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Benefits of Empathy
> Articles and Links
The Impact of Clinical Empathy on Patients and Clinicians: Understanding
Empathy’s Side Effects
Helen Riess, 2015, Harvard Medical School
"The benefits of clinical empathy in medical practice abound. They
include
-
improved
patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment recommendations, more
accurate diagnoses, reduced distress (Neumann et al. 2011
-
improved
health outcomes (Kelley et al. 2014),
-
and fewer medical errors and
-
malpractice claims (Hickson et al. 2002)."
-
....some studies have shown that clinician empathy positively impacts
clinician well-being, meaningful work, sense of coherence, and job
satisfaction (Halpern 2001; Krasner et al. 2009; Warmington 2012; Tei
et al. 2015),"
A META-ANALYSIS OF EMPATHY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR CLIENT POPULATIONS by
Robert Paul Butters
May 2010
-
"Empathy is a critical component in prosocial behaviors and moderates
aggressive behavior (Eisenberg & Miller, 1988)
-
and the absence of empathy is a hallmark of autism 2 and psychopathy
(Blair, 2008).
-
Empathy helps individuals establish and maintain friendships (Del
Barrio, Aluja, & Garcia, 2004; Hay, 1994),
-
enhances
satisfaction in intimate relationships (Long, Angera, & Hakoyama,
2008),
-
improves the quality of family relationships (Guerney, 1988),
-
and
is positively associated with family cohesion, parental support, and
communicative responsiveness (Henry, Sager, & Plunkett, 1996).
-
Empathy has been positively correlated with helping behaviors and
negatively correlated with aggression (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006a;
Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972).
-
Studies indicate that increases in empathy can reduce sexual assaults
and the incidence of domestic violence (Berg, Lonsway, & Fitzgerald,
1999; Foubert, 2006; O’Donohue, 2003).
-
Further support for the salutary effects of empathy comes from studies
of parent training programs, where increasing parental empathy is
believed to reduce children’s aggressive and acting-out behaviors (Eyberg,
Nelson, & Boggs, 2008; McMahon & Washburn, 2003).
-
Further,
some research has demonstrated that improving empathy through family
and couples counseling leads to improved relationships and decreased
family problems (Long, 1999). "
Q and A on Facebook Questions
What do you see as the benefits of empathy? Add yours below and
explain?
-
Being
empathic with each other and listening leads to conflict resolution.
+27
-
Empathy as
personal value gives a sense of purpose and a way of being in the
world. +19
-
Is the social
glue for all relationships, +13
-
Empathy
motivates altruism +12
-
Feel Deeper
Connection +6
-
Feel Deeper
Presence +5
-
Empathy is a
tool to reach beyond right and wrong +5
-
Empathy helps
to build trust +4
-
Empathy is
the foundation of morality +4
-
Feel Deeper
Intimacy +3
-
Empathy is
the key to collaboration +4
-
Feel
authenticity +3
-
Enables us to
care for one another +3
-
Empathy is a
path toward consciousness +3
-
is a main
factor in the acquisition of knowledge about others +3
-
Feel healing
+3
-
Feel
Acceptance +3
-
Is a key in
the practice of fostering learning in others +2
-
Empathy
maintains social cohesiveness +3
-
Empathy is a
foundation for personal growth +2
-
Feel
belonging +1
-
Feels Damn
Good!!! +2
-
Feel More
Happiness +2
-
Fosters
compassion, collaboration, and creativity. +3
-
Is key to
deep connections with others and animals +1
-
Feel Less
Negative Feelings +3
-
Helps me to
realize that every being is just myself in a different skin +3
-
Empathy is a
healer and truth seeker +3
Benefits by
Marshall Rosenberg
"Our ability to offer empathy can allow us
to stay vulnerable, defuse potential violence, help us hear the word
'no' without taking it as a rejection, revive lifeless conversation,
and even hear the feelings and needs expressed through silence."
"Time and again, people transcend the paralyzing
effects of psychological pain when they have sufficient contact with
someone who can hear them empathically."
By maintaining our attention on what's going on within
others, we offer them a chance to fully explore and express their
interior selves. We would stem this flow if we were to shift attention
too quickly either to their request or to our own desire to express
ourselves."
”Empathy gives you the ability to enjoy another
person's pain.”
The more we empathize with the other party, the safer we feel.”
”Empathy allows us to re-perceive our world in a new
way and move forward ”
”To be able to hear our own feelings and needs and to
empathize with them can free us from depression.”
"Talking about empathy is one thing, but as the preeminent
psychologist Carl
Rogers puts
it in the quote above, practicing is
how we develop empathy on an experiential level.
And practicing empathy has many benefits.
Studies have shown that it not only increases our willingness to help
others but it also reduces racism,
prejudice and bullying
and aggression among children.
Empathy fights inequality, boosts creativity and
improves the relationship between spouses as
well as healthcare
professionals and their clients."
