, research shows a dichotomy between these negative views and the relational experiences of CNM people. Indeed, people in CNM and monogamous relationships have comparable relationship functioning and quality and struggle with similar relationship problems. One of the differences is that CNM relationships afford people to explore their sexuality and fulfill their needs with multiple partners, without agreed-upon extradyadic behavior being perceived as infidelity or having deleterious consequences to relationship maintenance. These positive experiences notwithstanding, CNM people are continuously pressured by mononormativity and stigmatization, increasing the risk of internalized CNM negativity and worse personal and relational outcomes. One possible way to counteract CNM stigmatization and improve the lives of CNM people is by changing discourses surrounding non-monogamy and improving acceptance, not only in professional settings but also in the general population. Another strategy is to understand how the relationship beliefs and scripts of younger generations can help promote more inclusive and diverse societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Rodrigues
- Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, CIS-Iscte, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, Lisbon, Portugal.
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14
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Zhang H, Xiong G, Cai S, Wu S. A Causal Role of Right Temporoparietal Junction in Prosocial Learning: A Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study. Neuroscience 2024; 538:59-67. [PMID: 38145822 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.12.008] [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: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is a common and important aspect of everyday social life. To behave prosocially, we need to learn the consequences of our actions for other people, known as prosocial learning. Previous studies have identified the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) as the critical neurological substrate for prosocial behavior. However, little is known about the causal role of the rTPJ in prosocial learning. To clarify the role of the rTPJ in prosocial learning, we used a reinforcement learning paradigm and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). A total of 75 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the anodal or sham tDCS group. While receiving tDCS stimulation over the rTPJ, participants were instructed to choose between different stimuli that were probabilistically associated with rewards for themselves in the self-learning condition or for another person in the prosocial-learning condition. Participants were able to learn to obtain rewards for themselves or others, and learning performance in the self-learning condition was better than that in the prosocial-learning condition. However, anodal tDCS over the rTPJ significantly improved learning performance in the prosocial-learning condition. These results indicate that the rTPJ plays a causal role in prosocial learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqi Zhang
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guanxing Xiong
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Shenggang Cai
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shijing Wu
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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15
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Levantini V, Muratori P, Bertacchi I, Grilli V, Marzano A, Masi G, Milone A, Kimonis ER. The "Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood": Psychometric Properties and Associations with Externalizing Problems and Callous Unemotional Traits. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024:10.1007/s10578-024-01673-7. [PMID: 38261151 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-024-01673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is crucial to the development of socio-emotional skills in youth and empathy development is central to understanding and subtyping youth with externalizing problems. This study explored for the first time the psychometric properties of the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC) in a sample of 652 Italian children aged 6 to 8 years. The gender invariance of MEEC scores and their associations with other measures of empathy and prosocial behavior, and children's externalizing problems and callous-unemotional (CU) traits were also evaluated. Results indicated that with some modifications, a 5-factor structure of the Italian version of MEEC scores fitted the data and was invariant across gender. Results further supported the reliability and validity of MEEC total and subscale scores. Practical implications of these results are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Levantini
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Muratori
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Iacopo Bertacchi
- Accademia di Neuropsicologia dello Sviluppo (A.N.Svi), Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Virginia Grilli
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Masi
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eva R Kimonis
- Parent-Child Research Clinic, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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16
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Ditrich L, Reinhardt J, Roth G, Sassenberg K. Integrative emotion regulation relates to sympathy and support for outgroups-Independent of situational outgroup behaviour. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296520. [PMID: 38180966 PMCID: PMC10769030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Intergroup emotions powerfully shape intergroup relations. Anger and fear fuel, while hope and sympathy reduce intergroup strife. This implies that emotion regulation may play an important role in improving intergroup relations. Broadening the scope of prior research, we herein investigate the potential benefits of integrative emotion regulation for improving intergroup relations. Integrative emotion regulation involves actively paying attention to emotions to determine which information they provide. Interindividual differences in the use of integrative emotion regulation correlate with sympathy and supportiveness towards outgroups, but why this is the case is unclear. We tested two possible explanations: a person effect (i.e., interindividual differences in integrative emotion regulation shape respondents' general outlook on outgroups) and a person-situation interaction effect (i.e., integrative emotion regulation reduces the impact of situational factors that would typically dampen sympathy, thereby shaping situation-specific responses to outgroups). In four experiments (total N = 984), we manipulated outgroup behaviour and measured interindividual differences in integrative emotion regulation. We found no interaction between integrative emotion regulation and outgroup behaviour in predicting outgroup-directed sympathy and supportiveness. Instead, integrative emotion regulation consistently correlated positively with supportiveness, mediated by sympathy. These findings suggest that those high in integrative emotion regulation have a more positive, general outlook on outgroups than those low in integrative emotion regulation, but being high in integrative emotion does not alter situational responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Ditrich
- Social Processes Lab, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jonas Reinhardt
- Social Processes Lab, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Guy Roth
- Department of Education, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Kai Sassenberg
- Social Processes Lab, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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17
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Fu X, Fu R, Chang Y, Yang Z. Bidirectional Relationship between Adolescent Gender Egalitarianism and Prosocial Behavior. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:33. [PMID: 38247685 PMCID: PMC10812801 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010033] [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: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the bidirectional associations between gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior in adolescents, and the moderating effect of gender in the associations, as well as gender differences and longitudinal changes in both. We recruited 543 Chinese adolescents (284 girls, 259 boys; mean age at Time 1 = 11.27 years) and collected three waves of data measuring gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior at one-year intervals. According to the results, girls expressed greater gender egalitarianism than boys did; girls reported more prosocial behavior than boys in the sixth grade, but there were no significant gender differences in the seventh and eighth grades. Adolescents' gender egalitarianism stayed stable from the sixth to the seventh grade then increased from the seventh to the eighth grade, and there was a decrease in prosocial behavior from the sixth to the seventh grade. More importantly, the results of the multi-group cross-lagged panel model revealed that adolescents' gender egalitarianism in the previous year positively predicted prosocial behavior in the next year, and vice versa; such bidirectional associations equally applied to boys and girls. These findings add to the knowledge of adolescent gender egalitarianism and prosocial behavior, and the dynamic interplay between the two.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Fu
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ruoran Fu
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yanping Chang
- Department of Psychology, School of Sociology and Psychology, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhixu Yang
- School of Labor Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing 100070, China
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18
