title: The impact of an arts-based programme on the affective and cognitive components of empathic development.
abstract: Medical education research demonstrates that empathic behaviour is amenable to positive change when targeted through educational programmes. This study evaluates the impact of an arts-based intervention designed to nurture learner empathy through the provision of facilitated visual literacy activities. Health Sciences students (N=19) were assigned to two learning groups: a group that participated in a visual literacy programme at the McMaster Museum of Art and a control group that participated in the normal Health Sciences curriculum. All participants completed an inter-reactivity index, which measures empathy on affective and cognitive levels, prior to and following the programme. Those individuals assigned to the visual literacy programme also completed open-ended questions concerning the programme's impact on their empathic development. The index scores were subjected to independent within-group, between-test analyses. There was no significant impact of the programme on the participants' overall empathic response. However, sub-component analyses revealed that the programme had a significant positive effect on cognitive aspects of empathy. This finding was substantiated by the narrative reports. The study concludes that the affective focus of humanities-based education needs to be enhanced and recommends that learners are educated on the different components that comprise the overall empathic response.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Joyce
authors: J
authors: Zazulak
authors: Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Camilla
authors: C
authors: Halgren
authors: Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Megan
authors: M
authors: Tan
authors: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Program for Educational Research and Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Lawrence E M
authors: LE
authors: Grierson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001154:Art; D003071:Cognition; D003479:Curriculum; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult