A German Adaptation of the Prosociality Scale

Introduction: This paper presents a German translation of the 16-item Prosociality Scale. We analyzed its factor structure based on theoretical assumptions regarding the inclusion of empathy as one element of prosociality or as its underlying construct. Methods and Results: We translated the items into German taking into account both the English and the Italian item wordings. The scale's factor structure was analyzed with three models testing (1) unidimensionality, (2) a four-factor structure with four items on each factor, and (3) a variant of a bifactor model with a general factor including all items and three residual factors with four items each. We analyzed construct validity using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Finally, we identified two 13-item versions with good model fit. Conclusion: The German Prosociality Scale is not unidimensional. Empathy seems to be the underlying construct of prosociality, but it can also be considered an element of prosociality.

Metric Goodness and Measurement Invariance of the Italian Brief Version of Interpersonal Reactivity Index: A Study With Young Adults

The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) is a widely used multidimensional measure to assess empathy across four main dimensions: perspective taking (PT) empathic concern (EC) personal distress (PD) fantasy (F). This study aimed to replicate the Italian validation process of the shortened IRI (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) scale in order to confirm its psychometric properties with a sample of young adults. The Gender Measurement Invariance of empathy in this age group was also an objective of the work in order to increase the data on this aspect. A total of 683 Italian university students participated in a non-probabilistic sampling. The 16-item version was confirmed in its four-factor structure but with changes to some items. The model showed good fits with both the CFA and the gender Measurement Invariance. The internal consistency measures were found to be fully satisfactory. Convergent validity was tested by the correlations with the Prosocialness Scale for Adults and The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. As hypothesized the measure proved good convergent validity with Prosocialness, i.e., the willingness to assist, help, share, care and empathy with others, and a relevant inverse association with the External Oriented Thinking, characterizing individuals with emotionally poor thinking. This research provided additional evidence for a link between alexithymia and poor empathic abilities in young adults.

Validation of the Music Empathizing inventory in China

The current study aims to cross-culturally validate the Music Empathizing (ME) inventory in China. In total, 515 Chinese participants completed the Chinese version of ME in tandem with two supporting scales, namely, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Music USE (MUSE) questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses, correlation analyses, t-tests, and multiple regressions were conducted. The current results illustrated an innovative structural model for ME (i.e., the Agreement–Disagreement model), revealed significant predictors of ME (i.e., optional music training, interpersonal empathy, and the affective and social reasons for approaching music), and indicated a non-significant sex difference in ME with the Chinese participants. To conclude, the current study showed the validity of ME in evaluating music empathy in a Chinese setting. More importantly, since the previous studies of ME were restricted to Western populations, the current study presented the first observation of ME in Asian cultures.

Empathy: A clue for prosocialty and driver of indirect reciprocity

Indirect reciprocity has been proposed to explain prosocial behavior among strangers, whereby the prosocial act is returned by a third party. However, what happens if the prosocial act cannot be observed by the third party? Here, we examine whether empathy serves as a clue for prosociality and whether people are more generous toward more empathetic people. In a laboratory study, we measured prosocial behavior as the amount sent in the dictator game and empathy based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). By using an incentivized task, we find that people believe that more empathetic participants send more money in the dictator game. Thus, people see empathy as a clue for prosocial behavior. Furthermore, in a second dictator game, participants indirectly reciprocate by sending more money to more empathetic recipients. Therefore, we suggest that empathy can replace a reputation derived from observable prosocial behavior in triggering indirect reciprocity.

Bilingualism Enhances Reported Perspective Taking in Men, but Not in Women

Bilingual speakers have often been found to be superior in taking the perspective of another person. Also, females are commonly found to have enhanced perspective taking (PT) abilities compared with males, with male PT being generally more easily affected by external factors. The present study investigated whether bilingualism improves PT in males more strongly than in females. In total, 108 bilingual and 108 matched monolingual adults, with equal numbers of males and females, filled in the PT subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity index. While monolinguals showed the typical result of females scoring higher on PT than males, scores of male and female bilinguals did not differ, with both bilingual groups scoring as high as female monolinguals. Thus, bilingualism enhanced self-reported PT only in males, suggesting that male PT can be enhanced through socialization.

Un programa de intervención para fomentar la gestión emocional en un grupo de intérpretes para los SSPP

En este artículo se sintetizan los resultados obtenidos en una investigación desarrollada con una muestra de once intérpretes para los SSPPs. Estos profesionales experimentan síntomas ansioso-depresivos debido a su trabajo, por lo que se diseñó un curso de gestión emocional ad hoc. Presentamos los resultados de los efectos de la intervención combinando información cuantitativa y cualitativa, adoptando un diseño de grupo único cuasi-experimental con dos momentos de medida, antes y después de la intervención. Ésta se desarrolló en 10 sesiones. Se realizó un seguimiento mediante dos grupos de discusión y dos entrevistas en profundidad. Los instrumentos empleados fueron los Cuestionarios: Bar-On ICE; BQSQ-36; Interpersonal Reactivity Index. La mayoría de los factores de inteligencia emocional presentaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas comparando los dos momentos de medida, incrementando sus puntuaciones. El análisis de las entrevistas grupales e individuales evidencia una clara mejora en la vida de estos intérpretes para los SSPPs, atribuida a la intervención.

The Influence of Empathy on Moral Judgments

Empathy is expected to correlate with pro-social attitude s, but what effect does empathy have on judgments of distributive fairness? In our study, we found that participants with higher empathy scores on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) were more likely to: (a) favor the use of egalitarian distribution when the joint effort is involved, and (b) deem overly self-interested or opportunistic behavior unfair. Female participants were more consistent in the exercise of moral judgments across diverse scenarios. Furthermore, empathy has several dimensions (e.g., perspective-taking or empathetic concern) and we observed that they interacted with gender and the nature of the hypothetical problem differently in some cases. Although the findings of the study are not counterintuitive, it has identified some avenues for further explorations and highlighted some potential methodological shortcomings of the IRI as a measure of empathetic traits.

Dispositional Empathy and Emotional Intelligence in terms of Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts

The maladaptive nature of Perfectionistic Automatic Thoughts (PAT) increases the importance of evaluating the construct. This study aims to identify different clusters of PAT in undergraduates, and to check possible inter-cluster differences in the dimensions of dispositional empathy and emotional intelligence in a sample of 691 Spanish undergraduates (Mage = 23.1; SD = 5.26). The Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale were used. Three clusters with low (LPAT), moderate (MPAT) and high (HPAT) levels of PAT were identified. Statistically significant differences were observed between these clusters in terms of dispositional empathy and emotional intelligence dimensions. HPAT significantly scored higher than LPAT on Fantasy, Empathic Concern, Personal Discomfort and Perception, as well as in comparison with MPAT on Fantasy, Empathic Concern, Personal Discomfort and Perception. Moreover, MPAT obtained significantly higher scores on Comprehension and Repair than LPAT. Effect sizes for these differences were of a small magnitude, except for the HPAT and LPAT contrasts, whose differences were of a moderate magnitude.