3 Reasons to Cultivate More Empathy
"Empathy is a good thing, without a doubt. But why is
empathy so good? We now have a whole slew of studies to aid our
understanding of how empathy helps, well, just about everything.
Here are three examples.
1. It’s good for the environment...
After surveying roughly 3,500 people about what factors would lead
them to reduce their carbon footprint to help slow global warming,
the scientists found that tapping into our tendency toward
compassion for others was a more effective motivator than appealing
to self-interest...
2. It’s good for business....
Managers with more empathy may translate to healthier employees,
research published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes shows. ..
3. It’s good for relationships
-
Increases altruistic behavior:
-
Reduces racism
-
Reduces bullying and aggression in children:
-
Benefits intimate relationships:..."
Your Most Important Skill: Empathy
by Chad Fowler
"Why should you explicitly work to enhance your ability
to empathize with others?
-
You will be more likely to treat the people you care
about the way they wish you would treat them.
-
You will better understand the needs of people around
you.
-
You will more clearly understand the perception you
create in others with your words and actions.
-
You will understand the unspoken parts of your
communication with others.
-
You will better understand the needs of your
customers at work.
-
You will have less trouble dealing with interpersonal
conflict both at home and at work.
-
You will be able to more accurately predict the
actions and reactions of people you interact with.
-
You will learn how to motivate the people around you.
-
You will more effectively convince others of your
point of view.
-
You will experience the world in higher resolution as
you perceive through not only your perspective but the perspectives
of those around you.
-
...."
Developing empathy is essential to emotional and physical health
by Karen Pace
Part 1 -
Part 2
"According to Szalavitz and Perry, empathy and the care
and connection it enables are essential to the overall health of
people, communities and society as a whole. "
"authors Maia Szalavitz and Bruce Perry, M.D., stress
that not only is the development of empathy important for individual
health and wellbeing, but that it also“ underlies virtually everything
that makes society work — like trust, altruism, collaboration, love,
charity.”"
Benefits of Empathy-Induced Altruism
by C. Daniel Batson
"Empathy-induced altruism offers a number of benefits. Most obvious
are the benefits that accrue to individuals whose needs elicit
empathic concern, but research suggests that empathy-induced
altruistic motivation can also benefit groups in need. It may even
benefit the person experiencing this motivation. The potential
benefits discussed in this chapter are:
-
more
sensitive, and less fickle help;
-
less aggression and derogation of the victims of injustice;
-
increased cooperation and care in conflict situations, including
conflict in bargaining and negotiations, ethnic, religious, and
political conflicts, and racial conflicts in educational settings;
-
improved attitudes toward,
and action on behalf of, stigmatized groups;
-
more positive close relationships, including friendships and
romantic relationships;
-
and better mental and physical health for the altruistic helper"
Empathy:
It has many benefits
ChangingMinds.org
" The value of
empathy comes not from understanding the other person's feelings, but
what you do as a result of this.
Empathy connects people together
When you empathize with me, my sense of identity is connected to
yours. As a result, I feel greater in some way and less alone. I may
well, as a result, also start to empathize more with you.
In a therapeutic situation, having
someone else really understand how you feel can be a blessed relief,
as people with emotional problems often feel very much alone in their
differentness from other people. The non-judgmental quality can also
be very welcome.
Empathy heals
Therapeutically, it can be a very healing experience for someone to
empathize with you. When someone effectively says 'I care for you', it
also says 'I can do that, I can care for myself.'
Empathy builds trust
Empathy displayed can be surprising and confusing. When not expected,
it can initially cause suspicion, but when sustained it is difficult
not to appreciate the concern. Empathy thus quickly leads to trust.
Empathy closes the loop
Consider what would happens if you had no idea what the other person
felt about your communications to them. You might say something, they
hated it, and you continued as if they understood and agreed. Not much
persuasion happening there!
The more you can empathize, the more you can get immediate feedback on
what they are experiencing of your communications with them. And as a
consequence, you can change what you are saying and doing to get them
to feel what you want them to feel."
Benefits of Empathy in Recovery
AlcoholRehab.com
"Empathy and empathetic listening can be highly useful
tools for people recovering from an addiction. These are some of the
benefits of using this approach with other humans:
It can greatly reduce the amount of conflict in the individual’s life.
The most common reason why other people become angry is that they do
not feel like they are being understood.
One of the most important benefits of empathy is that it improves
relationships. Those who have been addicted to alcohol or drugs will
have done a great deal of damage to their relationships and empathy
can allow them to repair this damage.
It greatly improves communications because there is less likely to be
misunderstandings.
Failure to understand other people can lead to much suffering and
negativity. Those that are empathetic will have a far more positive
view of humanity.
It can reduce feelings of bigotry, racism, sexism, and all other types
of intolerance. Empathy allows people to see that everyone is in the
same boat – there is far less of a feeling of us and them.
Helping other people is a wonderful way for the individual to
strengthen their only recovery. In order to really help someone else
it is necessary to understand what it is they need.
It makes people more open-minded about life in general. This is vital
if people wish to develop emotional sobriety and build a successful
life away from addiction.
It helps people overcome self-absorption. This type of obsession with
self can prevent people getting better in recovery."
Why Practice
Empathy?
Greater Good Science Center
The Amazing Power of Empathy in Improving Your Life and Theirs
Sixwise
-
teaching empathy in a school make students fosters
creativity and critical thinking
-
"role-taking, is even known to promote open-mindedness, discourage
hasty examination of problems, encourage personal flexibility, and
foster insight into different perspectives and problem-solving
skills."
-
good for being
a great leader
(Daniel Goleman)
-
Have
satisfying relationships
-
Leads to
forgiveness
-
have greater
satisfaction in relationship
Empathy,
Listening Skills, and Touching Another Heart -
by
Lawrence
J. Bookbinder
"Some of the possible benefits are:
-
absorbing some of the joy of a person
who is excitedly relating a joyous experience
-
being prized by a conversation partner
for giving him an opportunity to talk about something that matters
to him
-
feeling good about giving a loved one an
opportunity to talk about something that matters to him
-
avoiding a quarrel with a conversation
partner because of carefully summarizing his opinion before
presenting your disagreement with it
-
being listened to more carefully because
you listen carefully to the other person before you talk
-
learning about lifestyles radically
different from yours
-
broadening your horizons from listening
with empathy to people whose values are radically different from
yours
-
feeling hugged by the talker.
This benefit will be explained by examining the illustration of
Anita empathically acknowledging Tanya's communications about
Tanya's relationship with Ben."
Empathy,
Listening Skills, and Touching Another Heart -
by
Lawrence
J. Bookbinder
-
Benefits for talker
Empathic acknowledging can satisfy people's needs
to reveal aspects of
their inner world to others and to have their revelations
acknowledged.
-
"obtaining
relief from health problems, such as asthma, insomnia and headaches"
-
"making sense of a puzzling experience from
"bouncing" ideas off someone who listens without giving analyses or
advice"
-
"becoming aware of an unconscious feeling from
opening up in response to being listened to with empathy and without
interruption or criticism"
-
"experiencing relief from distress"
-
"obtaining relief from health problems, such as
asthma, insomnia and headaches 2"
-
"ending a conflict about a decision."
-
"feeling less alone with a problem.
I believe that a major reason support groups are popular is that
members feel less alone with their problem because of the
opportunities to talk about it with people who listen with
empathy."
-
Benefits for
the Acknowledger
"Empathically acknowledging another person can
touch the person's heart."
-
"absorbing
some of the joy of a person who is excitedly relating a joyous
experience"
-
"being
prized by a conversation partner for giving him an opportunity to
talk about something that matters to him
(1)"
-
"feeling
good about giving a loved one an opportunity to talk about something
that matters to him
"
-
"avoiding a quarrel with
a conversation partner because of carefully summarizing his opinion
before presenting your disagreement with it
(1)"
-
"being listened to more
carefully because you listen carefully to the other person before
you talk
(1)"
-
"learning about
lifestyles radically different from yours
(1)"
-
"broadening your
horizons from listening with empathy to people whose values are
radically different from yours
(1)"
-
"feeling hugged by the
talker.
(1)"
The Benefits of empathy: When empathy may sustain cooperation in social
dilemmas
European Journal of Social Psychology,
ANN C. RUMBLE,
PAUL A. M. VAN LANGE AND CRAIG D. PARKS
We conclude that empathy has broad benefits for social
interaction, in that it can be an effective tool for coping with
misinterpreted behaviors, thereby maintaining or enhancing cooperation
-
Several experiments have shown that empathy enhances
helping and cooperation, often in contexts which cannot be
understood in terms of considerations of long-term self-interest or
anticipated reciprocity (Batson & Ahmad, 2001; Batson, Batson, Todd,
Brummett, Shaw, & Aldeguer, 1995)
Who Benefits From Empathy?
by Miki Kashtan
"whenever someone is heard, they find more willingness to hear
another"
Empathy and Authenticity in the Workplace (part 1 of 3)
by
Miki Kashtan
(Effectiveness) "I
see at least three ways in which connection could enhance effectiveness.
-
First,
people who are heard and understood, have more goodwill to
contribute.
-
Second, people who are often operating within the fear and
discomfort arising from conflict and mistrust literally have less of
themselves available to produce.
-
Lastly, when decisions and agreements are based on true connection
and mutual understanding, such that “yes” is really a “yes,” people
are much less likely to back out of what they said they would do."
