title: Motor, affective and cognitive empathy in adolescence: Interrelations between facial electromyography and self-reported trait and state measures.
abstract: This study examined interrelations of trait and state empathy in an adolescent sample. Self-reported affective trait empathy and cognitive trait empathy were assessed during a home visit. During a test session at the university, motor empathy (facial electromyography), and self-reported affective and cognitive state empathy were assessed in response to empathy-inducing film clips portraying happiness and sadness. Adolescents who responded with stronger motor empathy consistently reported higher affective state empathy. Adolescents' motor empathy was also positively related to cognitive state empathy, either directly or indirectly via affective state empathy. Whereas trait empathy was consistently, but modestly, related to state empathy with sadness, for state empathy with happiness few trait-state associations were found. Together, the findings provide support for the notion that empathy is a multi-faceted phenomenon. Motor, affective and cognitive empathy seem to be related processes, each playing a different role in the ability to understand and share others' feelings.
authors: a Research Centre Adolescent Development , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors: Jolien
authors: J
authors: Van der Graaff
authors: a Research Centre Adolescent Development , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.|b Department of Psychology , Tilburg University , Tilburg , The Netherlands.
authors: Wim
authors: W
authors: Meeus
authors: a Research Centre Adolescent Development , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors: Minet
authors: M
authors: de Wied
authors: b Department of Psychology , Tilburg University , Tilburg , The Netherlands.
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: van Boxtel
authors: c Department of Developmental Psychology , VU University , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.
authors: Pol A C
authors: PA
authors: van Lier
authors: c Department of Developmental Psychology , VU University , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.
authors: Hans M
authors: HM
authors: Koot
authors: a Research Centre Adolescent Development , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Branje
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005145:Face / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotion; Facial EMG; Motor mimicry; State empathy; Trait empathy