The relationships among psychopathy, empathy, and aggression

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S211-S211 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lee ◽  
H.J. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Scenario Task

IntroductionThe lack of empathy is often described as one of the core characteristics of psychopaths. However, prior studies on cognitive empathy in psychopaths have led to mixed conclusions, with some indicating that psychopaths have no impairments in cognitive empathy.ObjectivesThis study set out to resolve this inconsistency by distinguishing the two factors that constitute the construct of psychopathy: Factor 1 (e.g., emotional callousness, lack of guilt) and Factor 2 (e.g., irresponsible lifestyle, poor behavioral controls).AimsThe main aim of this study was to examine the differential relationship between these two factors and relevant variables including empathy, aggression, satisfaction with life.MethodsSelf-report questionnaires and two online experiments (facial affect recognition task, emotional scenario task) were administered to 306 undergraduate students to collect data about psychopathy, cognitive/affective empathy, aggression, satisfaction with life.ResultsCorrelation analysis revealed that both Factor 1 and Factor 2 had negative correlations with self-reported measures of cognitive/affective empathy, and only Factor 1 emerged as a significant predictor of both kinds of empathy. Aggression also showed a stronger positive correlation with Factor 1 than with Factor 2, regardless of subtypes (instrumental, reactive, relational, overt aggression). On the other hand, satisfaction with life was more negatively correlated with Factor 2 than Factor 1, and regression analysis revealed that only Factor 2 was a significant predictor.ConclusionsThis study showed Factor 1 is more important than Factor 2 in explaining both empathy and aggression in psychopath, while satisfaction with life is better explained by Factor 2 than by Factor 1.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Vagal Tone Differences in Empathy Level Elicited by Different Emotions and a Co-Viewer

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 3136
Author(s):  
Suhhee Yoo ◽  
Mincheol Whang
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Vagal Tone ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Factor Level ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
Different Levels

Empathy can bring different benefits depending on what kind of emotions people empathize with. For example, empathy with negative emotions can raise donations to charity while empathy with positive emotions can increase participation during remote education. However, few studies have focused on the physiological differences depending on what kind of emotions people empathize with. Furthermore, co-viewer can influence the elicitation of different levels of empathy, but this has been less discussed. Therefore, this study investigated vagal response differences according to each empathy factor level elicited by different emotions and co-viewer. Fifty-nine participants were asked to watch 4 videos and to evaluate subjective valence, arousal scores, and undertake an empathy questionnaire, which included cognitive, affective and identification empathy. Half of the participants watched the videos alone and the other half watched the videos with a co-viewer. Valence and arousal scores were categorized into three levels to figure out what kind of emotions they empathized with. Empathy level (high vs. low) was determined based on the self-report scores. Two-way MANOVA revealed an interaction effect of empathy level and emotions. High affective empathy level is associated with higher vagal response regardless of what kind of emotions they empathized with. However, vagal response differences in other empathy factor level showed a different pattern depending on what kind of emotions that participant empathized with. A high cognitive empathy level showed lower vagal responses when participants felt negative or positive valence. High identification level also showed increased cognitive burden when participants empathized with negative and neutral valence. The results implied that emotions and types of empathy should be considered when measuring empathic responses using vagal tone. Two-way MANOVA revealed empathic response differences between co-viewer condition and emotion. Participants with a co-viewer felt higher vagal responses and self-reporting empathy scores only when participants empathized with arousal. This implied that the effect of a co-viewer may impact on empathic responses only when participants felt higher emotional intensity.

Reading other minds

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Djikic ◽  
Keith Oatley ◽  
Mihnea C. Moldoveanu
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Other Minds ◽  
Report Measure

The potential of literature to increase empathy was investigated in an experiment. Participants (N = 100, 69 women) completed a package of questionnaires that measured lifelong exposure to fiction and nonfiction, personality traits, and affective and cognitive empathy. They read either an essay or a short story that were equivalent in length and complexity, were tested again for cognitive and affective empathy, and were finally given a non-self-report measure of empathy. Participants who read a short story who were also low in Openness experienced significant increases in self-reported cognitive empathy (p .05). No increases in affective empathy were found. Participants who were frequent fiction-readers had higher scores on the non-self-report measure of empathy. Our results suggest a role for fictional literature in facilitating development of empathy.

scholarly journals Bullying and Cyberbullying in Adolescents from Disadvantaged Areas: Validation of Questionnaires; Prevalence Rates; and Relationship to Self-Esteem, Empathy and Social Skills

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinto Martínez ◽  
Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo ◽  
Izabela Zych
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Peruvian Amazonia

Although bullying and cyberbullying have been widely studied in diverse geographical areas, the number of studies in isolated regions, located in rainforests such as the Peruvian Amazonia, is low. Most research has been conducted in wealthy, Western countries, although disadvantaged areas are usually the most affected by various problems. Thus, the aims of this study were to validate bullying and cyberbullying measurement instruments among adolescents in the Peruvian Amazonia, to determine the prevalence rates of bullying and cyberbullying among this population, and to examine how bullying and cyberbullying relate to self-esteem, empathy, and social skills. The sample included 607 students from the region of Loreto (Peruvian Amazonia) who completed self-report questionnaires. Both questionnaires used in the sample were found to have good psychometric properties. Results showed that bullying and cyberbullying are prevalent among teenagers in the Amazonia. Low self-esteem and high affective empathy predicted bullying victimization. Being a bully was related to high assertiveness. Being a bully-victim was related to low self-esteem and low assertiveness. Cybervictims showed higher cognitive empathy. Cyberbullies showed higher affective empathy in comparison to uninvolved adolescents. Having low self-esteem and higher affective empathy were related to being a cyberbully/victim. This study provides a validated questionnaire that can be used for research and practice in the Amazonia. Based on the current results, tailored anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying interventions with components focused on self-esteem, empathy, and social skills should be implemented in Peruvian secondary schools.

Is empathy correlated to patients’ level of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia?

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S141-S141
Author(s):  
R. Trabelsi ◽  
A. Arous ◽  
J. Mrizak ◽  
H. Ben Ammar ◽  
A. Khalifa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Digit Span ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Neurocognitive Functioning ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Affective Components ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Learning Test

IntroductionEmpathy, which refers to the ability to understand and share the thoughts and feelings of others, may be compromised in schizophrenia (SCZ). Yet the relationship between empathy and neurocognitive functioning remains unclear.ObjectivesTo explore whether cognitive and affective empathy are associated with the neurocognitive functioning in SCZ.MethodsFifty-eight outpatients with stable SCZ completed the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) comprising five subscales intended to assess cognitive and affective components of empathy. They also completed a neurocognitive battery comprising the following tests: the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised (HVLT-R), the Letter Digit Substitution Test (LDST), the Stroop Test (ST), the “Double Barrage” of Zazzo (DBZ), the Modified Card Sorting Test (MCST), Verbal Fluency (VF), the Trail Making Test-Part A (TMT-A) and the Digit Span (DS).ResultsBetter affective and cognitive empathy correlated with better performance in the ST (less hesitations and less errors). Patients with better cognitive empathy performed better in the MCST (more categories achieved; P = 0.029) and in the LDST (more substitutions per minute; P = 0.031).ConclusionsOur results bolster support for the presence of an association between NF and the decreased cognitive and affective empathy in schizophrenia.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals The Dimensional Structure of the Self Report Psychopathy Scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 184
Author(s):  
Rizal Abu Bakar ◽  
Wan Nurul Izza Wan Husin
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Mental Health Issue ◽  
Factorial Structure ◽  
Factor Solution ◽  
Secondary Psychopathy ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Components Analysis

Mental health issue is becoming increasingly prevalent in Malaysia. However, the country still lacks valid measures in assessing mental illness which includes psychopathy. The present study investigates the factorial structure of the Self Report Psychopathy Scale (SRPS). Specifically, it examines the feasibility of its use with Malaysian community. The SRPS was administered to a sample of undergraduate students. Result of principal components analysis yielded a four-factor solution. The obtained result was inconsistent with the proposed conceptual framework of this scale which captured only two factors (primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy factors). The psychometric features of SRPS showed less support on its feasibility as a sound and reliable research instrument to measure students’ psychopathic attributes in the Malaysian context. Other implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Using three indirect measures to assess the role of sexuality-related associations and interpretations for women’s sexual desire: An Internet-based experimental study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Zahler ◽  
Milena Meyers ◽  
Marcella Woud ◽  
Simon Edward Blackwell ◽  
Jürgen Margraf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Desire ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Sexual Distress ◽  
Indirect Measures ◽  
Single Target ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
Scenario Task

Theoretical models of sexual desire emphasize the role of cognitive processes. Empirical results, however, are mostly based on self-report measures. This study used three indirect measures to assess sexuality-related associations (via a Single Target Implicit Association Test; STIAT), and sexuality-related interpretations (via a Scrambled Sentences Task, SST; and a scenario task) in 263 women (Mage = 27.90, SD = 8.27) with varying levels of sexual desire. Correlational analyses revealed that the STIAT did not correlate with sexual desire, whereas the SST and the scenario task were significantly associated with sexual desire. Further, the SST and the scenario task, but not the STIAT, explained additional variance in sexual desire above other relevant variables (i.e., age, depressive symptoms, and sexual distress measured via self-report). To conclude, indirect measures can provide additional and unique information on sexuality-related associations and interpretations above self-report measures. Specifically, we found evidence for the predictive validity of the newly established SST, and can further validate the scenario task. Future studies should assess the causal mechanism underlying sexuality-related interpretations, e.g., by evaluating whether these can be changed via cognitive bias modification techniques or psychological treatments.

