University of California, Berkeley, USA.
University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2021 Jun;47(6):1004-1019. doi: 10.1177/0146167220953987. Epub 2020 Sep 16.
Although research suggests distressed individuals benefit from others' empathy, it is unclear how an individual's level of empathy influences dyadic responses during emotional situations. In the current study, female participants ( = 140; 70 dyads) were paired with a stranger. One member of each dyad (the experiencer) was randomly assigned to undergo a stressful task and disclose negative personal experiences to their partner (the listener). Experiencers paired with listeners higher in dispositional emotional empathy had less negative affect during emotional disclosure and lower sympathetic nervous system reactivity during the stressful task and disclosure. Listeners higher in emotional empathy reported more negative affect in response to their partner's distress. Furthermore, for listeners higher in emotional empathy, those who more accurately rated their partner's emotions were more physiologically influenced by their partners. Findings shed light on interpersonal functions of empathy and suggest a stranger's level of emotional empathy regulates distressed partner's emotions and physiology.
虽然研究表明，情绪困扰的个体从他人的共情中受益，但个体共情水平如何影响情绪情境下的人际反应还不清楚。在本研究中，女性参与者（n=140；70 对）与一位陌生人配对。每个配对中的一位成员（体验者）被随机分配进行一项压力任务，并向他们的伴侣（倾听者）透露负面的个人经历。与情绪共情特质得分较高的倾听者配对的体验者在情绪表露期间的负面情绪较少，在压力任务和表露期间的交感神经系统反应较低。共情特质得分较高的倾听者对伴侣的痛苦表现出更多的负面情绪反应。此外，对于共情特质得分较高的倾听者来说，那些更准确地评估伴侣情绪的人会受到伴侣情绪的更大生理影响。这些发现揭示了共情的人际功能，并表明陌生人的情绪共情水平调节着痛苦伴侣的情绪和生理。
