Navigating Stress: Exploring the Role of Empathy in Caregiving

Stress can negatively impact caregiving behavior; while chronic stress is consistently associated with reduced caregiver sensitivity, evidence regarding acute stress remains mixed. This preregistered study examined the causal effects of acute psychosocial stress on caregiver sensitivity with an experimental pseudorandomized design. Female participants (N = 130, M_age = 21.16, SD = 1.65) were assigned to either an adapted Trier Social Stress Test or a control condition, and then interacted with an infant simulator while their caregiver sensitivity was observed. We also investigated the role of situational empathic behavior and trait empathic concern in the relationship between acute stress and caregiver sensitivity. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that acute stress did not significantly decrease caregiver sensitivity. Furthermore, situational empathic behavior did not explain how acute stress affected caregiver sensitivity, nor did trait empathic concern influence how acute stress affected situational empathic behavior. However, trait empathic concern was positively associated with caregiver sensitivity, affirming that empathy is fundamental to caregiving. We discuss that effects of acute stress may be more subtle compared to chronic stress and highlight the importance of sensitive measurement instruments in continued research, which will help us to further understand how stress impacts caregiving and, consequently, child outcomes.