RT Article
T1 Empathy trends in American youth between 1979 and 2018: An update
JF Social psychological and personality science
A1 Konrath, Sara
A2 Breithaupt, Fritz 1967-
A2 Davis, Mark
A2 Martingano, Alison Jane
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1912535009
AB Previous research has found declining dispositional empathy among American youth from 1979 to 2009. We update these trends until 2018, using three datasets. Study 1 presents a cross-temporal meta-analysis of undergraduates’ empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), finding significant cubic trends over time: perspective taking (PT) and empathic concern (EC) both increased since 2009. Study 2 conceptually replicated these findings using nationally representative datasets, also showing increasing PT (Study 2a: American Freshman Survey) and EC (Study 2b: Monitoring the Future Survey) since 2009. We include economic, interpersonal, and worldview covariates to test for potential explanations, finding evidence that empathy trends may be related to recent changes in interpersonal dynamics.
DO 10.1177/19485506231218360