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Keysers C, Gazzola V. Vicarious Emotions of Fear and Pain in Rodents. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2023; 4:662-671. [PMID: 38156261 PMCID: PMC10751282 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-023-00198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Affective empathy, the ability to share the emotions of others, is an important contributor to the richness of our emotional experiences. Here, we review evidence that rodents show signs of fear and pain when they witness the fear and pain of others. This emotional contagion creates a vicarious emotion in the witness that mirrors some level of detail of the emotion of the demonstrator, including its valence and the vicinity of threats, and depends on brain regions such as the cingulate, amygdala, and insula that are also at the core of human empathy. Although it remains impossible to directly know how witnessing the distress of others feels for rodents, and whether this feeling is similar to the empathy humans experience, the similarity in neural structures suggests some analogies in emotional experience across rodents and humans. These neural homologies also reveal that feeling distress while others are distressed must serve an evolutionary purpose strong enough to warrant its stability across ~ 100 millions of years. We propose that it does so by allowing observers to set in motion the very emotions that have evolved to prepare them to deal with threats - with the benefit of triggering them socially, by harnessing conspecifics as sentinels, before the witness personally faces that threat. Finally, we discuss evidence that rodents can engage in prosocial behaviors that may be motivated by vicarious distress or reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Keysers
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Valeria Gazzola
- Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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19
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Smith C, Stamoulis C. Effects of multidomain environmental and mental health factors on the development of empathetic behaviors and emotions in adolescence. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293473. [PMID: 37992006 PMCID: PMC10664943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy is at the core of our social world, yet multidomain factors that affect its development in socially sensitive periods, such as adolescence, are incompletely understood. To address this gap, this study investigated associations between social, environmental and mental health factors, and their temporal changes, on adolescent empathetic behaviors/emotions and, for comparison, callous unemotional (CU) traits and behaviors, in the early longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development sample (baseline: n = 11062; 2-year follow-up: n = 9832, median age = 119 and 144 months, respectively). Caregiver affection towards the youth, liking school, having a close friend, and importance of religious beliefs/spirituality in the youth's life were consistently positively correlated with empathetic behaviors/emotions across assessments (p<0.001, Cohen's f = ~0.10). Positive family dynamics and cohesion, living in a neighborhood that shared the family's values, but also parent history of substance use and (aggregated) internalizing problems were additionally positively associated with one or more empathetic behaviors at follow-up (p<0.001, f = ~0.10). In contrast, externalizing problems, anxiety, depression, fear of social situations, and being withdrawn were negatively associated with empathetic behaviors and positively associated with CU traits and behaviors (p<0.001, f = ~0.1-0.44). The latter were also correlated with being cyberbullied and/or discriminated against, anhedonia, and impulsivity, and their interactions with externalizing and internalizing issues. Significant positive temporal correlations of behaviors at the two assessments indicated positive (early) developmental empathetic behavior trajectories, and negative CU traits' trajectories. Negative changes in mental health adversely moderated positive trajectories and facilitated negative ones. These findings highlight that adolescent empathetic behaviors/emotions are positively related to multidomain protective social environmental factors, but simultaneously adversely associated with risk factors in the same domains, as well as bully victimization, discrimination, and mental health problems. Risk factors instead facilitate the development of CU traits and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calli Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Catherine Stamoulis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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20
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Abstract
Besides vaccine certificates, research suggests leaders also need to trigger society's intrinsic motivation to help in order to achieve lasting and equitable solutions.
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21
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Xu X, Spinrad TL, Xiao SX, Xu J, Eisenberg N, Laible DJ, Berger RH, Carlo G. White children's prosocial behavior toward White versus Black peers: The role of children's effortful control and parents' implicit racial attitudes. Child Dev 2023; 94:1581-1594. [PMID: 37221916 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
White children's effortful control (EC), parents' implicit racial attitudes, and their interaction were examined as predictors of children's prosocial behavior toward White versus Black recipients. Data were collected from 171 White children (55% male, Mage = 7.13 years, SD = 0.92) and their parent in 2017. Prosocial behavior toward White peers was predicted by children's higher EC. When predicting prosocial behavior toward Black peers and prosocial disparity (the difference between White and Black recipients), parents' implicit racial attitudes moderated the relation between children's EC and children's prosocial behavior. Specifically, children's EC was positively associated with prosocial behavior toward Black peers (and negatively related to inequity in prosocial behavior) only when parents exhibited less implicit racial bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoye Xu
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Tracy L Spinrad
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Sonya Xinyue Xiao
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jingyi Xu
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Nancy Eisenberg
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Deborah J Laible
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rebecca H Berger
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Gustavo Carlo
- Department of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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22
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Shalev I, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1237278. [PMID: 37928564 PMCID: PMC10621795 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237278] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Empathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychosocial functioning: mental health, romantic relationships, and parenting. Methods Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy were assessed across eight time points, where participants from the general population (N = 566) self-reported their empathy, stress, depressive symptoms, romantic satisfaction, and parental functioning. Results Both trait and state aspects of empathy were associated with all psychosocial outcomes, with state empathy showing a stronger effect. Additionally, empathy components interacted with stress-emotional empathy better-predicted outcomes under high stress, while cognitive empathy under low stress. Discussion Our findings advance the theoretical understanding of empathy, emphasizing the effects of state-dependent empathy fluctuations on our everyday mental and social lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Alal Eran
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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23
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Winters DE, Guha A, Sakai JT. Connectome-based predictive modeling of empathy in adolescents with and without the low-prosocial emotion specifier. Neurosci Lett 2023; 812:137371. [PMID: 37406728 PMCID: PMC10528031 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Empathy impairments are an important part of a broader affective impairments defining the youth antisocial phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits and the DSM-5 low prosocial emotion (LPE) specifier. While functional connectivity underlying empathy and CU traits have been well studied, less is known about what functional connections underly differences in empathy amongst adolescents qualifying for the LPE specifier. Such information can provide mechanistic distinctions for this clinically relevant specifier. The present study uses connectome-based predictive modeling that uses whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity data to predict cognitive and affective empathy for those meeting the LPE specifier (n = 29) and those that do not (n = 57). Additionally, we tested if models of empathy generalized between groups as well as density differences for each model of empathy between groups. Results indicate the LPE group had lower cognitive and affective empathy as well as higher CU traits and conduct problems. Negative and positive models were identified for affective empathy for both groups, but only the negative model for the LPE and positive model for the normative group reliably predicted cognitive empathy. Models predicting empathy did not generalize between groups. Density differences within the default mode, salience, executive control, limbic, and cerebellar networks were found as well as between the executive control, salience, and default mode networks. And, importantly, connections between the executive control and default mode networks characterized empathy differences the LPE group such that more positive connections characterized cognitive differences and less negative connections characterized affective differences. These findings indicate neural differences in empathy for those meeting LPE criteria that may explain decrements in empathy amongst these youth. These findings support theoretical accounts of empathy decrements in the LPE clinical specifier and extend them to identify specific circuits accounting for variation in empathy impairments. The identified negative models help understand what connections inhibit empathy whereas the positive models reveal what brain patterns are being used to support empathy in those with the LPE specifier. LPE differences from the normative group and could be an appropriate biomarker for predicting CU trait severity. Replication and validation using other large datasets are important next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, United States.
