Relationship between emotional intelligence and empathy towards humans and animals

The Influence of Pet Owners' Empathy on Perceptions of Dog and Cat Distress Vocalizations and Caregiving Behaviors

Although vocal communication between humans and domestic animals is common, there has been limited research on how humans perceive the emotional content of animal vocalizations. This study investigated the relationship between pet ownership and sensitivity to negative emotion in dog and cat distress vocalizations (n = 237; 57% pet owners). Empathy toward animals and empathy toward humans were explored as possible mediators. The links between pet owners' levels of sensitivity to animal distress vocalizations, empathy toward animals, and pet attachment and the care they provided to their pets were also examined. The findings revealed that current pet owners perceived both dog and cat distress vocalizations to be sadder than current non-pet owners. The link between pet ownership and sensitivity to dog (but not cat) distress vocalizations was fully mediated by empathy toward animals, but not mediated by empathy toward humans. Sensitivity to negative emotion in distress vocalizations was not a strong indicator of the level of care provided to dogs and cats. On the other hand, higher levels of empathy toward animals and pet attachment might be better indicators of humans providing more stimulating and enriched lives for their pets.

Empathy with nature promotes pro-environmental attitudes in preschool children

This study aimed to explore whether empathy with nature (i.e., the tendency to understand and share the emotional experience of the natural world) contributes to pro-environmental attitudes in early childhood. In a correlational investigation (Study 1), 138 (Mage = 57.78 months) preschool children completed a battery of tasks to measure their pro-environmental attitudes, empathy with nature, and empathy with humans. We found that empathy with nature positively predicts pro-environmental attitudes, even beyond the predictive power of empathy with humans. In a quasi-experimental investigation (Study 2), 46 children from two parallel classes in the same preschool were recruited as the intervention (n = 23, Mage = 66.74 months) and control (n = 23, Mage = 67.61 months) groups. An intervention session that aimed to induce empathy with nature was applied to the intervention group, whereas an active control teaching session was applied to the control group. After the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated greater pro-environmental attitudes than did the control group. Together, our studies provide converging evidence that empathy with nature promotes pro-environmental attitudes in early childhood, further implying the value of integrating empathy with nature in early childhood environmental education.

Pet attachment and prosocial attitude toward humans: the mediating role of empathy to animals

Attachment relationships are widely recognized as influential in increasing prosocial tendencies, with existing literature indicating that human attachment can increase empathetic processes, thereby potentially facilitating prosocial behavior. Given that pets frequently fulfill the criteria for attachment figures, this study investigates whether the observed associations among human attachment, empathy, and prosocial attitudes extend to human-animal interactions (HAI). This study examines the relationship between pet attachment, animal empathy, and prosocial attitudes toward humans. The study hypothesizes that animal empathy mediates the association between pet attachment and prosocial attitudes. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 343 Filipino participants, predominantly consisting of single female young adults with college education backgrounds. Participants completed a battery of assessments including the Contemporary Companion Animal Bonding Scale (CCABS), the Animal Empathy Scale (AES), and the Prosocialness Scale for Adults (PSA). Aligned with our hypothesis, our study reveals that animal empathy plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between pet attachment and attitudes toward humans. We found that stronger pet attachment correlates positively with heightened animal empathy, subsequently leading to elevated levels of prosocial attitudes. Our findings prompt discussions on implications for understanding human-animal relationships and suggest avenues for future research exploration.

Assessment of Empathy as a Prerequisite for Holistic Nursing: Psychometric Analysis of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students for Croatian BSc and MSc Nursing Students

Purpose: To translate the original Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students version in a group of nursing students and asses its psychometrical characteristics according to the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guidelines. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods: The study included 345 bachelor's and master's students in the nursing degree program. Construct validity was tested by exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. Convergent validity was tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient to test the relationship between empathy and emotional intelligence. The reliability of internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha. Findings: The final version of the 16-item scale with its three-factor structure has a high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.86, and the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a positive and significant relationship between emotional intelligence and the total score of the empathy scale and the three subscales. Conclusion: The contribution of the study is significant as the instrument is qualitatively validated and its content is clinically and educationally important for understanding the concept of empathy, especially in the education of nursing students. The correct assessment of empathy contributes to a better understanding and implementation of the components of holistic care.

