In what ways can empathy be measured or assessed to determine its extent or impact, and how can its presence or level be quantified through observable behaviours, physiological responses, or psychological assessments?
From my perspective, empathy is a process that should be exercised with genuine emotion and human-level connectedness. It's an exercise that improves with practice, with the true expression of the inner and connected outer realms. Less practised empathy may lead to self-centeredness, whereas optimal practice only reveals genuine empathy. Sometimes, it's something to put ourselves in others' place and feel what it’s like to be like them. It also requires opening ourselves to understand others and express our feelings. I believe it's a non-intellectual, sometimes nonverbal, and an emotional process that may lead towards a better self, a happier society, and a beautiful world.
"How empathy can be quantified?"
Let me starting by saying what I see as empathy, which i distinguish from sympathy or simple emotional contagious. Empathy involves a cognitive component, one's ability to identify others' internal states, such as thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Empathy also involves an emotional component, one's ability to share what is going on others' skin and shoes.
I prefer to say evaluate to quantity. Evaluations of empathy, for example, via a Likert-scale are always subjective and far away from those measures got in the natural sciences.
I would urge you to contact with the work by the USA psychologist Nancy Eisenberg (Arizona University). Evaluations of empathy should always be seen more in qualitative than quantitative terms.
I would urge you to contact directly or indirectly with Prof. Nancy Eisenberg. I knew her personally and she is a very kind person.
All the best,
OML
Saurabh Gupta, a solid plan for the measurement of abstract constructs such as empathy begins with a fundamental question: can one tell when someone is exhibiting more empathy or less empathy? If that is not possible, then there can be no quantification. If it is possible to do so, then the quantification process can commence.
It will be important to identify a theoretical or conceptual lens through which the abstract construct will be examined. From there, a finite framework will be selected as an estimate of the infinite, abstract construct. the finite framework may be either unidimensional or multidimensional with the dimensions serving as the structure wherein the eventual assessment items will reside.
Here are some preliminary questions to get your project started:
Can one tell when someone is exhibiting more empathy? less empathy?
Through which lens will you examine the infinite construct of empathy?
Do you have a finite framework for empathy that you can use to estimate and reflect the infinite construct of empathy? if so, is it a unidimensional or multidimensional framework?
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