The Importance of Being Empathic

This study investigated factors underlying the expression of prosocial behaviour, and relational and overt aggression. University students completed assessments of self-reported and physiological empathy, and of affective and cognitive theory of mind (TOM). They also rated themselves and peers on four dimensions of social behaviour (overt aggression, relational aggression, prosocial behaviour, and victimisation). The relationship between empathy and TOM was important in the prediction of overt aggression. Poor TOM skills were associated with aggression only in individuals who also had low levels of empathy for others. Thus, empathy was a significant moderator of TOM in the prediction of overt aggression. Aggression is typically defined as behaviour that is intended to injure another individual (Lagerspetz & Björkvist, 1994). Aggression is usually thought to involve a physical component, and research conducted over the past three decades has concluded that boys exhibit more aggression than girls, and that this difference persists throughout life. However, Crick, and Grotpeter (1995) suggested that the forms of aggression studied in past research are more salient for males than for females and earlier studies may not have observed the forms of aggression typically displayed by females. Crick and Grotpeter (1995) suggested that when children aggress against their peers, they do so in ways that damage the goals of their gender group. They proposed a finer distinction: overt aggression includes both physical and verbal aggression that is experienced directly by the targeted individual, whereas relational aggression includes any behaviour that is intended to harm another’s friendships. When both of these sets of behaviours have been included in studies of aggression, the differences in levels of aggressive behaviour displayed by males and females has not been as marked as when only overtly aggressive behaviours have been the focus of study. Other researchers have explained the differing behaviours associated with overt physical, overt verbal, and relational aggression not only as different aggressive strategies, but also as the progression through three different developmental phases. Aggression is generally considered unacceptable in our society, and it is reasonable to expect that as individuals learn of this they will adopt less recognisable forms of aggression Björkvist, Österman, & Kaukianen, 1992). The progression of aggressive behaviour typically begins with physical aggression in both boys and girls, and is thought to reflect their immature language and poor impulse control. Verbal aggression follows, and finally, indirect aggression is displayed (Rhys & Bear, 1997). Diverse developmental theories have been proposed to account for the presence and stability of aggressive behaviour in children and adolescents, including biological theories (e.g. DiLalla, 2004; Moffit, 1993), environmental factors, parenting styles, and social-information processing (e.g. Crick, Grotpeter, & Bigbee, 2002). Few studies have investigated the different factors that underlie the differential expression of aggression, such as empathy and social intelligence. Jayde Walker is a clinical psychologist at the Intellectual Disability Service, Otago District Health Board. Contact details: jayde.walker@otagodhb.govt. nz Walker, J. (2008). The Importance of Being Empathic. Journal NZCCP, 18(2), 18-23. Loudin, Loukas, and Robinson (2003) adopted a social-information processing model in their study of the role of empathy in the display of relational aggression among college students. The study suggested that individuals who show low levels of empathic concern may not experience the negative emotions associated with inflicting harm on others, hence they may be likely to use relational aggression. Theory of mind (TOM) has also been shown to be an important predictor of social behaviour. Although traditionally viewed as an indicator of positive social adjustment, Kaukianen et al. (1999) suggested that TOM may be used for aggressive purposes. However, a lack of TOM may be an important variable in the display of aggression. Kaukianen et al. attempted to resolve this issue, and proposed that TOM may be a neutral tool that can be used for prosocial or antisocial purposes, and that situational demands and elements of one’s personality determine how an individual will use their TOM. Therefore, TOM might play a greater role in the expression of some forms of aggression than others. The aim of this study was to investigate factors that might predict expression of relational and overt aggression. It was predicted that TOM ability and level of empathy would differentially predict university students’ social behaviour. It was hypothesised that prosocial behaviour would be predicted by a good understanding of others’ intentions, beliefs, and feelings, in conjunction with high levels of empathy for others. It was hypothesised that relational aggression would be predicted by a good TOM and low levels of empathy for others. Overt aggression was expected to be predicted by both low levels of empathy and a poor understanding of TOM. Method Participants There were 76 participants in total (54 females and 22 males) who ranged in age from 18 years to 26 years 8 months, from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Materials and measures 1. Peer ratings of social behaviour. Four different character descriptions were presented to participants one by one on a computer screen. These descriptions were of a prosocial person, a relationally aggressive person, an overtly aggressive person, and a victimised person. Participants were presented with four choices (“a lot”, “somewhat”, “not much”, and “not at all”) and used the computer mouse to select how much the named person was similar to the description used. 2. Measures of empathy. a. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; Davis, 1980) is a 28-item self-report multi-dimensional measure of empathy. High scores indicate a high level of empathy. Emotional empathy is assessed by the subscales Empathic Concern and Personal Distress. Cognitive empathy is assessed by the subscales Fantasy and Perspective Taking. b. A physiological measure of empathy was also used. A series of seven video clips was presented to participants. The video clips were taken from the movie The Pianist and reflected happiness, sadness, fear, and anger. Participants’ heart rates were recorded during the video presentation. Time codes were transmitted from the presentation computer to the trace. Walker, J. (2008). The Importance of Being Empathic. Journal NZCCP, 18(2), 18-23.