Roots of Empathy: Consistently Positive Results
"Results showed that compared to comparison groups, Roots of Empathy
children demonstrated:
-
Increase in social and emotional knowledge
-
Decrease in aggression
-
Increase in prosocial behaviour (e.g. sharing,
helping and including)
-
Increase in perceptions among ROE students of the
classroom as a caring environment
-
Increased understanding of infants and parenting"
Six Hats – Empathy or Thinking?
by Brendan Coram
-
"Collaboration: Without empathy, collaboration
is just a collection of people arguing their point of view
-
Dialog: without empathy, conversations are
just organized turn taking (Jeez, are they ever going to finish…I
have something to say)
-
Conflict: without empathy, conflicts cannot be
truly resolved…and are instead a series of cease fires
-
Creative Thinking: without empathy, our
creative thinking is limited by our own experience and perspective "
The Benefits of Empathic Listening
By Richard Salem
- BeyondIntractability.org
-
"builds trust and respect,
-
enables the disputants to release
their emotions,
-
reduces tensions,
-
encourages the surfacing of
information, and
-
creates a safe environment that is
conducive to collaborative problem solving."
Benefits of Empathetic Listening - Beyond
Intractability
-
Builds trust and respect
-
Allows for emotional release
-
Reduces tensions
-
Uncovers “hidden” information
-
Creates a safe environment
-
Helps clarify parties’ thoughts
-
Aids understanding of context
The Benefits of Empathy
by Jetstream - Hubpages.com
Being able to put yourself in another’s shoes and to realize that they are
just like you has far-reaching benefits for both your emotional and
physical wellbeing. These are just a few of the many benefits of
empathy.
1. Makes you happier... You’re happier in the sense
that you’re able to meet people on a level of understanding, meaning
that your social interactions are more amiable and less
apprehensive....
2. Makes you healthier..
So essentially, people who experience warm, upbeat
emotions live longer and healthier lives. Just by practicing a
mindset of compassion, you expose yourself to the same kind of
benefits one gets out of exercise and eating healthy...
3. Makes you smarter..
The Benefits of Empathic Listening
By Tracy Dawson
Empathy is really a healing core value. Empathy
is really a healing core competency because it brings people together,
it engenders hope and relief and it makes our Customer Service light
shine brightest.
-
builds trust and respect
-
reduces tensions
-
creates a safe environment that is conducive to
collaborative problem solving
-
tells customer, "You are important" and "I am not
judging you"
-
gains the customer’s cooperation
-
reduces stress and tension
-
builds teamwork
-
elicits openness
-
encourages sharing of ideas and thoughts
-
ability obtain more valid information about the
customer and
their concerns
Developing the Social Empathy Index: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
By Elizabeth A. Segal, M. Alex Wagaman, Karen E. Gerdes
The Value of Interpersonal
Empathy
-
"It is critical to our
survival because it requires the accurate perception,
interpretation, and response to the emotional signals of others
(Preston & de Waal, 2002).
-
Therefore, empathy is a key
building block for prosocial behavior, or the actions people take
that benefit others and society (Eisenberg & Mussen, 1989).
-
There is substantial
research evidence that empathy is important in the development
of healthy relationships (Toussaint & Webb, 2005);
-
it supplies the affective
and motivational foundation for moral development (Eisenberg
& Eggums, 2009; Smetana & Killen, 2008);
-
and promotes helping and
prosocial behaviors particularly during adolescence (Batson, Chang,
Orr, & Rowland, 2002; Batson, Håkansson Eklund, Chermok, Hoyt, &
Ortiz, 2007; McMahon, Wernsman, & Parnes, 2006).
-
For youth, higher levels of
empathy are associated with increased conflict resolution (de Weid,
Branje, & Meeus, 2007) and willingness to come to the defense of a
bullied peer (Gini, Albiero, Benelli, & Altoe, 2007).
-
Parental empathy has been
cited as crucial for raising healthy children (Curtner- Smith et
al., 2006) and
-
partner empathy is
cited as a key attribute in satisfying relationships (Busby &
Gardner, 2008). "
-
"When accurate empathic
insight into other people’s lives is gained, it is often followed by
a sense of social responsibility (Frank, 2001)."
The absence of empathy can lead to destructive behaviors and
adversely affect relationships.
-
"A lack of interpersonal
empathy is associated with narcissism, bullying, violent
crime, abusive parenting, spousal battering, and sexual offending
-
Covell,
Huss, & Langhinrichsen-Rohling, 2007;
-
Elsegood & Duff, 2010;
-
Gini,
Albieri, Benelli, & Altoe, 2008;
-
Joliffe & Farrington, 2004;
-
Ritter
et al., 2011."
Importance of empathy for social work practice:
integrating new science.
Elizabeth A. Segal, M. Alex Wagaman,
Karen Gerdes
-
"Research demonstrates that empathy is an important tool for
positive therapeutic intervention (Watson, 2002).
-
Clients experiencing empathy through treatment by others inhibits
antisocial behavior in children and adolescents (Eisenberg, Spinard,
& Sadovsky, 2005; Hoffman, 2000).
-
Empathy inhibits aggression toward others (Weisner & Silbereisen,
2003)
-
and promotes healthy personal development (Hoffman, 2001).
