Empathie: Gewinne und Verluste im ... - Jacobs University

Abstract
– ABSTRACT –
The present study investigated age differences in two facets of empathy – empathic
accuracy and emotional congruence – in a sample of young (N = 80, M = 32 years)
and old (N = 73, M = 59 years) adults. It was hypothesized that age differences in
empathic reactions will be moderated by the age relevance of the topic a target
person talks about: participants will show more empathic accuracy and emotional
congruence if the topic is relevant to their own age group.
Empathy was investigated in vivo by presenting eight film clips, each depicting
a person talking about a significant life event. The age-relevance of the life-event was
varied (young vs. old). Four persons talked about an “old-age” problem (loss of close
relative), four persons talked about a “young-adulthood” problem (unexpected life
transition). After each film clip participants rated the emotions of the target persons
and reported their own emotions with two adjective lists each consisting of the same
twenty emotions. Empathic accuracy was calculated by correlating the self- and
other-reported emotions of the target persons. Emotional congruence was calculated
by correlating participants’ and targets’ self-reported emotions. To check if the mani-
pulation of the age relevance of the topic was succesfull, emotional reactivity was
measured on subjective, behavioral and physiological levels.
As predicted, older people were more empathic than young adults when being
confronted with persons talking about a topic relevant to old age, however, they were
less empathic than young adults when being confronted with a topic that was more
relevant to young adulthood. This evidence gives a positive outlook on getting older.
Age-related gains in empathic capacities can be expected in situations of particular
relevance in old age.
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