| | - Anika Guha
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, United States
| | - Joseph T Sakai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, United States
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Speidel R, Wong TKY, Al-Janaideh R, Colasante T, Malti T. Nurturing child social-emotional development: evaluation of a pre-post and 2-month follow-up uncontrolled pilot training for caregivers and educators. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2023; 9:148. [PMID: 37612762 PMCID: PMC10464161 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-023-01357-4] [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: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social-emotional capacities contribute to children's mental health by helping them navigate their own and others' emotional states and forge healthy relationships. Caregivers and educators are critical socialization agents in early and middle childhood, but gaps remain in the systematic integration of social-emotional research into caregiver and educator trainings. The aim of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a social-emotional training designed to promote caregivers' and educators' capacities to support social-emotional development in children ages 3-8 years. METHODS Fifty adults (n = 24 caregivers of children ages 3-8 years, n = 26 educators working with children ages 3-8 years) participated in a virtual training over 3 weeks. Participants completed pre-training, post-training, and 2-month follow-up questionnaires evaluating their knowledge of social-emotional concepts, use of training strategies, mental health, and satisfaction with the training. Caregivers also reported children's social-emotional capacities and mental health. RESULTS On average, caregivers and educators completed 83% of the virtual training sessions and reported high satisfaction with the training. Further, preliminary evidence indicated that caregivers' and educators' knowledge of social-emotional concepts increased pre- to post-training and was maintained at the 2-month follow-up. Increases in caregivers' and educators' knowledge and greater use of training strategies were associated with improvements in children's social-emotional capacities and caregivers' and educators' own mental health. CONCLUSIONS These pilot results support the feasibility of infusing evidence-based social-emotional content into caregiver and educator training initiatives aimed at nurturing child social-emotional development and mental health. The results inform future evaluation of the short- and long-term benefits of this training with a full-scale randomized controlled trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Speidel
- Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy, University of Toronto, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Tracy K Y Wong
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Redab Al-Janaideh
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Tyler Colasante
- Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy, University of Toronto, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
| | - Tina Malti
- Centre for Child Development, Mental Health, and Policy, University of Toronto, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
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25
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Yu X, Zhang L, Liu M, He B. The Effect of Empathy on Team Members' Moqi in Virtual Teams: A Moderated Mediation Model. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:2619-2633. [PMID: 37465047 PMCID: PMC10350425 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s414860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Moqi can help team members facilitate communication without all interlocutors present, so the researchers speculate it can be an efficient communication tool for virtual teams to compensate for its lack of synchronous communication and in-person contact. However, the only study on the predictors of team members' moqi believed that shared understandings could only arise from team tasks. Based on social exchange theory, the current study emphasizes the social and emotional benefits exchanged among team members and explores moqi-making among virtual team members through a lens of relationship-building. Methods With a two-wave time-lagged survey design, a total of 381 team members from 86 virtual teams in China participated in the study. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Results Results confirmed that virtual team members' empathy is conducive to their experiences of high-quality interpersonal relationships (HQIR) and moqi. Relationship closeness positively moderates the link between empathy and experiences of HQIR and the mediating effect. Conclusion This study helps unveil the significance of compassionate communication and life-giving connections in cultivating virtual team members' moqi and offers meaningful insights for facilitating virtual collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Yu
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Luxiaohe Zhang
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- School of Foreign Languages, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an, Shannxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meilin Liu
- Antai College of Economics & Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bin He
- School of National Governance, Southwest University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
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26
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Frowijn I, De Caluwé E. Psychopathic traits in the interpersonal context: Is the effect of psychopathic traits on prosocial behavior mediated by peer problems? Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 238:103976. [PMID: 37419060 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103976] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopathic traits are often investigated within the individual, while most traits come to expression within the interpersonal context. Low social communion might even be an important overlooked core feature of psychopathy. This raises the question how psychopathic (i.e., Grandiose-Manipulative, Callous-Unemotional, and Irresponsible-Impulsive) traits affect the tendency to show prosocial behavior, and whether peer problems explain this relationship. Besides, the effects of gender on these subrelations are explored. In total, 541 community adolescents and emerging adults (26.4 % men; 16-25 years old, Mage = 21.7, SDage = 2.50) completed questionnaires, measuring psychopathic traits, prosocial behavior, and peer problems. The relationship between psychopathic traits and prosocial behavior was investigated with three separate moderated mediation regression analyses (for Grandiose-Manipulative, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsive-Irresponsible traits separately) including peer problems as mediator and gender as moderator. Significant direct negative effects of Grandiose-Manipulative and Callous-Unemotional traits on prosocial behavior were found, though not for Impulsive-Irresponsible traits. Peer problems did not mediate this relation and gender was no moderator. The significant moderation effect indicated that only for women a significant direct positive effect of Callous-Unemotional traits on peer problems was found, but not for men nor other psychopathic traits. More gender differences were found with men (vs. women) scoring significantly higher on all three psychopathic traits and lower on prosocial behavior. Implications of psychopathic traits within the interpersonal context are discussed and future research could further investigate how this relationship can be explained, for example by including different types of measures and other potential mediators (e.g., empathy).