-
The lack of empathy is correlated with bullying, aggressive
behavior, violent crime, and sexual offending
-
(Gini, Albieri,
Benelli, & Altoe, 2008;
-
Joliffe & Farrington, 2004;
-
Loper,
Hoffschmidt, & Ash, 2001;
-
Sams & Truscott, 2004).
-
A practitioner's own level of empathy is correlated with positive
client outcomes (Forrester, Kershaw, Moss, & Hughes, 2008).
-
Jensen, Weersing, Hoagwood, and Goldman (2005) completed a review of
52 child psychotherapy treatment studies and concluded that
therapist empathy, attention, and positive regard are essential to
effective outcomes.
-
Forrester et al. (2008) found that empathy is central to effective
communication in child protection situations. Empathy is critical to
both practitioner and client outcomes. "
Empathy in
Patient Care,
by Mohammadreza Hojat
"So much evidence has been accumulated that it is now
beyond doubt that being connected and feeling felt are beneficial to
physical, mental, and social well-being, the three pillars of health
defined by the constitution of the World Health Organizations (pg 19).
"Empathy like human love, connects people more closely,
reduces interpersonal space, and fulfills the human need for
affiliation, support, and understanding...
Empathy can increase altruistic, prosocial, and helping
behaviors; reduce aggressive behaviour; improve conflict management;
and promote understanding (Larson & Yao, 2005)...
Empathic engagement takes a person outside of himself
or herself and allows the person to hear others with the third ear and
to view the world of others with the mind's eye. Empathic engagement
brings unity from diversity, making all of us akin regardless of sex,
ages, race, culture, religion, and other devises factors...
Because a person cannot hate "the other" once empathy
bonds them together, empathy can be viewed as a remedy for the psyche
and soul of humankind."" (pg 214)
'Ten
approaches for enhancing empathy in health and human services cultures.
2009-01-22
by Mohammadreza Hojat
"Others have suggested that the capacity for empathy
in people in general can serve as a foundation for building
interpersonal relationships that have a buffering effect against
stress and can be an essential step in conflict resolution (Kremer & Dietzen, 1991). As the author has noted
"empathy can be viewed as a remedy for the psyche and soul of human
kind...And may be it can serve as a means of achieving a global peace
here, there, everywhere on earth." (Hojat, 2007, p. 214).
Benefits of
Focusing.
A process developed by Gene Genlin a student of Carl Rogers. It's an
empathic process. “Focusing” is to enter into a special kind of
awareness, different from our every day awareness. It is open, turned
inward, centered on the present and on your body’s inner sensations.
When doing Focusing, you silently ask, “How am I now?”
"Focusing permits you to:
-
understand what you are truly feeling and wanting
-
surmount obstacles, make decisions and solve problems
creatively
-
become more attentive and friendly to yourself and
others
-
integrate body, mind and spirit
-
find relief from tension and chronic pain
-
be independent from external belief systems
-
deepen and make more effective the process of
counseling and psychotherapy"
The benefits of empathy: When empathy may sustain cooperation in
social dilemmas
Ann C. Rumble, Paul A. M. Van Lange, Craig D. Parks
"Cooperation in social dilemmas is often challenged by negative
noise, or unintended errors, such that the actual behavior is less
cooperative than intended—for example, arriving later than intended
for a meeting due to an unusual traffic jam. ....
We conclude that empathy has broad benefits for social interaction,
in that it can be an effective tool for coping with misinterpreted
behaviors, thereby maintaining or enhancing cooperation."
Empathy, Listening Skills Relationships
By: Lawrence J. Bookbinder, PhD
"Benefits to the
Talker
-
Experiencing a
psychological hug is one of several possible benefits for the
talker.
-
Re-experiencing joy
and one's own personal power and choice
-
Making sense of a
puzzling situation
-
Becoming aware of
unconscious feelings
-
Experiencing relief
from distress
-
Ending a conflict
about a decision
-
Gaining needed
clarity to make a decision about next steps or actions to take
-
Obtaining relief
from health problems such as asthma, insomnia, headaches, back
pain"
Benefits for the Acknowledger
We tend to focus on the benefit to the talker rather
than the "acknowledger", yet both gain real
and powerful benefits. The process itself is one of mutuality where
both individuals are enriched.
Possible benefits for the "acknowledger” include:
-
Absorbing some of the joy, clarity, peace or other
benefits the talker experiences
-
Feeling good about giving another an opportunity to
talk about something that matters to him or
her
-
Reducing conflict or avoiding a quarrel with
another by careful listening & mutual inquiry
-
Broadening your horizons and expanding your world
by listening to another whose values and views are radically
different from your own
-
Feeling psychologically hugged by the talker"
How Parents Can Cultivate Empathy in Children
Richard Weissbourd and Stephanie Jones
Making Caring Common Project, Harvard Graduate School of Education
"Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human.
-
It’s a foundation for acting ethically,
-
for good relationships of many kinds,
-
for loving well,
-
and for professional success.
