It’s a challenge! Empathizing with sad but not with angry individuals results in cardiovascular reactivity consistent with a challenge motivational state
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15408339 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Claudia Sassenrath (0000-0002-9226-1923, Technische Hochschule Ulm, corresponding author), Michael Wagner (0000-0002-0214-2403, Technische Hochschule Ulm), Michael Barthelmäs (0000-0003-4994-4961), Johannes Keller (0000-0001-8537-5423, Technische Hochschule Ulm), Kai Sassenberg (0000-0001-6579-8250, Open Knowledge (United Kingdom)) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 982-991 |
| Publication date | 2018-12-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Emotion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1528-3542 • E-ISSN: 1931-1516 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1037/emo0000515 |
| PMID | 30507216 |
| OpenAlex | W2902026817 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 33 |
The question of what feeling with another person elicits in the empathizing individual has instigated innumerable studies mainly focusing on the affective valence of empathy and the resulting consequences for prosocial behavior (cf. the empathy-altruism debate). The present research may contribute to this long-lasting debate by examining the cardiovascular reactivity of the empathizing individual. To that effect, the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat (Blascovich & Tomaka, 1996) was applied and impedance cardiography was implemented while individuals were instructed to feel with a target person who reacted differently to a need-causing event (with anger vs. sadness). Thereby, it is possible to test whether empathizers process coping-related cues when feeling with a target person in need. Results of one experiment (N = 160 women) revealed that empathizing with a sad (vs. an angry) target results in cardiovascular reactivity consistent with relative challenge-an energy-mobilizing state associated with relatively high resources. These findings suggest that coping-related appraisal processes influence how the empathizing individual reacts in terms of cardiovascular reactivity. This, in turn, provides novel insights regarding the affective-motivational outcomes of empathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Anger · Biopsychosocial model · Cognitive appraisal · Coping (psychology · Developmental psychology · Empathy · Feeling · MEDLINE · Prosocial behavior · Psychotherapist · PsycINFO · Reactivity (psychology · Sadness · Valence (chemistry · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,67 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2026 (7) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |