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Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults

Existing research demonstrated mixed findings on older adults’ social cognition; precisely in empathy and theory of mind. In this study, we examined the interplay between empathy and theory of mind across age. We recruited 144 healthy participants comprising 79 young adults (18-30 years old) and 65...

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Main Author: Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir
Format: Thesis
Published: 2020
Subjects:
BF Psychology
HM Sociology
Online Access:http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/2409/
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spelling my.sunway.eprints.24092023-09-29T03:05:51Z http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/2409/ Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir BF Psychology HM Sociology Existing research demonstrated mixed findings on older adults’ social cognition; precisely in empathy and theory of mind. In this study, we examined the interplay between empathy and theory of mind across age. We recruited 144 healthy participants comprising 79 young adults (18-30 years old) and 65 older adults (60 years old and above) to complete faux pas task (20 stories in comic strips) to assess faux pas detection and understanding, as well as empathy scales (Empathy Quotient and Brief-Interpersonal Reactivity Index) to measure dispositional empathy. We found similar scores between young and older adults in cognitive and affective empathy. Regarding B-IRI subscales, older adults scored lower in personal distress and fantasy scale, while scored higher in empathic concern than young adults. Both age groups scored similarly in perspective-taking subscale. In faux pas task, we found that older adults performed poorer than young adults in faux pas detection and understanding. Faux pas measures also significantly correlated with total EQ, but did not significantly correlated with B-IRI subscales. Active social participation, better emotion regulation, and positivity effect may account for older adults’ overall empathic dispositions. Poor faux pas performance may signify older adults’ declining social cognition and poor judgment about social behaviour appropriateness. Overall, these findings may educate the public about older adults’ age-related social behaviour tendency, thus prompting policies and interventions to cater more for older adults’ social welfare and well-being. 2020-07 Thesis NonPeerReviewed Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir (2020) Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults. Masters thesis, Sunway University.
institution Sunway University
building Sunway Campus Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Sunway University
content_source Sunway Institutional Repository
url_provider http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/
topic BF Psychology
HM Sociology
spellingShingle BF Psychology
HM Sociology
Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir
Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
description Existing research demonstrated mixed findings on older adults’ social cognition; precisely in empathy and theory of mind. In this study, we examined the interplay between empathy and theory of mind across age. We recruited 144 healthy participants comprising 79 young adults (18-30 years old) and 65 older adults (60 years old and above) to complete faux pas task (20 stories in comic strips) to assess faux pas detection and understanding, as well as empathy scales (Empathy Quotient and Brief-Interpersonal Reactivity Index) to measure dispositional empathy. We found similar scores between young and older adults in cognitive and affective empathy. Regarding B-IRI subscales, older adults scored lower in personal distress and fantasy scale, while scored higher in empathic concern than young adults. Both age groups scored similarly in perspective-taking subscale. In faux pas task, we found that older adults performed poorer than young adults in faux pas detection and understanding. Faux pas measures also significantly correlated with total EQ, but did not significantly correlated with B-IRI subscales. Active social participation, better emotion regulation, and positivity effect may account for older adults’ overall empathic dispositions. Poor faux pas performance may signify older adults’ declining social cognition and poor judgment about social behaviour appropriateness. Overall, these findings may educate the public about older adults’ age-related social behaviour tendency, thus prompting policies and interventions to cater more for older adults’ social welfare and well-being.
format Thesis
author Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir
author_facet Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir
author_sort Ria, Heryani binti Mumfahir
title Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
title_short Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
title_full Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
title_fullStr Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
title_full_unstemmed Empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
title_sort empathy and theory of mind: age-related differences between young and older adults
publishDate 2020
url http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/2409/
_version_ 1779442532501946368
score 13.211869

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