Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy
Although cognitive flexibility has always been considered essential to empathy, the relevant findings have been inconsistent. Inconsistent results may be because cognitive flexibility is a multi-level structure, while empathy is also a multilayer structure, and there are differences in how researche...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064494/full |
| _version_ | 1828062582484762624 |
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| author | Zhiwei Cai Bing Qi |
| author_facet | Zhiwei Cai Bing Qi |
| author_sort | Zhiwei Cai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although cognitive flexibility has always been considered essential to empathy, the relevant findings have been inconsistent. Inconsistent results may be because cognitive flexibility is a multi-level structure, while empathy is also a multilayer structure, and there are differences in how researchers define and measure cognitive flexibility. Therefore, the study explores the relationship between cognitive flexibility and empathy from a multi-dimensional perspective. This study involved 105 China students aged between 18 and 22 (M age = 20.26, SD = 2.00) who completed the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (cognitive flexibility trait, cognitive flexibility at the individual level), perspective-switching flexibility task (perspective-switching flexibility, cognitive flexibility at the cognitive level), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale (IRI, traits empathy), Multi-dimensional Empathy Test (state empathy), 2-back task (inhibitory control), and Stroop task (working memory). After controlling for additional variables, the results showed that: (1) Cognitive flexibility traits negatively predicted trait cognitive (IRI-PT) and affective empathy (IRI-EC). (2) The Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted the affective component of state empathy. (3) Cognitive flexibility traits and Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted empathy even after controlling for one of these. The study’s results suggested that cognitive flexibility negatively predicts empathy and is a protective factor for reducing the cost of empathy and promoting emotion regulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:30:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7e9512f0f9541669b97b9f444a995b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T22:30:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7e9512f0f9541669b97b9f444a995b82023-01-17T06:13:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-01-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10644941064494Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathyZhiwei CaiBing QiAlthough cognitive flexibility has always been considered essential to empathy, the relevant findings have been inconsistent. Inconsistent results may be because cognitive flexibility is a multi-level structure, while empathy is also a multilayer structure, and there are differences in how researchers define and measure cognitive flexibility. Therefore, the study explores the relationship between cognitive flexibility and empathy from a multi-dimensional perspective. This study involved 105 China students aged between 18 and 22 (M age = 20.26, SD = 2.00) who completed the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (cognitive flexibility trait, cognitive flexibility at the individual level), perspective-switching flexibility task (perspective-switching flexibility, cognitive flexibility at the cognitive level), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale (IRI, traits empathy), Multi-dimensional Empathy Test (state empathy), 2-back task (inhibitory control), and Stroop task (working memory). After controlling for additional variables, the results showed that: (1) Cognitive flexibility traits negatively predicted trait cognitive (IRI-PT) and affective empathy (IRI-EC). (2) The Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted the affective component of state empathy. (3) Cognitive flexibility traits and Other/Self perspective-switching flexibility negatively predicted empathy even after controlling for one of these. The study’s results suggested that cognitive flexibility negatively predicts empathy and is a protective factor for reducing the cost of empathy and promoting emotion regulation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064494/fullcognitive flexibilitycognitive flexibility traitflexibility in perspective-switchingtrait empathystate empathy |
| spellingShingle | Zhiwei Cai Bing Qi Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy Frontiers in Psychology cognitive flexibility cognitive flexibility trait flexibility in perspective-switching trait empathy state empathy |
| title | Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| title_full | Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| title_fullStr | Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| title_short | Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| title_sort | cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy |
| topic | cognitive flexibility cognitive flexibility trait flexibility in perspective-switching trait empathy state empathy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064494/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhiweicai cognitiveflexibilityasaprotectivefactorforempathy AT bingqi cognitiveflexibilityasaprotectivefactorforempathy |