Empathic Disequilibirum

Empathy consists of both emotional and cognitive components. Most studies thus far examined these constructs separately resulting in inconclusive findings regarding the association between empathy and different clinical conditions. To try and better understand this association, we recently started looking at empathy differently, examining the imbalance between emotional and cognitive empathy, a construct we termed empathic disequilibrium. We showed that empathic disequilibrium relates to autistic traits in typical adults. We also showed that it relates to a clinical autism diagnosis, and to various clinical symptoms. In collaboration with Dr. Rachel Moseley (Bournemouth University, UK), we also show that it relates to self-harm behaviors in autistic individuals.

We are continuing to study this concept, including how it develops, the possible association between empathic disequilibrium and other clinical conditions, its genetic basis (a BSF-funded study), it's relationship with burnout in medical doctors, and whether interventions targeting empathic disequilibrium can increase individuals' wellbeing.