GEA1213 Empathy

4.
Perspective Taking
and Empathy
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_import
ance_of_perspective_taking_for_young_ch
ildren
Sophie’s Story
Meet Sophie. She loves to read books and she also enjoys
drawing and playing with her cat. She is most comfortable
at home. Whenever Sophie has to meet someone new, or
do something she has never tried before, she gets very
nervous and needs lots of reassurance. She has been like
this since she was a baby.
https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-
learning/emotional-development/how-temperament-affects
Sophie’s Story
Georgia, Sophie’s younger sister, is very different. She loves

meeting people and being the centre of attention. Georgia
has always been independent.
Before she was two, she was already telling her mother she
didn’t need her help, saying, “Me do it. You go
away!” Though she is younger, Georgia often bosses
Sophie around. When Georgia decides she wants to do
something it can be very hard to stop her. She tends
to jump into things without stopping to think.
https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/social-and-emotional-
learning/emotional-development/how-temperament-affects
Personality
• We are all unique

• The word personality has its origin from
the Latin word Persona, which means the
mask used by drama performers
• Personality involves the behaviors outside,
the appearance preferred to show to others
• Personality involves the implicit qualities
beyond characters in the surface
Personality
• Personality is a person’s unique pattern of
thinking, emotions and behavior (Funder,
2004, Michel, 2004)
• Personality Traits –
the stable qualities that a person shows in
most situations
Personality Theories
Personality Theories –
A system of concepts, assumptions, ideas, and
principles used to understand and explain personality
(1) Freudian’s Psychodynamic Theories –

Sigmund Freud
(2) Psychological Types – Carl Jung
(3) Humanistic Theories – Carl Roger’s Self
Theory
(4) Five Factor Model – McCrae and Costa
Trait Theory - Five Factor Model
McCrae and Costa
Trait Theory - Five Factor Model – McCrae and
Costa
• Trait Theory - Definition

• an approach for analyzing the structure of personality by
measuring, identifying, and classifying similarities and
differences in personality characteristics or traits
• Trait
• relatively stable and enduring tendency to behave in a
particular way
Trait Theory - Five Factor Model – McCrae and
Costa
• Finding traits: big five

• Five factor model organizes personality traits and
describes differences in personality using five
categories
• openness
• conscientiousness
• extraversion
• agreeableness
• neuroticism
What are your personality traits?
https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/IPIP-BFFM/1.php
Your own Personality Traits
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
• _________________________________
People see things differently
People see things differently
Perspective Taking
• It is the active cognitive process of imagining the world from
another's vantage point
• Perspective-taking refers to the ability to recognize another

person's point of view. Crucial to the development of
interpersonal relationships and prosocial behavior, perspective-
taking is closely linked to human empathy
• cognitive perspective-taking is defined as the ability to infer

the thoughts or beliefs of another agent, while affective
perspective-taking is defined as the ability to infer the emotions
or feelings of another agent.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6026651/
Perspective Taking
• Social psychologists have also pursued perspective-taking

and its effects on social behavior (notably Daniel Batson’s
work on links between perspective-taking and altruistic
behavior, and William Ickes’s work on adults’ accuracy in
guessing others’ thoughts).
• Most recently, neuroscientists (e.g., Jean Decety) have used

brain-imaging techniques to explore perspective-taking.
• Perspective is important
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iueVZJVEmEs
framing and reframing
1. The picture the others see may be different from yours
2. You need to listen very carefully to the others’ description of

the events or situations, and then try to look from their (client’s
or patient’s) viewpoint.
3. You can change the way a client perceives events or

situations by “reframing” the picture they have described.
Empathy
“When we honestly ask ourselves which
person in our lives mean the most to us we
often find that it is those who, instead of giving
advice, solutions, or cures, have chose rather
to share our pain and touch our wounds with a
warm and tender hand.”
S, Kathleen (2018) Cultivating Empathy : Inspiring Health Professionals to Communicate More Effectively
Empathy
• The word, empathy, was first introduced from the
German language into English early in the first part of
the 20th century by Titchner, a Cornell University
Professor. The term was derived from the German word,
“Einfuhlung,” which when translated means, feeling
one’s way into (Hunsdahl, 1967).
•the experience of understanding another person's

thoughts, feelings, and condition from his or her point of
view, rather than from one's own.
Empathy
Carl Rogers, Person-centered Humanistic Psychology &
Empathy Research
• Rogers (1961) three key components must be present during
client-centered therapy in order to help clients change in a
positive way.
Empathy
Unconditional Positive Regard –
“I care”, not “I care for you if you behave thus and so”.
Congruence –
The therapist being aware of their own feelings and being
genuine and real with their clients.
Trust is developed between the client and the therapist

because the therapist’s actions and words are consistent,
honest and authentic.
Empathy
Empathy –
Considered by Rogers to be one of the three most

important factors in healing within the venue of therapy
Active listening, reflection, and non-verbal

communication were all identified as crucial
components of empathy.
Empathy, Benevolence and Compassion
Benevolence consists of emotions regarding other
people with the intention of good will or wanting what is
best for them (Jackson, 2006).
Compassion is identification with the suffering of other

