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Individual differences in empathy in Danish university students: A cross-sectional study
Elisabeth Assing Hvidt1, Sonja Wehberg1, Christina Maar Andersen2
1The Research Unit for General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
The International Journal of Social Psychiatry
|August 31, 2023
Summary
University students show significant differences in empathy based on their major, sex, age, and parental status. Health majors exhibit higher cognitive empathy, highlighting the importance of multidimensional empathy research in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medical Education
Background:
- Empathy is a complex, multi-dimensional construct with emotional and cognitive facets.
- These components influence well-being and mental health through distinct experiences and behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between emotional and cognitive empathy (measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index - IRI) and demographic/academic factors in Danish university students.
- To assess the validity of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Student version (JSE-S) for measuring cognitive empathy in medical students by comparing it with IRI cognitive scores.
Main Methods:
- A national, cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2020 with students from the University of Southern Denmark and all four Danish medical educations.
- Data were collected using the IRI and, for medical students, the JSE-S, with associations analyzed via linear regression models.
Main Results:
- Health majors demonstrated statistically significant higher cognitive empathy compared to other study majors.
- The JSE-S showed significant correlation with the IRI's cognitive empathy subscales.
- Sex, age, and parental status were also found to have significant effects on empathy.
Conclusions:
- Substantial variations in empathy exist among university students, influenced by their academic major and personal characteristics.
- Empathy should be studied as a multidimensional construct in young adults, recognizing differences across student demographics.
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