Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes
IntroductionEmpathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237278/full |
| _version_ | 1797656066400452608 |
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| author | Ido Shalev Alal Eran Florina Uzefovsky |
| author_facet | Ido Shalev Alal Eran Florina Uzefovsky |
| author_sort | Ido Shalev |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionEmpathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychosocial functioning: mental health, romantic relationships, and parenting.MethodsFluctuations and individual differences in empathy were assessed across eight time points, where participants from the general population (N = 566) self-reported their empathy, stress, depressive symptoms, romantic satisfaction, and parental functioning.ResultsBoth trait and state aspects of empathy were associated with all psychosocial outcomes, with state empathy showing a stronger effect. Additionally, empathy components interacted with stress—emotional empathy better-predicted outcomes under high stress, while cognitive empathy under low stress.DiscussionOur findings advance the theoretical understanding of empathy, emphasizing the effects of state-dependent empathy fluctuations on our everyday mental and social lives. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:23:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-93144beb137e4a4aaead788b0f504e61 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:23:54Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-93144beb137e4a4aaead788b0f504e612023-10-19T08:04:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-10-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12372781237278Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomesIdo Shalev0Alal Eran1Florina Uzefovsky2Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, IsraelComputational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, IsraelIntroductionEmpathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychosocial functioning: mental health, romantic relationships, and parenting.MethodsFluctuations and individual differences in empathy were assessed across eight time points, where participants from the general population (N = 566) self-reported their empathy, stress, depressive symptoms, romantic satisfaction, and parental functioning.ResultsBoth trait and state aspects of empathy were associated with all psychosocial outcomes, with state empathy showing a stronger effect. Additionally, empathy components interacted with stress—emotional empathy better-predicted outcomes under high stress, while cognitive empathy under low stress.DiscussionOur findings advance the theoretical understanding of empathy, emphasizing the effects of state-dependent empathy fluctuations on our everyday mental and social lives.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237278/fullempathystressdepressive symptomsromantic satisfactionparenting |
| spellingShingle | Ido Shalev Alal Eran Florina Uzefovsky Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes Frontiers in Psychology empathy stress depressive symptoms romantic satisfaction parenting |
| title | Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes |
| title_full | Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes |
| title_short | Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes |
| title_sort | fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health parenting and relationship outcomes |
| topic | empathy stress depressive symptoms romantic satisfaction parenting |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237278/full |
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