people, where their pain, becomes our pain (Chopra,
2005).
Empathy is concerned with identification with, or

experiencing all of the feelings of another person, either
good or bad (Collis &
Nolan, 2005).
WHAT DOES SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE
TEACH US ABOUT EMPATHY?
Evidence indicates how the mirror mechanism in the
brain is related to empathy or the ability to feel the
same emotion as the other one feels (Rizzolatti &
Destro, 2008).
For example, in a fMRI experiment, when a subject was

exposed to a foul odor and made a facial grimace, the
observer, who was not exposed to the smell also made
a facial grimace (Wicker et al., 2003; Carr et al., 2003).
WHAT DOES SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE
TEACH US ABOUT EMPATHY?
Similar results occurred in an experiment where a
painful situation experienced by one individual, that was
observed by someone with an emotional bond to the
one having the pain, resulted in the observer feeling the
same degree of discomfort. (Singer, 2006).
Empathy and Sympathy
Sympathy takes on the form of feeling sorry for, or

feeling pity for, another person’s situation.
Empathy is seen as a way of trying to understand the

actual experiences of others, which may and may not
include feeling their pain.
1) A good friend of yours phones to tells you that

their beloved cat has just died at the age of
fifteen. They are very upset about their loss.
Respond with sympathy:
Respond with empathy:
2) A friend just informed you that he is very

depressed about recently being fired from a job that
he loved.
3) Your sister is visiting and she tells you that she

and her husband are getting divorced after 15 years
of marriage.
3) Your sister is visiting and she tells you that she

and her husband are getting divorced after 15 years
of marriage.
Case study
The scene
In a doctor’s office examination room, a Doctor is
dressed in a white coat, has a stethoscope around their
neck and is holding a clip board, prescription pad and pen.
Mrs. Jones is dressed as an old lady and is all alone
sitting on the office chair.
Case study
Action
The scenario starts when Dr. Smith enters the physician
office examining room where Mrs. Jones is sitting on a
chair crying. Mrs. Jones is very despondent and although
Dr. Smith tries to be caring, the doctor is uncomfortable
with her display of emotion and wants to down play Mrs.
Jones’ emotional outburst.
Subsequently, the physician acts with insensitivity and his

body language is cold. The doctor simply writes on the
clip board and avoids eye contact at all costs. The doctor
does not sit down, but stands a few feet away from Mrs.
Jones, looking down at
her.
Case study
Dr. Smith asks the question, “Mrs. Jones tell me about
what is upsetting you.”
Mrs. Jones tells her story expressing a great deal of

emotion. “I just loss my husband to a heart attack three
weeks ago. I have been crying everyday and I
have lost my appetite. I can’t sleep and I don’t want to go
on anymore. My only daughter is living in Ontario and
doesn’t have any time for her mother anymore.”
Mrs. Jones starts crying even louder than before.
Dr. Smith attempts to practice active listening and

reflection techniques. “You sound very upset and like you
are at the end of your rope, is that correct?”
Case study
Mrs Jones: “You don’t understand how terrible I feel. I
want to die. I want you to give me something to end it all.
You can’t possibly know what I am going through.”
Dr. Smith: is very uncomfortable with what the patient has

just disclosed and tries to minimize the seriousness of it.
“I am sure you will feel better in time. How
about if I write you a prescription for something to help
you sleep better?”
Dr. Smith hurriedly hands Mrs. Jones a prescription for

sedation and then walks out
of the room. Mrs. Jones just sits there looking shocked
and continues to cry.

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4.

Georgia, Sophie’s younger sister, is very different. She loves

• We are all unique

(1) Freudian’s Psychodynamic Theories –

• Trait Theory - Definition

• Finding traits: big five

• Perspective-taking refers to the ability to recognize another

• cognitive perspective-taking is defined as the ability to infer

• Social psychologists have also pursued perspective-taking

• Most recently, neuroscientists (e.g., Jean Decety) have used

1. The picture the others see may be different from yours

2. You need to listen very carefully to the others’ description of

3. You can change the way a client perceives events or

•the experience of understanding another person's

Trust is developed between the client and the therapist

Considered by Rogers to be one of the three most

Active listening, reflection, and non-verbal

Compassion is identification with the suffering of other

Empathy is concerned with identification with, or

For example, in a fMRI experiment, when a subject was

Sympathy takes on the form of feeling sorry for, or

Empathy is seen as a way of trying to understand the

1) A good friend of yours phones to tells you that

Respond with sympathy:

Respond with empathy:

2) A friend just informed you that he is very

Respond with sympathy:

Respond with empathy:

3) Your sister is visiting and she tells you that she

Respond with sympathy:

Respond with empathy:

3) Your sister is visiting and she tells you that she

Respond with sympathy:

Respond with empathy:

Subsequently, the physician acts with insensitivity and his

Mrs. Jones tells her story expressing a great deal of

Dr. Smith attempts to practice active listening and

Dr. Smith: is very uncomfortable with what the patient has

Dr. Smith hurriedly hands Mrs. Jones a prescription for

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