Authors Reply
Empathy and Creativity: Dangers of the Methodological Tail Wagging the Conceptual Dog
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21789987 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Brett A Murphy (0000-0002-2619-9199, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, corresponding author), Sara B Algoe (0000-0002-1273-2968, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 189-193 |
| Publication date | 2022-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Emotion Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1754-0739 • E-ISSN: 1754-0747 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/17540739221108220 |
| OpenAlex | W4284712735 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
The three commentaries on “Why We Should Reject the Restrictive Isomorphic Matching (RIM) Definition of Empathy” mostly concurred with our critique of that widely adopted definition of empathy. Yet, commenters also raised important questions relating to the clarity and operationalizability of our recommended alternative: returning to a classical conceptualization of empathy as a dynamic, functionally oriented, multi-faceted unfolding process. To help contextualize these issues, we provide an extended analogy between empathy research and creativity research, areas of study which are conceptually linked and have faced similar conceptual and methodological obstacles. In doing so, we highlight the challenge of (a) distilling empathy down to a firm operationalizable definition without (b) losing sight of the general meaning and real-world value of the construct
Analogy · CLARITY · Cognitive psychology · Conceptualization · Creativity · Empathy · Epistemology · Psychotherapist · Simulation theory of empathy · Computer Science · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Design Education and Practice · Empathy and Medical Education · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Highly cited | No |
|---|