-
And it’s key to
preventing bullying and many other forms of cruelty. "
10 Steps to Awakening Self-Compassion
by: Marty Cottler,
"Benefits of Self-Compassion
Research indicates that
cultivating self-compassion can contribute to beneficial physical,
emotional-mental, and interpersonal changes, such as:
-
Modulates hormonal
functioning, especially of oxytocin and cortisol
-
Reduces the intensity and frequency of
negative and chronic stress reactions
-
Copes with difficult emotional
experiences
-
Moderates depression and anxiety
-
Increases emotional well being
-
Mitigates negative thinking, including
rumination
-
Improves interpersonal relationships
-
Enhances patience, generosity, gratitude,
acceptance, humility, openness, and gentleness"
Empathy is a Research Method
Jane Goodall
Video1,
Video2
"I was told you have to give them numbers because
you’ve got to be objective as a scientist, and you mustn't empathise
with your subjects and I feel this is where science has gone wrong. To
have this coldness, this lack of empathy has enabled some scientist to
do unethical behaviour. More over, why deny a perfectly respectable
tool? I think those two are behaving like that because that’s how I
would behave if I was in that situation, that’s empathy. Once you’ve
worked out why you think they are doing that, then you can start
testing that. Am I right? Is this a valid assumption or not? But it
gives you the groundwork for asking questions, ... I think empathy is
really important and I think only when our clever brain and our human
heart work together in harmony can we achieve our full potential. “
From
A META-ANALYSIS OF EMPATHY TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR CLIENT POPULATIONS by
Robert Paul Butters
"The meta-analysis of 24 studies of empathy training
programs reveal that overall, empathy training programs are associated
with increases in empathy (g = 0.911)."
Benefits of empathy
-
"Empathy is a critical component in prosocial
behaviors and moderates aggressive behavior (Eisenberg & Miller,
1988)
-
and the absence of empathy is a hallmark of autism
and psychopathy (Blair, 2008).
-
Empathy helps individuals establish and maintain
friendships (Del Barrio, Aluja, & Garcia, 2004; Hay, 1994),
-
enhances satisfaction in intimate relationships
(Long, Angera, & Hakoyama, 2008),
-
improves the quality of family relationships (Guerney,
1988),
-
positively associated with family cohesion, parental
support, and communicative responsiveness (Henry, Sager, & Plunkett,
1996).
-
Empathy has been positively correlated with helping
behaviors and negatively correlated with aggression (Jolliffe &
Farrington, 2006a; Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972).
-
Studies indicate that increases in empathy can reduce
sexual assaults and the incidence of domestic violence (Berg,
Lonsway, & Fitzgerald, 1999; Foubert, 2006; O’Donohue, 2003).
-
Further support for the salutary effects of empathy
comes from studies of parent training programs, where increasing
parental empathy is believed to reduce children’s aggressive and
acting-out behaviors (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008; McMahon &
Washburn, 2003).
-
Further, some research has demonstrated that
improving empathy through family and couples counseling leads to
improved relationships and decreased family problems (Long, 1999)."
-
"Empathy is a core component in human relationships
and a cornerstone of effective interpersonal skills (Carkhuff &
Truax, 1965)."
-
we see empathic responding and relating as a central
process in development, socializations, and healthy functioning.
-
Lack of empathy has been linked to disrupted
attachments, trauma, neglect, or other life experiences that
preclude the development or expression of empathy (Garber, 1997).
-
1997). Empathy helps individuals
establish and maintain friendships (Del Barrio et al., 2004; Hay,
1994);
-
enhances satisfaction in intimate
relationships (Davis & Oathout, 1987);
-
improves the quality of family
relationships (Guerney, 1988);
-
positively associated with family
cohesion, parental support, and communicative responsiveness (Henry
et al., 1996).
-
empathy is related to social
intelligence and can serve as a moderator for all forms of
aggression in adolescence (Bandura, 1999; Burke, 2001; Feshbach,
1987; Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006a; Miller & Eisenberg, 1988).
-
Many of the most promising parenting and
child abuse prevention programs emphasize empathic responding as a
core component to reduce externalizing behaviors and improving
attachment (Wiehe, 1997).
Increases in empathy also have a positive impact on
-
social functioning (Del Barrio et al., 2004),
-
parenting practices (Kaminski, Valle, Filene, &
Boyle, 2008),
-
family relationships (Guerney, 1988),
-
and moral development (Kagan, 1984)."
A lack of empathy,
-
conversely, implies the inability to
view the world from other individuals' perspectives or to feel
sympathy toward their suffering (Davis, 1994)
-
and a predisposition toward prejudice
(McFarland, 1998).
-
Impairment in empathy is a primary
diagnostic characteristic of pervasive developmental disorders, like
autism, and psychotic
disorders, like schizophrenia, and has been strongly linked to
aggression (Wiehe, 1997), psychopathy (Blair 2008),
-
criminal behaviors, and sexual offending (Varker et
al., 2008).
-
Low levels of empathy in adolescents are also
associated with bullying others (Endresen & Olweus, 2001; Jolliffe &
Farrington, 2006a).