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Frowijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Tilburg, the Netherlands; Fivoor Science and Treatment Innovation (FARID), Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Elien De Caluwé
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Tilburg, the Netherlands
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Prignitz M, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Martinot JL, Paillère Martinot ML, Artiges E, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Fröhner JH, Robinson L, Smolka MN, Walter H, Winterer JM, Whelan R, Schumann G, Nees F, Flor H, Consortium OBOTIMAGEN. The Role of Empathy in Alcohol Use of Bullying Perpetrators and Victims: Lower Personal Empathic Distress Makes Male Perpetrators of Bullying More Vulnerable to Alcohol Use. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6286. [PMID: 37444132 PMCID: PMC10341197 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20136286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Bullying often results in negative coping in victims, including an increased consumption of alcohol. Recently, however, an increase in alcohol use has also been reported among perpetrators of bullying. The factors triggering this pattern are still unclear. We investigated the role of empathy in the interaction between bullying and alcohol use in an adolescent sample (IMAGEN) at age 13.97 (±0.53) years (baseline (BL), N = 2165, 50.9% female) and age 16.51 (±0.61) years (follow-up 1 (FU1), N = 1185, 54.9% female). General empathic distress served as a significant moderator of alcohol use in perpetrators (F9, 493 = 17.978, p < 0.01), which was specific for males and FU1. Male perpetrators, who are generally less sensitive to distress, might thus be more vulnerable to alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Prignitz
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L. W. Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2QL, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 “Trajectoires Développementales en Psychiatrie”, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, F-91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 “Trajectoires Développementales en Psychiatrie”, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, F-91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, AP-HP, Sorbonne Université, 75651 Paris, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 “Trajectoires Développementales en Psychiatrie”, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, F-91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, 91150 Etampes, France
| | | | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H. Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Lauren Robinson
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Section for Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jeanne M. Winterer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-Inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Frauke Nees
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germany
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Lim KY, Hong W. Neural mechanisms of comforting: Prosocial touch and stress buffering. Horm Behav 2023; 153:105391. [PMID: 37301130 PMCID: PMC10853048 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Comforting is a crucial form of prosocial behavior that is important for maintaining social unity and improving the physical and emotional well-being of social species. It is often expressed through affiliative social touch toward someone in distress, providing relief for their distressed state. In the face of increasing global distress, these actions are paramount to the continued improvement of individual welfare and the collective good. Understanding the neural mechanisms responsible for promoting actions focused on benefitting others is particularly important and timely. Here, we review prosocial comforting behavior, emphasizing synthesizing recent studies carried out using rodent models. We discuss its underlying behavioral expression and motivations, and then explore both the neurobiology of prosocial comforting in a helper animal and the neurobiology of stress relief following social touch in a recipient as part of a feedback loop interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Y Lim
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Weizhe Hong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Surzykiewicz J, Ciechomski M, Skalski-Bednarz SB, Toussaint LL, Bielecki M, Kwadrans Ł, Małysz Z, Konaszewski K. Preliminary assessment of the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Questionnaire to Assess Affective and Cognitive Empathy (QAACE) in Children. CURRENT ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 12:100-108. [PMID: 38807695 PMCID: PMC11129048 DOI: 10.5114/cipp/163186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article reports the Polish adaptation of the Questionnaire to Assess Affective and Cognitive Empathy (QAACE) by Zoll and Enz - a multidimensional self-report questionnaire used to measure empathy in children aged 8-14. The QAACE is based on a two-factor cognitive-emotional model of empathy. It has a number of international adaptations and offers a convenient Polish-language tool for use with young children and adolescents. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The sample consisted of 677 children aged 8-13. The survey was conducted on school premises, during classes, by an appropriately prepared researcher. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fitting measurement model representing the original underlying factor structure of the QAACE among Polish children. The reliability of the questionnaire as measured by Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω was good. The reliability of the scale as assessed by the test-retest method (after four weeks) was .80. We assessed the validity of the tool by analyzing the correlation of empathy with love and sadism. General empathy, as well as cognitive and affective empathy, is positively related to love. The hypothesis that sadism is significantly related to empathy was also partially confirmed. General empathy and affective empathy are negatively correlated with sadism, while there was no relationship between sadism and cognitive empathy. CONCLUSIONS The questionnaire is the first widely available tool of this type to examine empathy and its components appropriate for children and adolescents in Poland. The questionnaire can be a useful screening test for detecting children's level of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Surzykiewicz
- Faculty of Philosophy and Education, Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
- Faculty of Education, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Ciechomski
- Faculty of Education, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Sebastian Binyamin Skalski-Bednarz
- Faculty of Philosophy and Education, Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, Eichstaett, Germany
- Faculty of Education, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Marcin Bielecki
- Faculty of Education, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Kwadrans
- Faculty of Arts and Educational Sciences, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Małysz
- Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, Warsaw Management University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karol Konaszewski
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
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Kara B, Selcuk B. The Role of Socioeconomic Adversity and Armed Conflict in Executive Function, Theory of Mind and Empathy in Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:533-545. [PMID: 34664125 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01270-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates the role of socioeconomic adversity and armed conflict in executive function (EF), theory of mind (ToM) and empathy in a rarely studied group, children living in eastern Turkey. The data were collected from 115 children (60 girls) aged 39 to 95 months (M = 68.22, SD = 14.62). Results revealed that children's performance was low in the EF and ToM tasks, and high in the empathy task. In path analysis, controlling for age, armed conflict experience predicted lower EF (β = - 0.15) and higher empathy (β = 0.21), and socioeconomic adversity predicted lower ToM (β = 0.20). These findings contribute to our knowledge on cognitive and emotional development of children who live in such disadvantaged contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buket Kara
- Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK. .,Centre of Resilience for Social Justice, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, BN1 9PH, UK.
| | - Bilge Selcuk
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
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31
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Khalili N, Bosacki S, Talwar V. The moderating role of spirituality and gender in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents’ theory of mind and prosocial behavior. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1134826. [PMID: 37051609 PMCID: PMC10083353 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionWhile research has found a link between ToM and prosociality in terms of caring and helping others which may also vary across cultures, the moderating role of spirituality and culture of this association in emerging adolescence has received little attention.MethodsThe current study empirically “examined” the role of spirituality and gender in relation to ToM and prosocial behavior in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents. A total of 300 (153 girls) emerging adolescents (M = 11.502, SD = 2.228) were recruited from Montreal, Canada and Karaj, Iran. A series of double moderation analysis and ANOVA was conducted.Results and discussionResults indicated the difference between direct and indirect influences of ToM and its interactions with culture, gender, and spirituality on prosocial behavior. This implies an emerging complex framework which suggests the dynamic nonlinear interactions between these factors. Implications for youth’s social-emotional understanding will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Khalili
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Nadia Khalili,
| | - Sandra Bosacki
- Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Schubert S, Kluge U, Klapprott F, Ringeisen T. Germans' awareness of refugees' information barriers regarding health care access: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:221. [PMID: 36882848 PMCID: PMC9990189 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In light of their experiences on the refuge and upon their arrival in the receiving society, refugees may have differentiated needs regarding health care. However, negative attitudes of the members of the receiving society and a lack of information pose as barriers for refugees when trying to access health care services. In that sense, it is largely unknown, which antecedents positively affect Germans' perception of information barriers that refugees face. Based on an extended version of the Empathy-Attitude-Action model, this study examined selected predictors of problem awareness in the form of perceived information barriers that refugees face, emphasizing the role of positive intercultural contact experiences. METHODS A sample of members of the receiving society, here: Germans (N = 910) completed a cross-sectional online survey with validated self-report measures. From the perspective of Germans, assessments covered positive intercultural contact, attitudes on refugees' rights, the recognition of refugees' socio-emotional support needs as a form of cognitive empathy, and the perception of refugees' information barriers when accessing health care. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine hypothesized latent associations and specified three different models with unidirectional paths between the study variables, each allowing another direct path from intercultural contact to the variables. We determined the best model using the chi-square-difference test and tested for indirect effects along the paths through bias-corrected bootstrapping. RESULTS Our results show consistency with the Empathy-Attitude-Action model. We found Germans' cognitive empathy toward refugees to be associated with more positive attitudes and a greater awareness of refugees' information barriers. We further found more positive intercultural contact to be associated with greater cognitive empathy toward refugees and with more positive attitudes. While these contact experiences showed a slightly direct negative effect on Germans' perception of refugees' information barriers to accessing health care, the indirect effects via cognitive empathy and positive attitudes were positive. CONCLUSION Previous positive intercultural contact may be directly and indirectly linked to greater awareness for refugees, helping Germans as the receiving community (1) to become more empathetic toward refugees, (2) to improve their attitudes toward refugees' rights and to (3) raise consciousness for information barriers that refugees face when trying to access health care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Schubert
- Berlin School of Economics and Law, Alt-Friedrichsfelde 60, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ulrike Kluge
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Bonhoefferweg 3, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Klapprott
- Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Bonhoefferweg 3, 10117, Berlin, Germany
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Am Köllnischen Park 2, 10179, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias Ringeisen
- Berlin School of Economics and Law, Alt-Friedrichsfelde 60, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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Fanti KA, Konikkou K, Georgiou G, Petridou M, Demetriou C, Soursou G, Kyranides MN. Physiological reactivity to fear moderates the relation between parenting distress with conduct and prosocial behaviors. Child Dev 2023; 94:363-379. [PMID: 36217890 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether the associations between parental distress with conduct problems (CPs) and prosocial behaviors (PBs) are moderated by children's skin conductance (SC) and heart rate (HR) reactivity to fear. Participants were 147 Greek-Cypriot children (Mage = 7.30, 44.2% girls), selected from a larger screening sample (data were collected from 2015 to 2018). Longitudinal associations suggested that children with high HR reactivity to fear were more likely to display PB, whereas those with low SC reactivity were more likely to engage in CP behaviors. In contrast, interaction effects suggested that children high on SC reactivity to fear were more susceptible to the effects of parental distress, as indicated by their higher vulnerability to engage in CP (cross-sectionally) behaviors and their lower scores on PB (cross-sectionally and longitudinally).
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Lin J, Cronje J, Kathner I, Pauli P, Latoschik ME. Measuring Interpersonal Trust towards Virtual Humans with a Virtual Maze Paradigm. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2023; PP:2401-2411. [PMID: 37027704 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2023.3247095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Virtual humans, including virtual agents and avatars, play an increasingly important role as VR technology advances. For example, virtual humans are used as digital bodies of users in social VR or as interfaces for AI assistants in online financing. Interpersonal trust is an essential prerequisite in real-life interactions, as well as in the virtual world. However, to date, there are no established interpersonal trust measurement tools specifically for virtual humans in virtual reality. This study fills the gap, by contributing a novel validated behavioural tool to measure interpersonal trust towards a specific virtual social interaction partner in social VR. This validated paradigm is inspired by a previously proposed virtual maze task that measures trust towards virtual characters. In the current study, a variant of this paradigm was implemented. The task of the users (the trustors) is to navigate through a maze in virtual reality, where they can interact with a virtual human (the trustee). They can choose to 1) ask for advice and 2) follow the advice from the virtual human if they want to. These measures served as behavioural measures of trust. We conducted a validation study with 70 participants in a between-subject design. The two conditions did not differ in the content of the advice but in the appearance, tone of voice and engagement of the trustees (alleged as avatars controlled by other participants). Results indicate that the experimental manipulation was successful, as participants rated the virtual human as more trustworthy in the trustworthy condition than in the untrustworthy condition. Importantly, this manipulation affected the trust behaviour of our participants, who, in the trustworthy condition, asked for advice more often and followed advice more often, indicating that the paradigm is sensitive to assessing interpersonal trust towards virtual humans. Thus, our paradigm can be used to measure differences in interpersonal trust towards virtual humans and may serve as a valuable research tool to study trust in virtual reality.
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Grimani A, Moog A, Vlaev I. Analysis of music-exposure interventions for impacting prosocial behaviour via behaviour change techniques and mechanisms of action: a rapid review. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04406-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe aim of the study is to evaluate the interventions examining music exposure’s effects on prosocial behaviour, to identify the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) through which they change it, and to examine the mechanisms of action (MoAs) that mediate the relationship between music exposure and prosocial behaviour. The review identified 15 research articles, comprising 19 relevant studies. The results revealed that, though many of the included studies did not provide enough information to code them adequately, the BCTs “Instruction on how to perform a behaviour”, “Salience of consequences”, “Reduce negative emotions” and “Identification of self as role model” were the most commonly utilized techniques. Additionally, “Emotion” was the most significant MoA in the intervention-behaviour relationship in this context, but too few BCTs were able to be coded to make conclusions about any BCT-MoA relationships.
