Differences in Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking Across 63           Countries

William J. Chopik; Ed O’Brien; Sara H. Konrath

doi:10.1177/0022022116673910

journal article Oct 14, 2016

Differences in Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking Across 63 Countries

William J. Chopik Ed O’Brien Sara H. Konrath

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology Vol. 48 No. 1 pp. 23-38 · SAGE Publications

View at Publisher Save 10.1177/0022022116673910

Abstract

Cultural practices socialize people to relate to others in different ways. One critical way in which these interpersonal bonds are formed and maintained is via empathy, our emotional reactivity toward others’ experiences. However, the extent to which individuals from different cultures vary in their dispositional empathy, and the correlates of these differences, are relatively unknown. Thus, the current study explored cultural variation in empathy, and how this variation is related to psychological characteristics and prosocial behavior across cultures. Evidence from an original sample of 104,365 adults across 63 countries reveals that higher empathy countries also have higher levels of collectivism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, self-esteem, emotionality, subjective well-being, and prosocial behavior. These findings reveal that empathy is situated within a broader nomological network of other psychological characteristics, emotional expression and experiences, and prosocial behavior across cultures. The current study expands our understanding about how psychological characteristics vary across cultures and how these characteristics can manifest in broader national indicators of prosocial behavior.

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Metrics

229

Citations

78

References

Details

Published: Oct 14, 2016
Vol/Issue: 48(1)
Pages: 23-38
License: View

Authors

W

William J. Chopik

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

E

Ed O’Brien

University of Chicago, IL, USA

S

Sara H. Konrath

Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Cite This Article

William J. Chopik, Ed O’Brien, Sara H. Konrath (2016). Differences in Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking Across 63 Countries. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 48(1), 23-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022116673910

Differences in Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking Across 63 Countries

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