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Empathic concern: Distinguishing between tenderness and sympathy
Lidewij W Niezink1, Frans W Siero, Pieternel Dijkstra
1Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
Motivation and Emotion
|November 13, 2012
Summary
This study reveals empathic concern comprises two distinct emotions: tenderness and sympathy. Participants showed higher sympathy than tenderness when responding to hypothetical need scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Emotion Research
Background:
- Empathic concern is a key component of empathy.
- The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) is often used to assess empathic concern.
- Previous research suggests empathic concern may encompass multiple emotional facets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether empathic concern, as measured by the ERQ, can be differentiated into tenderness and sympathy.
- To empirically validate the two-factor structure of empathic concern.
Main Methods:
- Nine studies involving 1,273 participants were conducted.
- Participants responded to hypothetical scenarios depicting individuals in need.
- Factor analysis was used to examine the structure of empathic concern items from the ERQ.
Main Results:
- Factor analyses confirmed that ERQ items assessing empathic concern could be divided into two distinct factors: sympathy and tenderness.
- Participants consistently scored higher on the sympathy factor than the tenderness factor when presented with current need situations.
Conclusions:
- Empathic concern is not a monolithic construct but comprises distinct emotional components of sympathy and tenderness.
- Distinguishing between sympathy and tenderness has significant theoretical and practical implications for understanding and responding to others' needs.
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