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Strauß S, Bondü R. Fair sharing is just caring: Links between justice sensitivity and distributive behavior in middle childhood. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 226:105561. [PMID: 36202013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Justice sensitivity (JS), the tendency to perceive and adversely respond to injustice, was related to prosocial behavior in different age groups and to distributive preferences in adults. To test influences of JS on sharing and distributive preferences, middle childhood as an important phase for moral development may be particularly interesting. We asked 1320 5- to 12-year-old children (M = 8.05 years, SD = 1.02; 51.2 % girls, 1.3 % transgender and gender-nonconforming) to read five vignettes that made salient the different principles of distributive justice (equality, merit, and need) and to distribute imaginary sweets between themselves and one described child (sharing) or between two described children (distributing). Children also rated their JS, and parents rated children's theory of mind (ToM) abilities and empathy. More concerns for justice for the self (victim JS) predicted distributions following the merit principle and a preference for need over equality and merit when forced to choose among the three. Caring for justice for others (altruistic JS) predicted more sharing, equal distributions, less distributions according to the merit principle, and a preference for equal distributions over merit and need when forced to choose among the three. These associations prevailed when ToM and empathy were included as control variables. The findings underline the importance of justice-related personality traits, such as JS, for moral development in middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Strauß
- Department of Psychology, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, 10179 Berlin, Germany
| | - Rebecca Bondü
- Department of Psychology, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, 10179 Berlin, Germany.
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Cai Z, Qi B. Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1064494. [PMID: 36733867 PMCID: PMC9887175 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064494] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although cognitive flexibility has always been considered essential to empathy, the relevant findings have been inconsistent. Inconsistent results may be because cognitive flexibility is a multi-level structure, while empathy is also a multilayer structure, and there are differences in how researchers define and measure cognitive flexibility. Therefore, the study explores the relationship between cognitive flexibility and empathy from a multi-dimensional perspective. This study involved 105 China students aged between 18 and 22 (M age = 20.26, SD = 2.00) who completed the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (cognitive flexibility trait, cognitive flexibility at the individual level), perspective-switching flexibility task (perspective-switching flexibility, cognitive flexibility at the cognitive level), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale (IRI, traits empathy), Multi-dimensional Empathy Test (state empathy), 2-back task (inhibitory control), and Stroop task (working memory). After controlling for additional variables, the results showed that: (1) Cognitive flexibility traits negatively predicted trait cognitive (IRI-PT) and affective empathy (IRI-EC). (2) The Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted the affective component of state empathy. (3) Cognitive flexibility traits and Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted empathy even after controlling for one of these. The study's results suggested that cognitive flexibility negatively predicts empathy and is a protective factor for reducing the cost of empathy and promoting emotion regulation.
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Chen T, Li Q, Peng M, Li X. Moral transgression modulates empathy for pain: Evidence from ERP and EEG data. Biol Psychol 2023; 176:108467. [PMID: 36455804 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108467] [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: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Empathy for others' pain plays a critical role in human social interactions; however, the influence of moral transgression remains unclear. We examined the effect of moral transgression on the behavioral and underlying neural processes of empathy for others' pain. Participants performed a pain-empathy task separately in a moral transgression condition and a neutral behavior condition, while an electroencephalogram was recorded. Event-related potential (ERP) results showed that empathic response, as reflected in the late positive component, was smaller when participants performed the task in the moral transgression condition than in the neutral behavior condition. Time-frequency results also showed decreased empathic effect on the beta event-related desynchronization response in the moral transgression as compared to the neutral behavior condition. However, empathic response as reflected in the N2 component was comparable between the moral conditions. These findings demonstrate a moral transgression effect on both cognitive evaluations and sensorimotor processes of empathy for others' pain. Furthermore, spontaneous alpha-oscillation power recorded prior to the onset of empathy-inducing stimuli was significantly higher in the moral transgression condition than in the neutral behavior condition. Consequently, differences in sustained attention may be the physiological foundation of the impact of moral transgression of the observed person on the cognitive and sensorimotor processes of empathy for pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Chen
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Peng
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of the Ministry of Education and School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xu Li
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of the Ministry of Education and School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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39
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Dobewall H, Keltikangas-Järvinen L, Marttila S, Mishra PP, Saarinen A, Cloninger CR, Zwir I, Kähönen M, Hurme M, Raitakari O, Lehtimäki T, Hintsanen M. The relationship of trait-like compassion with epigenetic aging: The population-based prospective Young Finns Study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1018797. [PMID: 37143783 PMCID: PMC10151573 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1018797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Helping others within and beyond the family has been related to living a healthy and long life. Compassion is a prosocial personality trait characterized by concern for another person who is suffering and the motivation to help. The current study examines whether epigenetic aging is a potential biological mechanism that explains the link between prosociality and longevity. Methods We used data from the Young Finns Study that follows six birth-cohorts from age 3-18 to 19-49. Trait-like compassion for others was measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory in the years 1997 and 2001. Epigenetic age acceleration and telomere length were measured with five DNA methylation (DNAm) indicators (DNAmAgeHorvath, IEAA_Hannum, EEAA_Hannum, DNAmPhenoAge, and DNAmTL) based on blood drawn in 2011. We controlled for sex, socioeconomic status in childhood and adulthood, and body-mass index. Results and discussion An association between higher compassion in 1997 and a less accelerated DNAmPhenoAge, which builds on previous work on phenotypic aging, approached statistical significance in a sex-adjusted model (n = 1,030; b = -0.34; p = 0.050). Compassion in 1997 predicted less accelerated epigenetic aging over and above the control variables (n = 843; b = -0.47; p = 0.016). There was no relationship between compassion in 2001 (n = 1108/910) and any of the other four studied epigenetic aging indicators. High compassion for others might indeed influence whether an individual's biological age is lower than their chronological age. The conducted robustness checks partially support this conclusion, yet cannot rule out that there might be a broader prosocial trait behind the findings. The observed associations are interesting but should be interpreted as weak requiring replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Dobewall
- Faculty of Education, VISE Research Unit, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- *Correspondence: Henrik Dobewall,
| | | | - Saara Marttila
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Gerontology Research Center, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Pashupati P. Mishra
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Aino Saarinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - C. Robert Cloninger
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Igor Zwir
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Computer Science, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mikko Hurme
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Olli Raitakari
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Molecular Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
- Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center - Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mirka Hintsanen
