"Accurate empathy" and the A-B dichotomy

Experiential Empathy: a Theory of a Felt-Level Experience

Accurate empathy is presented in terms of the previous theoretical and operational definitions. The departure from the Rogerian hypothesis is explored, and a new theoretical view of experiential empathy is presented. This theory is an extension of Rogers' perspectives and draws upon the works of Feldenkrais and Gendlin. The relationships between the empathic process and the right hemisphere and its functions are established and compared to Truax and Carkhuff's definition of accurate empathy, which is shown to be the communication process and a function of the left hemisphere. Support for the theory of experiential empathy is found in the research on meditation, and a model for developing empathy as a felt-level experience is proposed.

A-B similarity-complementarity and accurate empathy

Rated the audio portions of videotaped segments of 32 dyadic interviews between A-type and B-type undergraduate males for accurate empathy using Truax's AE-Scale. Results indicate that the level of empathy displayed by both members of an interactive dyad was influenced by the A-B types of the individuals of the dyad. B-types elicited higher levels of empathy when they interacted with other B-types, while any dyad that contained an A-type resulted in a lower level of empathy when compared to the empathy found in BB dyads. This result better fits a similarity hypothesis than a complementarity hypothesis.

An ecological analysis of A-B and its relationship to field dependence

Because of conceptual and methodological problems of the A-B categorization, several authorities (Gomes-Schwartz, Hadley, & Strupp, 1978; Stephens, Shaffer & Zlotowitz, 1975) have suggested that a moratorium on A-B research deserves serious consideration. In anticipation of this possibility, and to attempt to clarify the confusing findings with regard to the nature of A-B and the relationships of A-B and Field Dependence, the authors initiated this study of the ecological framework of a psychiatric ward and the role characteristics of both staff and patients (N = 99). The results of the study supported the two major hypotheses that were derived from a functional analysis of the demand characteristics for both patients and staff on an inpatient psychiatric unit. First, it was found that the staff scored higher on type A characteristics than on type B characteristics and, second, it was found that the patients scored higher on type B characteristics than on type A characteristics.