Emotional Empathy in the Social Regulation of Distress

A Dyadic Approach

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21453565
AutoresCasey L Brown (0000-0002-1827-7521, University of California, Berkeley, autor de correspondencia), Tessa V West (New York University, New York City, USA), Amy H Sanchez (University of California, Berkeley), Wendy Berry Mendes (0000-0003-4453-1201, University of California, San Francisco, autor de correspondencia)
Año2021
Volumen47
Número6
Páginas1004-1019
Fecha de publicación2021-06-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0146-1672 • E-ISSN: 1552-7433
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0146167220953987
PMID32936053
OpenAlexW3087558609
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas79

Although research suggests distressed individuals benefit from others’ empathy, it is unclear how an individual’s level of empathy influences dyadic responses during emotional situations. In the current study, female participants ( N = 140; 70 dyads) were paired with a stranger. One member of each dyad (the experiencer) was randomly assigned to undergo a stressful task and disclose negative personal experiences to their partner (the listener). Experiencers paired with listeners higher in dispositional emotional empathy had less negative affect during emotional disclosure and lower sympathetic nervous system reactivity during the stressful task and disclosure. Listeners higher in emotional empathy reported more negative affect in response to their partner’s distress. Furthermore, for listeners higher in emotional empathy, those who more accurately rated their partner’s emotions were more physiologically influenced by their partners. Findings shed light on interpersonal functions of empathy and suggest a stranger’s level of emotional empathy regulates distressed partner’s emotions and physiology

Affect (linguistics) · Developmental psychology · Distress · Dyad · Empathy · Interpersonal communication · Personal distress · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Communication · Psychology · Social Psychology