Empathy and emotional perception in Psychology students and psychotherapists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2011v2n2p133Keywords:
empathy, perception of primary emotions, psychotherapyAbstract
This research project aimed the study of the empathic ability and the perception of primary emotions, both in students and psychotherapists at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon. To assess these variables two tests were used: the first Portuguese experimental version of the Test de Empatía Cognitiva y Afectiva (TECA), translated and adapted as part of this study, and the Teste de Percepção de Emoções Primárias (PEP), developed at the University of San Francisco (Brazil). The intent was to ascertain if these abilities may be developed through academic teaching or only by practice, whereby it was assessed in a sample of 113 participants. It was found that cognitive empathy is higher in individuals with better knowledge and experience, that emotional empathy is positively (but not significantly) correlated with the perception of emotions and that there is evidence of a certain degree of independence between the two types of empathy (cognitive and emotional).References
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Bennett-Levy, J., & Thwaites, R. (2009). Self and self reflection in the therapeutic relationship: A conceptual map and practical strategies for the training supervision and self-supervision of interpersonal skills. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The Therapeutic Relationship in the Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapies (pp. 255-281). New York: Routledge.
Besel, L. D. S., & Yuille, J. C. (2010). Individual differences in empathy: The role of facial expression recognition. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(2), 107-112. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.013
Blais, C., Jack, R. E., Scheepers, C., Fiset, D., & Caldara, R. (2008). Culture shapes how we look at faces. PLoS ONE, 3(8), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003022
Bohart, A. C., & Greenberg, L. S. (1997). Empathy: Where are we and where do we go from here? In A. C. Bohart, L. S. Greenberg, A. C. Bohart, L. S. Greenberg (Eds.), Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy (pp. 419-449). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10226-031
Bordin, E. S. (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 16(3), 252- 260. doi:10.1037/h0085885
Cormier, S., Nurius, P., & Osborn, C. (2009). Interviewing and change strategies for helpers: Fundamental skills and cognitive behavioral interventions. Australia: Thompson Brooks.
Dimberg, U., Andréasson, P., & Thunberg, M. (2011). Emotional empathy and facial reactions to facial expressions. Journal of Psychophysiology, 25(1), 26-31. doi:10.1027/0269-8803/a000029
Ekman, P. (1992). Facial expressions of emotion: New findings, new questions. Psychological Science, 3(1), 34-38.
Fernández-Dols, J., Carrera, P., Barchard, K. A., & Gacitua, M. (2008). False recognition of facial expressions of emotion: Causes and implications. Emotion, 8(4), 530-539. doi:10.1037/a0012724
Fernández-Pinto, I., López-Pérez, B., & Márquez, M. (2008). Empatía: Medidas, teorias y aplicaciones en revisión. Anales de Psicología, 24(2), 284-298.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Evolved minds and compassion in the therapeutic relationship. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 106-142). New York: Routledge.
Gilbert, P., & Leahy, R. (2009). Introduction and overview: Basic issues in the therapeutic relationship. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 3-23). New York: Routledge.
Gladstein, G. A. (1983). Understanding empathy: Integrating counseling, developmental, and social psychology perspectives. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30(4), 467-482. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.30.4.467
Greenberg, L. S. (2002). Emotions and emotional intelligence. In L. S. Greenberg (Ed.), Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work through their feelings (pp. 3-38). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10447-001
Greenberg, L. S. (2009). Emotion in the therapeutic relationship in emotionfocused therapy. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 43-62). New York: Routledge.
Hall, J. A., Davis, M. H., & Connelly, M. (2000). Dispositional empathy in scientists and practitioner psychologists: Group differences and relationship to self-reported professional effectiveness. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 37(1), 45-56. doi:10.1037/h0087758
Harrison, N. A., Singer, T., Rotshtein, P., Dolan, R. J., & Critchley, H. D. (2006). Pupillary contagion: Central mechanisms engaged in sadness processing. Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 1(1), 5-17. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsl006
International Test Commission (2010). International Test Commission guidelines for translating and adapting tests. Retirado de http://www.intestcom.org
López-Pérez, B., Férnandez-Pinto, I., García, F.J.A. (2008). TECA: Test de Empatía Cognitiva y Afectiva (Manual). Madrid: TEA Ediciones, S.A.
Machado, P. P. P., Beutler, L. E., & Greenberg, L. S. (1999). Emotion recognition in psychotherapy: Impact of therapist level of experience and emotional awareness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 39-57.
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2004). Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psychological Inquiry, 15(3), 197-215.
Miguel, F. K., & Noronha, A. P. P. (2006). Estudo da inteligência emocional em cursos universitários. In A. P. Soares, S. Araújo & S. Caires (Eds.). Avaliação psicológica e contextos (pp. 613-619). Braga, Portugal: Psiquilíbrios.
Miguel, F. K. & Primi, R. (2010). Teste Informatizado de Percepção de Emoções Primárias para avaliação de adultos. In M. C. R. A. Joly & C. T. Reppold (Eds.), Estudos de testes informatizados para avaliação psicológica (pp. 231-245). São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo.
Plutchik, R. (2000). A psychoevolutionary theory of emotion. In R. Plutchik (Ed.), Emotions in the practice of psychotherapy: Clinical implications of affect theories (pp. 59-79). American Psychological Association.
Riggio, R. E., Tucker, J. & Coffaro, D. (1989). Social skills and empathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 10(1), 93-99.
Rogers, C. R. (1974). A terapia centrada no paciente (M. C. Ferreira, Trad.). Lisboa: Moaes Editores. (Obra original publicada em 1951)
Smith, A. (2009). The empathy imbalance hypothesis of autism: A theoretical approach to cognitive and emotional empathy in autistic development. The Psychological Record, 59(3), 489-510.
Sonnby-Borgström, M. (2002). Automatic mimicry reactions as related to differences in emotional empathy. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43(5), 433-443. doi:10.1111/1467-9450.00312
Thwaites, R., & Bennett-Levy, J. (2007). Conceptualizing empathy in cognitive behaviour therapy: Making the implicit explicit. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35(5), 591-612. doi:10.1017/S1352465807003785
Vasco, A. B. (2007). Quando menos é melhor: A arte de comunicar em psicoterapia. Comunicação no Encontro Nacional “Comunicação em Saúde”, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada.
Vasco, A. B. (2005). Creio num engenho mais fecundo de harmonizar as partes dissonantes: Fundamentação para a integração em psicoterapia. PsiLogos, 1(2), 77-94.
Waller, B. M., Cray, J. R., & Burrows, A. M. (2008). Selection for universal facial emotion. Emotion, 8(3), 435-439. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.8.3.435
Bennett-Levy, J., & Thwaites, R. (2009). Self and self reflection in the therapeutic relationship: A conceptual map and practical strategies for the training supervision and self-supervision of interpersonal skills. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The Therapeutic Relationship in the Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapies (pp. 255-281). New York: Routledge.
Besel, L. D. S., & Yuille, J. C. (2010). Individual differences in empathy: The role of facial expression recognition. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(2), 107-112. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.03.013
Blais, C., Jack, R. E., Scheepers, C., Fiset, D., & Caldara, R. (2008). Culture shapes how we look at faces. PLoS ONE, 3(8), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003022
Bohart, A. C., & Greenberg, L. S. (1997). Empathy: Where are we and where do we go from here? In A. C. Bohart, L. S. Greenberg, A. C. Bohart, L. S. Greenberg (Eds.), Empathy reconsidered: New directions in psychotherapy (pp. 419-449). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10226-031
Bordin, E. S. (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 16(3), 252- 260. doi:10.1037/h0085885
Cormier, S., Nurius, P., & Osborn, C. (2009). Interviewing and change strategies for helpers: Fundamental skills and cognitive behavioral interventions. Australia: Thompson Brooks.
Dimberg, U., Andréasson, P., & Thunberg, M. (2011). Emotional empathy and facial reactions to facial expressions. Journal of Psychophysiology, 25(1), 26-31. doi:10.1027/0269-8803/a000029
Ekman, P. (1992). Facial expressions of emotion: New findings, new questions. Psychological Science, 3(1), 34-38.
Fernández-Dols, J., Carrera, P., Barchard, K. A., & Gacitua, M. (2008). False recognition of facial expressions of emotion: Causes and implications. Emotion, 8(4), 530-539. doi:10.1037/a0012724
Fernández-Pinto, I., López-Pérez, B., & Márquez, M. (2008). Empatía: Medidas, teorias y aplicaciones en revisión. Anales de Psicología, 24(2), 284-298.