scholarly journals Cognitive and affective empathy relate differentially to emotion regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M Thompson ◽  
Carien M. van Reekum ◽  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Interference Effects ◽  
Emotional Interference ◽  
Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽  
Component Processes ◽  
The Relationship

The constructs of empathy (i.e. understanding/sharing another’s emotion) and emotion regulation (i.e. the processes by which one manages emotions) have largely been studied in relative isolation of one another. To better understand the interrelationships between their various component processes, this manuscript reports two studies that examined the relationship between empathy and emotion regulation using a combination of self-report and task measures. In study 1 (N=137), trait cognitive and affective empathy were found to share divergent relationships with self-reported emotion dysregulation. Emotion dysregulation was negatively related to cognitive empathy but showed no relationship with affective empathy. In the second study (N=92), the magnitude of emotion interference effects (i.e. the extent to which inhibitory control was impacted by emotional relative to neutral stimuli) in variants of a Go/NoGo and Stroop task were used as proxy measures of implicit emotion regulation abilities. Trait cognitive and affective empathy were found to share different relationships with both task metrics. Higher affective empathy was associated with increased emotional interference in the Emotional Go/NoGo; no such relationship was observed for trait cognitive empathy. In the Emotional Stroop, higher cognitive empathy was associated with reduced emotional interference, but no such relationship was observed for affective empathy. Together, these studies demonstrate that greater cognitive empathy was broadly associated with improved emotion regulation abilities, while greater affective empathy was typically associated with increased difficulties with emotion regulation. This finding points to the need for assessing the different components of empathy in psychopathological conditions marked by difficulties in emotion regulation.

Preliminary Study of Health Value as a Moderator of the Link between Age and Life Satisfaction

1996 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L. Fahey ◽  
Amy D. Beck ◽  
Robert M. Pugh ◽  
Judy L. Buerger ◽  
Edward C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Value Analysis ◽  
Health Value ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Life Scale

In the present study of the influence of health value as a potential moderator of age and life satisfaction, 157 undergraduate students ( M = 20.8 yr.) completed a battery in which they provided demographic information and completed a number of different self-report measures, including the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Health Value Scale. A 2 (younger vs older) × 2 (high vs low health value) analysis of variance with life satisfaction as the dependent variable showed a significant main effect for health value and a significant interaction between age and health value but no main effect for age. These findings support health value as a moderator of the relation between age and psychological well-being. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Cognitive and Affective Empathy Relate Differentially to Emotion Regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M. Thompson ◽  
Carien M. van Reekum ◽  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Stroop Task ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Emotional Stroop Task ◽  
Emotional Interference ◽  
Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽  
Component Processes

AbstractThe constructs of empathy (i.e., understanding and/or sharing another’s emotion) and emotion regulation (i.e., the processes by which one manages emotions) have largely been studied in relative isolation of one another. To better understand the interrelationships between their various component processes, this manuscript reports two studies that examined the relationship between empathy and emotion regulation using a combination of self-report and task measures. In study 1 (N = 137), trait cognitive empathy and affective empathy were found to share divergent relationships with self-reported emotion dysregulation. Trait emotion dysregulation was negatively related to cognitive empathy but did not show a significant relationship with affective empathy. In the second study (N = 92), the magnitude of emotion interference effects (i.e., the extent to which inhibitory control was impacted by emotional relative to neutral stimuli) in variants of a Go/NoGo and Stroop task were used as proxy measures of implicit emotion regulation abilities. Trait cognitive and affective empathy were differentially related to both task metrics. Higher affective empathy was associated with increased emotional interference in the Emotional Go/NoGo task; no such relationship was observed for trait cognitive empathy. In the Emotional Stroop task, higher cognitive empathy was associated with reduced emotional interference; no such relationship was observed for affective empathy. Together, these studies demonstrate that greater cognitive empathy was broadly associated with improved emotion regulation abilities, while greater affective empathy was typically associated with increased difficulties with emotion regulation. These findings point to the need for assessing the different components of empathy in psychopathological conditions marked by difficulties in emotion regulation.

scholarly journals Gratitude and Life Satisfaction: Mediating Role of Perceived Stress

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Murat Yildirim ◽  
Zainab Alanazi
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Western Country ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
The Relationship

The relationships between gratitude, satisfaction with life, and stress have been widely examined in different cultures. However, empirical research on these variables is scant in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediation effect of stress in the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction in an understudied population of Arabic student sample. Participants were 141 Arabic-speaking undergraduate students (18 males and 123 females; mean age = 23.8 years, SD = 4.23) and completed self-report measures of gratitude, satisfaction with life, and stress. As expected, regression analysis showed that gratitude positively predicted satisfaction with life, while stress negatively predicted satisfaction with life. Mediation analysis showed that stress fully mediate the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction. Higher levels of gratitude positively predicted higher levels of satisfaction with life though the decreased stress. The emerging results have important implications to research and practice regarding understanding the mechanism underlying gratitude, satisfaction with life, and stress in the context of a non-western country.

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