Empathizing involves the understanding and responding to an individuals’ emotions, while systemizing refers to the understanding and the ability to predict systems. The topics of empathizing and...Show moreEmpathizing involves the understanding and responding to an individuals’ emotions, while systemizing refers to the understanding and the ability to predict systems. The topics of empathizing and systemizing have been studied in children and adults. However, as far as we are aware, no research has investigated these constructs in adolescence, whereas there is a lot of development that takes place during this period. Earlier studies found gender differences in systemizing and empathizing, with males scoring significantly higher on systemizing, while females scored significantly higher on empathizing. This study examined the current gap in research, by examining the relationship between empathizing and systemizing in adolescence and possible gender differences. We did this by estimating network models with partial correlations (Gaussian graphical model) and calculating bridge centrality which identified nodes. These nodes acted as important bridges between one or more communities (e.g., the relationship between understanding of empathizing and motoric systemizing), for both male and female participants. We utilized data from the empathizing and systemizing questionnaire in 6,644 adolescents (2574 males and 4070 females, aged 13-24 years old), which we obtained from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. We found gender differences in the relationships between empathizing and systemizing nodes in the male and female networks. For instance, in the female network, a correlation was found between the subconstructs feeling of empathizing and natural systems, while in the male network no correlation was found between the two. Moreover, understanding of others’ feelings showed to be highly correlated with all subconstructs of systemizing in all three networks but was not correlated with other subconstructs of empathizing. This study provided a foundation for further exploration of how the constructs of empathizing and systemizing are related and could be used to help guide the design of gender-specific interventions aimed at enhancing both empathizing and systemizing skills in adolescence.Show less
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a change in mediators (negative and positive automatic thoughts, competence regarding social-acceptance and self-esteem) explains a change in...Show moreThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether a change in mediators (negative and positive automatic thoughts, competence regarding social-acceptance and self-esteem) explains a change in anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with social anxiety disorder receiving group- based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In this study 43 participants were enrolled of which 41 remained after dropouts. Participants aged between 11-16 (M = 14,46, SD = 1.49), who were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, enrolled in the study. Diagnostic interviews and questionnaires were completed pre-treatment and post-treatment. Paired sample t-tests between pre- treatment social anxiety ratings and post-treatment social anxiety scores reported by children and parents were performed. Multiple mediation analyses were performed to examine whether changes in social anxiety symptoms from pre-treatment to post-treatment are mediated by positive and negative automatic thoughts, and self-competence regarding social acceptance and self-esteem. Social anxiety symptoms significantly decreased after treatment. In addition, positive automatic thoughts, social acceptance, and self-esteem significantly increased. Negative automatic thoughts significantly decreased. However, none of our tested mediators explained this decrease in social anxiety symptoms. Nevertheless, a decrease in parent ratings of social anxiety was associated with higher self-esteem among participants. Future research is needed to identify key factors that explain the mechanisms behind CBT among social anxiety-disordered children and adolescents. For example, study designs that include more within-treatment assessments could pinpoint changes within distorted cognitions related to social anxiety more precisely.Show less
