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Observational Fear as a Model of Affective Empathy in Mice
Published on: November 22, 2024
Empathy
Robert Elliott1, Arthur C Bohart, Jeanne C Watson
1Counselling Unit, School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, 76 Southbrae Drive, Glasgow, United Kingdom. fac0029@gmail.com
Abstract:
After defining empathy, discussing its measurement, and offering an example of empathy in practice, we present the results of an updated meta-analysis of the relation between empathy and psychotherapy outcome. Results indicated that empathy is a moderately strong predictor of therapy outcome: mean weighted r = .31 (p < .001; 95% confidence interval: .28-.34), for 59 independent samples and 3599 clients. Although the empathy-outcome relation held equally for different theoretical orientations, there was considerable nonrandom variability. Client and observer perceptions of therapist empathy predicted outcomes better than therapist perceptions of empathic accuracy measures, and the relation was strongest for less experienced therapists. We conclude with practice recommendations, including endorsing the different forms that empathy may take in therapy.
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