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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm

Published on: May 4, 2020

Cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for empathy.

Zhiwei Cai¹, Bing Qi¹

¹College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China.

Frontiers in Psychology

|February 3, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive flexibility, a multi-level trait, negatively predicts empathy. Higher cognitive flexibility acts as a protective factor, reducing empathy

Keywords:

cognitive flexibility cognitive flexibility trait flexibility in perspective-switching state empathy trait empathy

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Cognitive Science
Social Neuroscience

Background:

Cognitive flexibility is traditionally linked to empathy, but empirical findings are inconsistent.
Inconsistencies may stem from the multi-level nature of both cognitive flexibility and empathy, and varied measurement approaches.
A multi-dimensional examination is needed to clarify the relationship between cognitive flexibility and empathy.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and empathy from a multi-dimensional perspective.
To explore how different levels of cognitive flexibility (trait vs. cognitive) influence various facets of empathy (trait vs. state).

Main Methods:

105 Chinese university students (aged 18-22) participated.
Measures included the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, perspective-switching task, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Multi-dimensional Empathy Test, 2-back task, and Stroop task.
Statistical analyses controlled for variables like inhibitory control and working memory.

Main Results:

Cognitive flexibility traits negatively predicted both cognitive (IRI-PT) and affective (IRI-EC) trait empathy.
Perspective-switching flexibility (Other/Self) negatively predicted the affective component of state empathy.
These negative predictive relationships persisted even when controlling for the other measure of cognitive flexibility.

Conclusions:

Cognitive flexibility demonstrates a negative predictive relationship with empathy.
Cognitive flexibility may serve as a protective factor, mitigating the potential costs associated with empathy.
Findings suggest cognitive flexibility plays a role in emotion regulation within empathic contexts.