-
In contrast, high levels of empathy in adolescents
are positively associated with helping behaviors toward victimized
schoolmates (Gini et al., 2007)
-
and, more generally, with prosocial and
helping behaviors (Davis, 1994; Eisenberg et al., 2006; Eisenberg &
Miller, 1987; Hoffman, 2000).
-
Why Empathy
(Empathetics Website) (in Healthcare)
"More satisfied patients, higher reimbursement, less stress.
-
Patient satisfaction is critical to determining
healthcare provider and institutional reputations. Medical
professionals who communicate with empathy have higher patient
satisfaction ratings. (Riess, 2012)
-
Over 80% of malpractice claims are the result of
communication failures and the likelihood of an unhappy outcome is
correlated to low physician empathy. (Hickson, 2002; Levinson, 2004)
-
Patients who experience empathic care have better
medical outcomes. (Hojat, 2011; Rakel, 2009; Kaptchuck, 2008)
-
Adherence to treatment recommendations increases when
medical professionals deliver patient-centered, compassionate care.
(Halpern, 2010)
-
Communicating empathically increases clinician job
satisfaction and reduces burnout. (Krasner, 2009; Shanafelt, 2009;
West, 2011)
-
Enhanced empathic care and physician well-being are
highly correlated. (Shanafelt, 2005)
-
Empathic clinician communication improves the quality
of all interactions with others; patients, their families, colleagues,
and loved ones. (Halpern, 2012)"
EMPATHY ON THE EDGE: SCALING AND SUSTAINING A HUMAN-CENTERED (IDEO)
(human-centered design)
"Empathy is a powerful force. Research shows that when
we are empathetic, we enhance our ability to receive and process
information. Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes—a part of our
subconscious behavior—causes measurable changes in our cognitive
style, increasing our so-called field-dependent thinking. This type of
thinking helps us put information in context and pick up contextual
cues from the environment, which is essential when we’re seeking to
understand how things relate to one another, literally and
figuratively.
Research also shows that we are more helpful and
generous after an empathic encounter (Decety and Ickes, 2011). Taken
together, this empathetic behavior personally motivates us to solve
design challenges. "
Making A Better Relationship – With Empathy by
Paul Parkin
"Empathy is a wonderful skill because it it allows
humans to identify with the entire range of emotions experienced by
others, it enables us to connect with each other and form groups and
communities. People who find it difficult to be empathic, will usually
find it difficult to make and sustain close committed relationships
and friendships.
Empathy is essential to effective and good friendships and
relationships because it opens up the channels for good communication
which is essential to forming and maintaining mutual support, a major
factor of close bonding....
By listening and understanding you will be giving your
relationship a real boost if you persevere: without empathy your loved
ones won’t feel understood, respected, cared for, or ultimately loved,
so try, start practicing today. If you don’t understand, it’s fine to
say so and ask your partner or friend to try to express how they
feel.""
The benefits of Empathy by
Wes Bertrand
Benefits in the Area of Business
The Impact of Empathy on Leadership Effectiveness among Business Leaders
by Wan Abdul
Rahman, W. A., Patricia Ann Castelli
-
Benefits
-
Empathy Promotes effective leadership in Business
-
Empathy helps businesses stay competitive
-
"To stay competitive it is imperative that business
leaders to acquire empathy skills so that they can relate
effectively to diverse groups of employees, and achieve the
desired results demanded by today’s global market (Kayworth &
Leidner, 2002). "
-
Empathy helps leaders better understand other
peoples’ perspectives and opinions
-
Empathy makes the work environment more enjoyable
and productive.
-
"According to Voss, Gruber, and Reppel (2010),
empathy skills allow leaders to understand better other peoples’
perspectives and opinions, making the work environment more
enjoyable and productive. "
-
Empathy helps leaders lead others to greater
effectiveness.
-
Goleman (1995) states that empathy is a must-have
virtue for leaders because it can inspire, motivate, envision, and
lead others to greater effectiveness.
-
Empathy helps leaders connect with
their people.
-
Empathy helps leaders make all
their people feel included
-
Goleman (1995) added that empathy has an important
role in leadership because empathy enables leaders to connect with
their people. Empathy ensures that connections occur between
people so that everybody is included and no employee feels left
out, and as such, an empathic leader is perceived as an effective
leader (Cockerell, 2009).
-
Empathy helps increases employee
optimism, motivation, and commitment, as well as organizational
vision
-
An effective leader increases employee optimism,
motivation, and commitment, as well as organizational vision
(Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002).
-
Empathy helps leaders adapt to
multicultural differences.
-
According to Leslie, Dalton, Ernst, and Deal
(2002), and McCuddy and Cavin (2008), in the rapidly growing
global market there are more leaders working across borders,
distances, and cultural boundaries. These leaders need to adapt to
multicultural differences, have exceptional knowledge of business
operations, have effective time management skills, and be able to
act and think beyond traditional boundaries.
