Abstract

Empathy has been studied by numerous scholars as a multidimensional construct that includes both cognitive and emotional aspects. Empathic development is influenced by societal, personal, and relational factors as well as neural mechanisms found within the brain. My study measured empathy as it correlates to life satisfaction, and has factored in a moderating free-response variable in order to understand individuals’ relationship with how they define empathy versus how they outwardly express it. I utilized the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Scale (IRI) and the Riverside Life Satisfaction Scale (RLSS), as well as two free-response measures. I hypothesized that individual’s subjective definition of empathy would be different from their objective expression of empathy, and that their IRI categorical results would not match up with their definitional or expressional empathy. Furthermore, I expected participants’ expressions and definitions of empathy to moderate the relationship between life satisfaction and empathy, and that overall life satisfaction would positively correlate with empathy. My data reinforced the positive relationship between life satisfaction and empathy levels, and as expected, participants’ subjective definitions of empathy did not consistently match up with their objective expressions of empathy, nor did the two free-response measures consistently match up with people’s Empathy IRI categorical results. My results did not support my moderation hypothesis, indicating that empathic congruency between internal sense of empathy and outward expressions of empathy is not required for an individual to have high levels of life satisfaction. In contrast with my hypothesis, incongruency between these factors predicted higher life satisfaction overall.

Advisor

Foster, Nathan

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Personality and Social Contexts | Psychology | Social Psychology

Publication Date

2024

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2024 Maggie G. Young