Powell Philip A
1Department of Economics, Institute for Economic Analysis of Decision-making (InstEAD), University of Sheffield, 9 Mappin Street, South Yorkshire, S1 4DT UK.
2Present Address: School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 4DA UK.
Motiv Emot. 2018;42(4):602-613. doi: 10.1007/s11031-018-9684-4. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
Individual differences in empathy can have positive and negative psychological outcomes. Yet, individual differences in the processing and regulation of empathy-induced emotion have not been fully explored within this dynamic. This study was designed to explore whether individual differences in emotion regulation strategies moderated the effects of empathy on common forms of affective distress. Eight hundred and forty four participants completed survey measures of trait empathy, emotion regulation strategies, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Affective empathy typically predicted greater affective distress, but the effects on depression and anxiety were offset when people were effective at reappraising their emotions. Cognitive empathy predicted lower distress on average, but this beneficial effect on anxiety and stress was absent in those who typically suppressed their emotions. Finally, suppression unexpectedly reduced the depression and stress reported for people high in affective empathy. Individual differences in emotion regulation are an important moderator between empathy and psychological health, and thus a useful target for intervention.
共情方面的个体差异会产生积极和消极的心理结果。然而，在这一动态过程中，共情引发情绪的处理和调节方面的个体差异尚未得到充分探索。本研究旨在探讨情绪调节策略的个体差异是否会调节共情对常见情感困扰形式的影响。844名参与者完成了关于特质共情、情绪调节策略以及抑郁、焦虑和压力症状的调查测量。情感共情通常预示着更大的情感困扰，但当人们能够有效地重新评估自己的情绪时，对抑郁和焦虑的影响就会被抵消。认知共情平均预示着较低的困扰，但在那些通常压抑自己情绪的人身上，这种对焦虑和压力的有益影响并不存在。最后，压抑情绪意外地减少了情感共情水平高的人所报告的抑郁和压力。情绪调节方面的个体差异是共情与心理健康之间的一个重要调节因素，因此是一个有用的干预目标。
