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Dissociation of Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Adults With Asperger Syndrome Using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET)

Authors:

Abstract

Empathy is a multidimensional construct consisting of cognitive (inferring mental states) and emotional (empathic concern) components. Despite a paucity of research, individuals on the autism spectrum are generally believed to lack empathy. In the current study we used a new, photo-based measure, the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET), to assess empathy multidimensionally in a group of 17 individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) and 18 well-matched controls. Results suggested that while individuals with AS are impaired in cognitive empathy, they do not differ from controls in emotional empathy. Level of general emotional arousability and socially desirable answer tendencies did not differ between groups. Internal consistency of the MET's scales ranged from .71 to .92, and convergent and divergent validity were highly satisfactory.
Dissociation of Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Adults with
Asperger Syndrome Using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET)
Isabel Dziobek Æ Kimberley Rogers Æ Stefan Fleck Æ Markus Bahnemann Æ
Hauke R. Heekeren Æ Oliver T. Wolf Æ Antonio Convit
Ó
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
&
Present Address:
123
Methods
123
Empathy
Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET)
Theoretical Considerations
Independent measurement of cognitive and emotional
empathy
Ecological validity, explicit and implicit questioning
Dissociation of emotional reaction to social as
opposed to context stimuli
Stimuli and Design
123
Realization
Administration and Scoring
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)
Fig. 1
123
Intellectual Functioning
Social Desirability
t
p \
Between Group Differences
Demographic Variables and Social Desirability
Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) Cognitive Empathy
t p \
Emotional Empathy t
t - p t -
p
Emotional Reaction to Context
t - p
Response Times t
t - p
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)
123
t p \
t p
t - p \
F
p
MET Reliability and Validity
Table 1 n n
p
± ±
± ±
± ±
± ±
p ±
Table 2
n n
p
± ±
± ±
± ±
± ±
± ±
p t ±
Table 3 n
n
p
± ±
± ±
± ±
p t ±
123
Discussion
Table 4
n
-
p \
123
behavioral
123
Acknowledgments
References
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