- Faculty of Education, VISE Research Unit, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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40
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Swaab H, Meynen G. Introduction: On brain and crime. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:3-9. [PMID: 37633716 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00018-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Crime is a complex phenomenon involving many factors, among which are situational and societal factors. What counts as a crime may also vary across space and time. Often, it is the interplay of several factors that may lead to criminal behavior. Scientifically, brain function is important to consider, first of all because the brain is central to behavior as such, including criminal behavior. Second, because there is increasing evidence for the relevance of specific brain dysfunctions in some criminal behavior, particularly developmental findings related to nonadaptive behavior. Many of our behavioral tendencies are rooted in our childhood (experiences), and this, it appears, is also, at least to some extent, true for nonadaptive behavior. This chapter considers several overarching issues regarding the relationship between-and the science of-brain and crime, some from a conceptual, some from a legal, and others from a developmental perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Swaab
- Department of Clinical Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerben Meynen
- Willem Pompe Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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41
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Baardstu S, Sette S, Brandlistuen RE, Wang MV. The role of early social play behaviors and language skills for shy children's later internalizing difficulties in school. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1120109. [PMID: 36937713 PMCID: PMC10014604 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1120109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Research has demonstrated links from early childhood shyness to socioemotional problems later in life. This longitudinal study explored the role of early social play behaviors and language skills in the associations between childhood shyness and later internalizing and language difficulties in school. Participants were N = 7,447 children (50.1% girls) from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Latent direct, indirect, and interaction path analyses were performed within a structural equation framework. Results showed that mother-rated childhood shyness from age 18 months to age five years was associated with mother-rated internalizing difficulties and language problems at age eight years. Lower levels of teacher-reported social play behaviors and poorer language skills in preschool increased the risk of later anxiety problems among shy children, whereas higher levels of language competencies and social play behaviors buffered against later anxiety problems. The study identifies some of the early risk and protective factors that may influence shy children's socio-emotional functioning and adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silje Baardstu
- Department of Childhood and Families, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Silje Baardstu,
| | - Stefania Sette
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Mari Vaage Wang
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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42
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Hughes C, Ronchi L, Heng J, Basile C, Del Sette P, Lecce S. What Mediates the Effect of Family Disruption in the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Prosocial Behavior. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented social distancing rules (including mass school closures) dramatically constrained children’s social lives, jeopardizing human connections that foster prosocial development. This study of 2,516 families of 3–8-year-olds from six countries (China, Sweden, Australia, Italy, the USA, and the United Kingdom) examined whether children’s understanding or feelings about COVID-19 regulations mediated the expected association between COVID-19-related family disruption and children’s prosocial behavior, as indexed by parental ratings. For all six sites, family disruption indirectly predicted reduced prosocial behavior. Negative feelings about COVID-19 regulations mediated this association in all sites except China. Contrariwise, understanding of COVID-19 regulations was not implicated in the link between family disruption and reduced prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Hughes
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luca Ronchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Jean Heng
- Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chiara Basile
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Del Sette
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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43
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Jiao L, Luo L. Dispositional Awe Positively Predicts Prosocial Tendencies: The Multiple Mediation Effects of Connectedness and Empathy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16605. [PMID: 36554484 PMCID: PMC9779239 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Awe is an emotion frequently experienced by individuals in different cultures. When individuals experience awe, they would feel a sense of connectedness to other people or nature arises, and shift their attention to the outside world, which would increase empathy for others in need and, in turn, improve their prosocial tendencies. To test this proposal, we applied a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey to collect a sample of 1545 (Nfemale = 988) in Asia, aged between 16 and 71 years old (M = 22.81, SD = 7.80). The Structural Equation Model and bootstrapping method were used to test the mediation effects of connectedness and empathy between awe and prosocial tendency. Results showed that dispositional awe positively predicted a prosocial tendency, which could be partially explained by the multiple mediation effects of connectedness and empathy, after controlling for the effect of the small self. The findings deepen researchers' understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between awe and prosociality and have practical implications for cultivating awe and prosocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Jiao
- The Department of Economics and Management, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641112, China
| | - Li Luo
- The Department of Education Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang 641112, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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44
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Winters DE, Hyde LW. Associated functional network connectivity between callous-unemotionality and cognitive and affective empathy. J Affect Disord 2022; 318:304-313. [PMID: 36063973 PMCID: PMC10039983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low empathy is one component of affective impairments defining the antisocial youth phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Research suggests CU traits may be negatively associated with neural networks that are positively associated with cognitive and affective empathy - specifically the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal (FPN), and salience (SAL) networks. Determining which functional network connections are shared between CU traits and empathy could elucidate the extent to which CU traits shares neural substrates with cognitive versus affective empathy. The present study tested whether CU traits and both cognitive and affective empathy share network connections within and between the DMN, FPN, and SAL. METHODS Participants (n = 112, aged 13-17, 43 % female) completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and self-reports for CU traits and empathy as part of a Nathan-Kline Institute study. RESULTS Analyses revealed inverse associations with shared network connections between CU traits and both cognitive and affective empathy. Specifically, within-DMN connectivity negatively associated with CU traits, but positively associated with cognitive empathy; and between DMN-SAL connectivity positively associated with CU traits, but negatively associated with both cognitive and affective empathy. However, joint models revealed little variance explained by CU traits and empathy overlapped. LIMITATIONS The sample was cross-sectional collection with limited participants (n = 112) from the community that may not generalize to incarcerated adolescents. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrate CU traits inversely associated with similar connectivity patterns as cognitive and affective empathy though prediction among constructs did not significantly overlap. Further investigation of these connections can inform a mechanistic understanding of empathy impairments in CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology and Survey Research Center at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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45
