Empathy Training: Methods, Evaluation Practices, and Validity

Lam, Tony C. M.; Kolomitro, Klodiana; Alamparambil, Flanny C.

doi:10.56645/jmde.v7i16.314

Cited by 87 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The evidence was inconclusive, because only three studies (reported in two publications) ( N = 150) contributed data. In a review of empathy training evaluation research, Lam et al, 2011 found that regardless of the training method used, individuals were able to learn about the concept of empathy. Whilst the modification of knowledge is relatively straightforward, this was evidently not an outcome reported in the studies in this review.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Reith‐Hall

Montgomery

2023

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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Background Good communication is central to effective social work practice, helping to develop constructive working relationships and improve the outcomes of people in receipt of social work services. There is strong consensus that the teaching and learning of communication skills for social work students is an essential component of social work qualifying courses. However, the variation in communication skills training and its components is significant. There is a sizeable body of evidence relating to communication skills training therefore a review of the findings helps to clarify what we know about this important topic in social work education. We conducted this systematic review to determine whether communication skills training for social work students works and which types of communication skills training, if any, were more effective and lead to the most positive outcomes. Objectives This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate all studies which have investigated the effectiveness of communication skills training programmes for social work students. The research question which the review posed is: ‘What is the effectiveness of communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of social work students?’ It was intended that the review would provide a robust evaluation of communication skills training for social work students and help explain variations in practice to support educators and policy‐makers to make evidence‐based decisions in social work education, practice and policy. Search Methods We conducted a search for published and unpublished studies using a comprehensive search strategy that included multiple electronic databases, research registers, grey literature sources, and reference lists of prior reviews and relevant studies. Selection Criteria Study selection was based on the following characteristics: Participants were social work students on generic (as opposed to client specific) qualifying courses; Interventions included any form of communication skills training; eligible studies were required to have an appropriate comparator such as no intervention or an alternative intervention; and outcomes included changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours. Study selection was not restricted by geography, language, publication date or publication type. Data Collection and Analysis The search strategy was developed using the terms featuring in existing knowledge and practice reviews and in consultation with social work researchers, academics and the review advisory panel, to ensure that a broad range of terminology was included. One reviewer conducted the database searches, removing duplicates and irrelevant records, after which each record was screened by title and abstract by both reviewers to ensure robustness. Any studies deemed to be potentially eligible were retrieved in full text and screened by both reviewers. Main Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, findings indicate that communication skills training including empathy ca...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Reith‐Hall

Montgomery

2023

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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“…While the findings of our research suggest there is a relationship between target language proficiency and empathy, it is important to underscore that we do not make any claims about causality. Future research would benefit from considering the learnability of empathy (i.e., Bertrand, Guegan, Robieux, McCall, & Zenasni, 2018;Lam, Kolomitro, & Alamparambil, 2011) as it relates to L2 outcomes. Furthermore, the cross-sectional design of the present work is not ideal for addressing how empathy levels affect the rate at which perception of L2 intonation develops.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using intonation to disambiguate meaning: The role of empathy and proficiency in L2 perceptual development

Casillas,

Garrido-Pozú,

Parrish

et al. 2023

Applied Psycholinguistics

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The present study investigates the interplay between proficiency and empathy in the development of second language (L2) prosody by analyzing the perception and processing of intonation in questions and statements in L2 Spanish. A total of 225 adult L2 Spanish learners (L1 English) from the Northeastern United States completed a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) task in which they listened to four utterance types and categorized them as either questions or statements. We used Bayesian multilevel regression and drift diffusion modeling to analyze the 2AFC data as a function of proficiency level and empathy scores for each utterance type. We show that learner response accuracy and sensitivity to intonation are positively correlated with proficiency, and this association is affected by individual empathy levels in both response accuracy and sentence processing. Higher empathic individuals, in comparison with lower empathic individuals, appear to be more sensitive to intonation cues in the process of forming sound-meaning associations, though increased sensitivity does not necessarily imply increased processing speed. The results motivate the inclusion of measures of pragmatic skill, such as empathy, to better account for intonational meaning processing and sentence comprehension in second language acquisition.

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“…Empathy has been found to be positively correlated with the attitude of undergraduate health care students toward older adults and their willingness to care for them [12,13]. The most common methods for cultivating empathy in students include experiential training, didactic training, skills training, and a mixed methods approach [14]. Experiential learning is cognitively stimulating and has an impact on the entire person.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality–Assisted Experiential Learning on Enhancing Empathy in Undergraduate Health Care Students Toward Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Multiple-Methods Study

Liu,

Mak,

Chan

et al. 2024

JMIR Med Educ

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Background Immersive virtual reality (IVR)–assisted experiential learning has the potential to foster empathy among undergraduate health care students toward older adults with cognitive impairment by facilitating a sense of embodiment. However, the extent of its effectiveness, including enhancing students’ learning experiences and achieving intended learning outcomes, remains underexplored. Objective This study aims to evaluate the impacts of IVR-assisted experiential learning on the empathy of undergraduate health care students toward older people with cognitive impairment as the primary outcome (objective 1) and on their learning experience (objective 2) and their attainment of learning outcomes as the secondary outcomes (objective 3). Methods A multiple-methods design was used, which included surveys, focus groups, and a review of the students’ group assignments. Survey data were summarized using descriptive statistics, whereas paired 2-tailed t tests were used to evaluate differences in empathy scores before and after the 2-hour IVR tutorial (objective 1). Focus groups were conducted to evaluate the impacts of IVR-assisted experiential learning on the empathy of undergraduate health care students toward older people with cognitive impairment (objective 1). Descriptive statistics obtained from surveys and thematic analyses of focus groups were used to explore the students’ learning experiences (objective 2). Thematic analysis of group assignments was conducted to identify learning outcomes (objective 3). Results A total of 367 undergraduate nursing and occupational therapy students were recruited via convenience sampling. There was a significant increase in the students’ empathy scores, measured using the Kiersma-Chen Empathy Scale, from 78.06 (SD 7.72) before to 81.17 (SD 8.93) after (P<.001). Students expressed high satisfaction with the IVR learning innovation, with a high satisfaction mean score of 20.68 (SD 2.55) and a high self-confidence mean score of 32.04 (SD 3.52) on the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence scale. Students exhibited a good sense of presence in the IVR learning environment, as reflected in the scores for adaptation (41.30, SD 6.03), interface quality (11.36, SD 3.70), involvement (62.00, SD 9.47), and sensory fidelity (31.47, SD 5.23) on the Presence Questionnaire version 2.0. In total, 3 major themes were identified from the focus groups, which involved 23 nursing students: enhanced sympathy toward older adults with cognitive impairment, improved engagement in IVR learning, and confidence in understanding the key concepts through the learning process. These themes supplement and align with the survey results. The analysis of the written assignments revealed that students attained the learning outcomes of understanding the challenges faced by older adults with cognitive impairment, the importance of providing person-centered care, and the need for an age-friendly society. Conclusions IVR-assisted experiential learning enhances students’ knowledge and empathy in caring for older adults with cognitive impairment. These findings suggest that IVR can be a valuable tool in professional health care education.

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Empathy Training: Methods, Evaluation Practices, and Validity

Cited by 87 publications

References 40 publications

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Using intonation to disambiguate meaning: The role of empathy and proficiency in L2 perceptual development

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality–Assisted Experiential Learning on Enhancing Empathy in Undergraduate Health Care Students Toward Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment: Multiple-Methods Study

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