The Taxonomy of Empathy: A Meta-definition and the Nine Dimensions of the Empathic System

Abstract

The conceptual diversity in the definition of empathy has resulted in descriptions of a highly heterogeneous collection of related phenomena, causing confusion as to what empathy actually is. Some of this heterogeneity arises due to disparate viewpoints across different disciplines. Capturing this transdisciplinary construct and arriving at a clear and unambiguous overarching definition of empathy will help provide a clearer outline of the fundamental dimensions of empathy, and will facilitate greater consistency in research and discussion of empathy across and between a range of disciplines. An inductive conceptual content analysis of the existing definitions of empathy was undertaken to distil the common higher order and lower order components of empathy definitions that have been used in the literature since 1980. A total of 146 definitions of empathy were sourced from a sample of 506 publications. Nine overarching dimensions were identified within the 146 definitions, including empathy as a catalyst, function, process, outcome, affective state, cognitive state, involving self and other, leading to a behaviour, and occurring in a specific context. The resultant meta-definition of empathy is “the ability to experience affective and cognitive states of another person, while maintaining a distinct self, in order to understand the other.” The results reveal empathy as a complex series of processes that we argue should be considered an “empathic system” given its multidimensional nature.

The role of empathy in shared intentionality: Contributions from Inter-Processual Self theory

“…Nevertheless, evidence indicates that the factor structure underlying the SRQs that measure empathy responds to multiple subcomponents, rather than to a one-or two-factor solution (Baldner and McGinley, 2014). This evidence is in line with current suggestions on empathy (Hall and Schwartz, 2019), as well as with the metaanalytic conceptualization recently proposed by Guthridge and Giummarra (2021). The self-reported functioning reflects the perception that a person has about his/her performance of tasks, and right or wrong responses do not exist.…”

The Role of Educational Interventions in Facing Social Media Threats: Overarching Principles of the COURAGE Project

“…Therefore, empathy and emotional intelligence are severe factors for acting against toxic dynamics on social media. According to a large meta-analysis covering 146 different definitions of empathy by Guthridge and Giummarra [33], empathy can be defined as "the ability to experience affective and cognitive states of another person, while maintaining a distinct self, in order to understand the other." Emotional intelligence resembles, amongst others, the ability to understand the emotions of other people, to use emotions to facilitate decision-making, and to manage emotions [34].…”

Apakah Empati Mempengaruhi Kesadaran Pajak Generasi Z?

“…Penelitian kognitif memberikan penjelasan tentang empati yang biasanya dianggap sebagai pengalaman perasaan orang lain "seolah-olah" perasaan itu milik Anda sendiri (hal ini mengasumsikan definisi kognitif yang relatif non-emosional dari empati) yang dinyatakan oleh Davis (1983). Guthridge and Giummarra (2021) menjelaskan bahwa keragaman konseptual dalam definisi empati muncul karena perbedaan dimensi yang diteliti, yaitu empati sebagai katalis, fungsi, proses, hasil, keadaan afektif, keadaan kognitif, melibatkan diri dan orang lain, yang mengarah ke perilaku, dan yang terjadi dalam konteks tertentu. Hal ini menggambarkan bahwa empati adalah fenomena yang multidimensi.…”

“…Hal ini menggambarkan bahwa empati adalah fenomena yang multidimensi. Berdasarkan meta-definisi yang dilakukan oleh Guthridge and Giummarra (2021), empati adalah kemampuan untuk mengalami keadaan afektif dan kognitif orang lain, sambil mempertahankan diri yang berbeda, untuk memahami orang lain. Dengan demikian, empati dalam penelitian ini adalah kemampuan seseorang untuk mengalami keadaan afektif dan kognitif orang lain untuk memahami mereka.…”