The Burden of Empathy: Partners' Responses to Divergence of Interests in Daily Life

Healthy Communities Research Institute, Department of Psychological Sciences
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Author(s)
Abstract
Empathy has often been discussed as a beneficial process from which favorable individual and interpersonal experiences may be derived. The present work investigates whether empathy may sometimes be a burden rather than a benefit, under certain interpersonal circumstances. Specifically, we hypothesized that encountering situations of divergence of interests with a partner may cause discomfort, and that empathizing with one's partner would exacerbate this discomfort, resulting in higher levels of negative mood and stress that can affect relationship satisfaction. We tested these hypotheses using innovative experience sampling methodology in which both partners reported on their experiences in their natural environments. In support, we found that when people encountered divergence of interests with one's partner, as compared with when they did not, they experienced higher negative mood and stress and, consequently, lower relationship satisfaction. These effects were intensified, rather than reduced, by empathy.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1037/emo0000163
Publication Date
2016-08
Publication Title
Emotion
Publisher
American Psychological Association
Volume
16
Issue
5
First Page
684
Last Page
690
Keywords
Subject
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Community
Healthy Communities Research Institute
Department of Psychological Sciences
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/hcri/burden-empathy-partners-responses-divergence-interests-daily-life
Righetti, F., Gere, J., Hofmann, W., Visserman, M., & Lange, P. (2016). The Burden of Empathy: Partners’ Responses to Divergence of Interests in Daily Life (1–). Emotion. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000163
Righetti, Francesca, Judith Gere, Wilhelm Hofmann, Mariko Visserman, and Paul Lange. 2016. “The Burden of Empathy: Partners’ Responses to Divergence of Interests in Daily Life”. Emotion. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000163.
Righetti, Francesca, et al. The Burden of Empathy: Partners’ Responses to Divergence of Interests in Daily Life. Emotion, Aug. 2016, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/emo0000163.