-
Empathy helps leaders take the
perspective of others
-
Additionally, being an effective leader requires
the ability to take the perspective of others (McCormick, 1999).
McCormick (1999) further notes that the ability to take the
perspective of others means that leaders should be able to see the
world through others’ eyes.
-
Empathy promotes behaviors
that are needed for effective leadership
The Benefits of Emotional Intelligence and Empathy to Entrepreneurship
by Ronald H. Humphrey
"This paper reviews the literature on emotional
intelligence/competencies and relates it to entrepreneurship.
Emotional intelligence/competencies are positively related to job
performance, leadership, and physical and mental health. This paper
also reviews the research on another emotion-related trait, empathy.
Empathy is related to leadership emergence and effectiveness, and
empathic leaders have followers who experience less stress and
physical symptoms. This paper generates nine propositions that relate
emotional intelligence/competencies and empathy to entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurs high on emotional
intelligence/competencies will
-
(1) be more emotionally resilient when facing
obstacles,
-
(2) be more successful at handling intense emotions
when working with family members, and
-
(3) they will work more effectively with their
employees, customers, and other stakeholders and they will be rated
higher on leadership by their employees. High emotional intelligence
will give entrepreneurs
-
(4) an advantage in developing new products and
services, and
-
(5) in negotiating with financial backers, vendors
and suppliers, distributors and retailers, and with their employees.
Entrepreneurs high on empathy will be more successful at
-
(6) motivating and leading their employees, and
-
(7) helping their employees cope with workplace
stresses. They will be
-
(8) more attuned to their customers’ wants and have
higher customer satisfaction, and
-
(9) be more innovative."
Compassion
The Unexpected Benefits of Compassion for Business (Compassion)
by Emma
Seppala - Psychology Today
Compassionate workplaces - good for employees AND the corporate bottom
line.
Compassion: Our First Instinct
(Compassion)
Compassion’s Surprising Benefits for Physical and Psychological Health
by Emma Seppala - Psychology Today
-
" tremendous
benefits for both physical and mental health and overall well-being"
-
"enjoy better mental and physical health and speeds
up recovery from disease; furthermore",
-
compassion relieves stress and inflammation which
makes you healthier and live longer.
Connect To Thrive: Social Connection Improves Health, Well-Being &
Longevity (Compassion)
by Emma Seppala - Psychology Today
"We all know the basics of health 101: eat your veggies, go to the gym
and get proper rest. But how many of us know that social connection is
as important? Social connection improves physical health and
psychological well-being. One
telling study showed
that lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and
high blood pressure. On the the flip side, strong social connection
leads to a 50%
increased chance
of longevity. Social connection strengthens
our immune system (research
by Steve
Cole shows
that genes impacted
by social connection also code for immune function and
inflammation), helps us recover from disease faster, and may evenlengthen
our life.
People who feel more connected to others have lower
rates of anxiety and depression.
Moreover, studies show
they also have higher self-esteem,
are more empathic to others, more trusting and cooperative and, as a
consequence, others are more open to trusting and cooperating with
them. Social connectedness therefore generates a positive feedback
loop of social, emotional and physical well-being...."
The Best Kept Secret to Happiness: Compassion (Compassion)
by Emma Seppala - Psychology Today - November 5, 2012
"What can we take away from this research? That
material goods may give us fun short-term pleasure but that long-term
happiness and fulfillment lies less in what we can take than what we
can give. Compassion may just be the best kept secret to being not
just happy but also healthy, wealthy, and wise."
-
Compassion Makes You Happy
-
Compassion Makes You Wise
-
Compassion Makes You Attractive
-
Compassion Gives You Money and Time
-
Compassion Boosts Your Health
-
Compassion Uplifts & Spreads
Six Good Reasons to Create a Compassionate Workplace
(Compassion)
by
Andy Fraser
" let's define a compassionate workplace as follows: a
work environment where people feel valued and supported, and are
encouraged to develop their skills and reach their full potential.
Here are six things I learned about why this matters:"
1. Stress is bad for business...
2. Compassion boosts the bottom line...
3. Givers come out on top...
4. Compassion makes us happier and healthier...
5. Kindness is contagious...
6. Everyone wins...
SeedsOfCompassion.org - Why It Matters > Benefits
(Compassion)
"Why develop compassion in your life? Well, there are scientific
studies that suggest there are physical benefits to practicing
compassion — people who practice it produce 100 percent more DHEA,
which is a hormone that counteracts the aging process, and 23 percent
less cortisol — the “stress hormone.”
But there are other benefits as well, and these are emotional and
spiritual. The main benefit is that it helps you to be more happy, and
brings others around you to be more happy. If we agree that it is a
common aim of each of us to strive to be happy, then compassion is one
of the main tools for achieving that happiness. "
8 Wonderful Psychological Effects of Being
Compassionate (Compassion)
by Jeremy Dean
Here are eight psychology studies which show the
effects of exercising your humanity.
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