Gilbert, P. (2009). Evolved minds and compassion in the therapeutic relationship. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 106-142). New York: Routledge.
Gilbert, P., & Leahy, R. (2009). Introduction and overview: Basic issues in the therapeutic relationship. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 3-23). New York: Routledge.
Gladstein, G. A. (1983). Understanding empathy: Integrating counseling, developmental, and social psychology perspectives. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30(4), 467-482. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.30.4.467
Greenberg, L. S. (2002). Emotions and emotional intelligence. In L. S. Greenberg (Ed.), Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work through their feelings (pp. 3-38). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10447-001
Greenberg, L. S. (2009). Emotion in the therapeutic relationship in emotionfocused therapy. In P. Gilbert & R. Leahy (Eds.), The therapeutic relationship in the cognitive behavioral psychotherapies (pp. 43-62). New York: Routledge.
Hall, J. A., Davis, M. H., & Connelly, M. (2000). Dispositional empathy in scientists and practitioner psychologists: Group differences and relationship to self-reported professional effectiveness. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 37(1), 45-56. doi:10.1037/h0087758
Harrison, N. A., Singer, T., Rotshtein, P., Dolan, R. J., & Critchley, H. D. (2006). Pupillary contagion: Central mechanisms engaged in sadness processing. Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience, 1(1), 5-17. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsl006
International Test Commission (2010). International Test Commission guidelines for translating and adapting tests. Retirado de http://www.intestcom.org
López-Pérez, B., Férnandez-Pinto, I., García, F.J.A. (2008). TECA: Test de Empatía Cognitiva y Afectiva (Manual). Madrid: TEA Ediciones, S.A.
Machado, P. P. P., Beutler, L. E., & Greenberg, L. S. (1999). Emotion recognition in psychotherapy: Impact of therapist level of experience and emotional awareness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 39-57.
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2004). Emotional intelligence: Theory, findings, and implications. Psychological Inquiry, 15(3), 197-215.
Miguel, F. K., & Noronha, A. P. P. (2006). Estudo da inteligência emocional em cursos universitários. In A. P. Soares, S. Araújo & S. Caires (Eds.). Avaliação psicológica e contextos (pp. 613-619). Braga, Portugal: Psiquilíbrios.
Miguel, F. K. & Primi, R. (2010). Teste Informatizado de Percepção de Emoções Primárias para avaliação de adultos. In M. C. R. A. Joly & C. T. Reppold (Eds.), Estudos de testes informatizados para avaliação psicológica (pp. 231-245). São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo.
Plutchik, R. (2000). A psychoevolutionary theory of emotion. In R. Plutchik (Ed.), Emotions in the practice of psychotherapy: Clinical implications of affect theories (pp. 59-79). American Psychological Association.
Riggio, R. E., Tucker, J. & Coffaro, D. (1989). Social skills and empathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 10(1), 93-99.
Rogers, C. R. (1974). A terapia centrada no paciente (M. C. Ferreira, Trad.). Lisboa: Moaes Editores. (Obra original publicada em 1951)
Smith, A. (2009). The empathy imbalance hypothesis of autism: A theoretical approach to cognitive and emotional empathy in autistic development. The Psychological Record, 59(3), 489-510.
Sonnby-Borgström, M. (2002). Automatic mimicry reactions as related to differences in emotional empathy. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 43(5), 433-443. doi:10.1111/1467-9450.00312
Thwaites, R., & Bennett-Levy, J. (2007). Conceptualizing empathy in cognitive behaviour therapy: Making the implicit explicit. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35(5), 591-612. doi:10.1017/S1352465807003785
Vasco, A. B. (2007). Quando menos é melhor: A arte de comunicar em psicoterapia. Comunicação no Encontro Nacional “Comunicação em Saúde”, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada.
Vasco, A. B. (2005). Creio num engenho mais fecundo de harmonizar as partes dissonantes: Fundamentação para a integração em psicoterapia. PsiLogos, 1(2), 77-94.
Waller, B. M., Cray, J. R., & Burrows, A. M. (2008). Selection for universal facial emotion. Emotion, 8(3), 435-439. doi:10.1037/1528-3542.8.3.435
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Published
2011-02-18
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Palhoco, A. R., & Afonso, M. J. (2011). Empathy and emotional perception in Psychology students and psychotherapists. Estudos Interdisciplinares Em Psicologia, 2(2), 133–153. https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2011v2n2p133
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