Empathy through the Pandemic: Changes of Different Emphatic Dimensions during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Chiara Baiano, Gennaro Raimo, Isa Zappullo, Marialaura Marra, Roberta Cecere, Luigi Trojano and Massimiliano Conson
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Chiara Baiano: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Gennaro Raimo: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Isa Zappullo: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Marialaura Marra: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Roberta Cecere: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Luigi Trojano: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy
Massimiliano Conson: Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-8

Abstract: Growing evidence suggests that empathy is a relevant psychological trait to face the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but at the present very little is known on whether this multi-dimensional construct has been affected by the pandemic outbreak differently in its separate components. Here, we aimed at filling this gap by capitalizing on the opportunity of having collected data from different self-report measures and cognitive tasks assessing the main dimensions of empathy immediately before the beginning of the global pandemic and about one year later. The results showed a detrimental impact of the pandemic outbreak on empathic social skills but not on both cognitive (perspective-taking) and emotional empathy that instead significantly improved. Thus, reduced empathic social skills could be a weakness to be targeted in psychological interventions to help people cope with the mental health challenges related to COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the ability of understanding another’s mental states and emotions could represent a strength in dealing with the current long-lasting crisis.

Keywords: empathy; social skills; theory of mind; social cognition; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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