Studying the relationship between empathy and anxiety is important, since previous research shows that different kinds of empathy, cognitive and affective, could predict anxiety in adolescents....Show moreStudying the relationship between empathy and anxiety is important, since previous research shows that different kinds of empathy, cognitive and affective, could predict anxiety in adolescents. Cognitive emotion regulation (CER) could be of importance in this relationship, since it is related to both constructs. This is why this study investigates the relationships between empathy, anxiety and CER in adolescents. A group of 99 adolescents aged 9-19 filled in several questionnaires. The Empathy Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index to measure affective- and cognitive empathy, the StateTrait Anxiety Inventory to measure anxiety and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire to measure CER. The results showed: 1) Affective empathy was found to be a predictor for anxiety, 2) Cognitive empathy was found to not be a predictor for anxiety, 3) CER was found to not moderate the found relationship between affective empathy and anxiety. In conclusion, the found results regarding the influence of affective empathy on anxiety will prove useful in anxiety treatment. There is more understanding about how affective empathy could influence anxiety treatment, and therefore it can be taken into account when treating anxious individuals. Further research is required on the possible influence of cognitive empathy and CER. This might improve treating anxiety even further.Show less
The complexities of daily life require us to have a flexible mind. Indeed, our world is constantly changing, urging us to respond in an adaptive, flexible manner to external demands. Previous...Show moreThe complexities of daily life require us to have a flexible mind. Indeed, our world is constantly changing, urging us to respond in an adaptive, flexible manner to external demands. Previous research has linked trait anxiety to decreased cognitive flexibility. Although past research has repeatedly implied that higher levels of anxiety in adolescents is related to lower levels of cognitive flexibility, there is little research about protective factors that positively influence this relationship. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate whether different types of empathy have a moderating effect on the relationship between trait anxiety and cognitive flexibility. It was hypothesized that higher levels of trait anxiety predict lower levels of cognitive flexibility, this relationship was expected to be moderated by three types of empathy, namely affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and intention to comfort. In the final sample, a total of 103 healthy participants were included, (51 females, 52 males), around 25 from each of the defined age groups: 9-10 (pre-adolescents), 12-13 (early adolescents), 15-16 (mid-adolescents), 18-19 (late-adolescents). Trait Anxiety was measured with the State-Anxiety Inventory DY (STAI), the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS) was used to assess cognitive flexibility, and the Empathy Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (EmQue-CA) measured the level of all three empathy types. Results indicated, concurrent with the first hypothesis, higher levels of trait anxiety predict lower levels of cognitive flexibility. However, inconsistent with the second hypothesis, the relationship between trait anxiety and cognitive flexibility was not moderated by any of the three empathy types. Given that results predicted decreased levels of cognitive flexibility in trait-anxious adolescents, more research is crucial to investigate the protective mechanism of empathy on the interaction between trait anxiety and cognitive flexibility.Show less
