Sex-based Differences in Affective and Cognitive Empathy Following Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Date
Authors
Zupan, B
Neumann, D
Babbage, D
Willer, B
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Abstract
Objective: To examine sex differences in self-ratings for affective and cognitive empathy for males and females with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and compare these to observer ratings. Method: Self and observer (e.g., spouse) ratings of affective and cognitive empathy were obtained for 160 participants (116 males) with severe TBI, using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index Empathic Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales, respectively. Results: When compared to sex norms, female self-ratings were significantly lower for both subscales, whereas men's self-report ratings were only lower for PT. For EC, more women (44%) were found to be substantially below the normative means (≥2 SDs) than men (17%), p < .001. When comparing women and men with TBI, self-report and observer ratings indicated both sexes had similar empathy levels (both subscales). Self versus observer ratings showed that women's self-ratings were significantly higher than observer's ratings on PT (p < .001); men's self-ratings were significantly higher than observer's ratings on PT (p < .001) and EC (p = .009). Conclusions: In contrast to the typically observed superior female empathy, this study suggests this advantage may disappear after a TBI, and possibly result in a disadvantage compared to their uninjured female peers. Theoretical implications of self-awareness and cultural gender expectations for empathy are discussed.Description
Keywords
empathy, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, sex, traumatic brain injury, Social Sciences, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Psychology, Clinical, Neurosciences, Psychology, Neurosciences & Neurology, traumatic brain injury, Interpersonal reactivity index, gender differences, social cognition, emotional cognition, self-awareness, individual differences, facial expressions, affect recognition, female advantage, deficits, 5203 Clinical and Health Psychology, 5205 Social and Personality Psychology, 52 Psychology, Clinical Research, Physical Injury - Accidents and Adverse Effects, Traumatic Head and Spine Injury, Behavioral and Social Science, Neurosciences, Brain Disorders, Women's Health, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), 1109 Neurosciences, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, Experimental Psychology, 3209 Neurosciences, 5202 Biological psychology, 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
Source
Neuropsychology, ISSN: 0894-4105 (Print); 1931-1559 (Online), AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC, 32(5), 554-563. doi: 10.1037/neu0000462
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This is the Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Neuropsychology © The American Psychological Association. The Version of Record is available at DOI:
10.1037/neu0000462