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Maisonneuve C, Taillandier-Schmitt A. Empathy arousal and emotional reactions to victims of the gender pay gap. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022:1-22. [PMID: 36357359 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2022.2136058] [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: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Men and women are well aware of the gender pay gap. The present study involved four experiments (N = 341, student sample, N = 203 general population sample) in which we indirectly measured empathy by asking participants to rate the non-complex and complex emotions they felt when reading a scenario in which a woman described her pay situation. Experiments 1 (equal pay vs. unequal pay) and 2, 3 & 4 (angry vs. depressed reaction to pay inequality) investigate differences in empathy arousal between men and women by assessing their emotions. Globally, both men and women identified correctly emotions expressed by the women victim of pay inequity. On complex emotions, women express more other suffering emotions than men, only in Experiment 4. Coupled with expression of guilt/shame for men only, these results are discussed in the perspective of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Maisonneuve
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Taillandier-Schmitt
- LP3C (Laboratory of Psychology: Cognition, Behavior and Communication), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
- PAVEA (Psychology of life ages and adaptation), Univ Tours, Tours, France
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46
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Hartmann H, Forbes PAG, Rütgen M, Lamm C. Placebo Analgesia Reduces Costly Prosocial Helping to Lower Another Person's Pain. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:1867-1881. [PMID: 36173691 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221119727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Painkiller administration lowers pain empathy, but whether this also reduces prosocial behavior is unknown. In this preregistered study, we investigated whether inducing analgesia through a placebo painkiller reduced effortful helping. When given the opportunity to reduce the pain of another person, individuals experiencing placebo analgesia (n = 45 adults from Austria; 21 male, 24 female) made fewer prosocial choices at the lowest helping level and exerted less physical effort when helping, compared with controls whose pain sensitivity was unaltered (n = 45; 21 male, 24 female). Self-reported empathic unpleasantness positively correlated with prosocial choices across the whole sample. While not replicating group differences in empathy, a mediation analysis revealed that the level of unpleasantness to other people's pain fully mediated the effect of placebo analgesia on prosocial choices. Given the importance of prosociality for social cohesion, these findings have broad potential implications both for individuals under the influence of painkillers and for society at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Hartmann
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna
- Social Brain Laboratory, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
| | - Paul A G Forbes
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna
| | - Markus Rütgen
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna
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47
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Zhang YJ, Hu HX, Wang LL, Wang X, Wang Y, Huang J, Wang Y, Lui SSY, Hui L, Chan RCK. Altered neural mechanism of social reward anticipation in individuals with schizophrenia and social anhedonia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022:10.1007/s00406-022-01505-6. [PMID: 36305919 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01505-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Altered social reward anticipation could be found in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and individuals with high levels of social anhedonia (SA). However, few research investigated the putative neural processing for altered social reward anticipation in these populations on the SCZ spectrum. This study aimed to examine the underlying neural mechanisms of social reward anticipation in these populations. Twenty-three SCZ patients and 17 healthy controls (HC), 37 SA individuals and 50 respective HCs completed the Social Incentive Delay (SID) imaging task while they were undertaking MRI brain scans. We used the group contrast to examine the alterations of BOLD activation and functional connectivity (FC, psychophysiological interactions analysis). We then characterized the beta-series social brain network (SBN) based on the meta-analysis results from NeuroSynth and examined their prediction effects on real-life social network (SN) characteristics using the partial least squared regression analysis. The results showed that SCZ patients exhibited hypo-activation of the left medial frontal gyrus and the negative FCs with the left parietal regions, while individuals with SA showed the hyper-activation of the left middle frontal gyrus when anticipating social reward. For the beta-series SBNs, SCZ patients had strengthened cerebellum-temporal FCs, while SA individuals had strengthened left frontal regions FCs. However, such FCs of the SBN failed to predict the real-life SN characteristics. These preliminary findings suggested that SCZ patients and SA individuals appear to exhibit altered neural processing for social reward anticipation, and such neural activities showed a weakened association with real-life SN characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jing Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Xin Hu
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Ling Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Simon S Y Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Li Hui
- The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Beijing, China. .,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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48
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Linking objective and subjective social status to altruistic sharing in China: the role of empathy. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03675-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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49
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Luo L, Zou R, Yang D, Yuan J. Awe experience trigged by fighting against COVID-19 promotes prosociality through increased feeling of connectedness and empathy. THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2022.2131607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Li Luo
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
- The Department of Education Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China 641112
| | - Rong Zou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Sport Training and Monitoring, Department of Psychology, College of Health Science, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China 430079
| | - Dong Yang
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
| | - Jiajin Yuan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China 610066
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China 400715
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50
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Hayes K, Turner LA. Help From a Friend: Helicopter Parenting Predicts Empathy and Bystander Intervention. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP18550-NP18567. [PMID: 34372706 DOI: 10.1177/08862605211035887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Harassment toward others happens in many contexts with a myriad of negative impacts on victims, witnesses, and society. Although preventing harassment of others is ideal, it is also important to consider how bystanders may react in ways to defend the victim and reduce the harassment. Bystanders differ in their reactions to these events and the goal of this investigation is to better understand individual differences in college students' reported tendency to defend victims of harassment. We proposed a mediation model where higher rates of helicopter parenting would predict lower empathic concern and greater personal distress. In turn, lower empathic concern and greater personal distress would predict lower likelihood of defending the victim. College students (n = 305) completed self-report measures of helicopter parenting, empathic concern, personal distress, and bystander intervention to general harassment. Using the Hayes PROCESS program, we found the relation of helicopter parenting to bystander intervention was mediated by empathic concern, such that helicopter parenting predicted lower empathic concern, which predicted lower likelihood of intervening. Helicopter parenting predicted greater personal distress, but personal distress did not predict bystander intervention. In an exploratory analysis, we tested a moderated mediation model in which personal distress moderated the relation of empathic concern to bystander intervention. The moderated mediation model was statistically significant; for students with low to moderate personal distress, empathic concern predicted self-reported intervention. However, for students high in personal distress, empathic concern was not related to self-reported intervention. The current study explained a small amount of the variance in bystander intervention. These findings demonstrate the complex family and personal factors that may explain, to a small degree, individual differences in bystander intervention. Further studies should consider the complex contextual variables that may influence this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katey Hayes
- University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
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