The Use of Diets in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Gastrointestinal Diseases in Dogs and Cats

The nutritional health of dogs and cats is important to pet owners around the world. Nutrition is inextricably linked to the health of the gastrointestinal system and vice versa. Gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, or weight loss, are one of the most common reasons that dog and cat owners make non-routine appointments with veterinarians. Those patients are evaluated systematically to identify and/or rule out the causes of the symptoms. Some causes of chronic diarrhea are within the gastrointestinal tract while others are secondary to pathogenic factors outside the digestive system. Some useful biomarkers of chronic intestinal disease (enteropathy) exist in serum and feces. After determination that the clinical signs are due to primary gastrointestinal disease and that there is no parasitism, specific diets are used for at least two weeks. There are several types of diets for pets with chronic enteropathies. There are limited ingredient diets and hydrolyzed protein diets with reduced levels of allergens. There are also highly digestible and fiber-enhanced diets. Some diets contain probiotics and/or prebiotics. If symptoms do not improve and the patient is stable, a diet from a different class may be tried. For chronic enteropathies, the prognosis is generally good for symptom resolution or at least improvement. However, if interventions with novel diets do not ameliorate the symptoms of chronic enteropathy, then antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or immunosuppressant therapy or further, more invasive diagnostics such as taking an intestinal biopsy, may be indicated. Pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease in dogs and cats and patients may present with mild to severe disease. Many patients with mild to moderate disease can be successfully treated with early supportive care, including feeding a low-fat diet. A novel pharmaceutical, fuzapladib (Panoquell-CA1) looks very promising for treating more severe forms of acute pancreatitis in dogs. Maintenance on a low-fat diet may prevent pancreatitis in at-risk dogs. Future advances in medicine will allow pet owners and veterinarians to use dietary management to maximize the health of their dogs and cats.

Empathy Modulates the Activity of the Sensorimotor Mirror Neuron System during Pain Observation

AIM

The aim of this study is to analyze the brain activity patterns during the observation of painful expressions and to establish the relationship between this activity and the scores obtained on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI).

METHODS

The study included twenty healthy, right-handed subjects (10 women). We conducted a task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. The task involved observing pictures displaying painful expressions. We performed a region of interest (ROI) analysis focusing on the core regions of the sensorimotor mirror neuron system (MNS). Resting-state fMRI was utilized to assess the functional connectivity of the sensorimotor MNS regions with the rest of the cortex using a seed-to-voxel approach. Additionally, we conducted a regression analysis to examine the relationship between brain activity and scores from the IRI subtests.

RESULTS

Observing painful expressions led to increased activity in specific regions of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. The largest cluster of activation was observed in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). However, the ROI analysis did not reveal any significant activity in the remaining core regions of the sensorimotor MNS. The regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between brain activity during the observation of pain and the "empathic concern" subtest scores of the IRI in both the cingulate gyri and bilateral IPL. Finally, we identified a positive relationship between the "empathic concern" subtest of the IRI and the functional connectivity (FC) of bilateral IPLs with the bilateral prefrontal cortex and the right IFG.

CONCLUSION

Observing expressions of pain triggers activation in the sensorimotor MNS, and this activation is influenced by the individual's level of empathy.

Attitudes towards urban stray cats and managing their population in India: a pilot study

Life in contemporary cities is often dangerous for stray cats, with strikingly low survival rates. In several countries, trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs have been employed to control urban stray cat populations. Management of stray cats in urban environments is not just about applying scientific solutions, but also identifying approaches that align with local cultural and ethical values. India has an estimated 9.1 million stray cats. TNR presents as a potential method for stray cat management in India, while also improving their welfare. Yet, to date, there has been no academic exploration on Indian residents' attitudes towards stray cats. We conducted a survey in 13 cities in India reaching 763 residents, examining interactions with stray cats, negative and positive attitudes towards them, attitudes towards managing their population, and awareness of TNR. Results show a high rate of stray cat sightings and interactions. While most respondents believed that stray cats had a right to welfare, the majority held negative attitudes towards and had negative interactions with them. There was widespread lack of awareness about TNR, but, when described, there was a high degree of support. Gathering insights into opinions about stray cats, and the sociodemographic factors that impact these opinions, is an important first step to developing policies and initiatives to manage stray cat populations.

Bystanders' reactions to animal abuse in relation to psychopathy, empathy with people and empathy with nature

Social and academic interest in animal abuse has recently increased thanks to greater awareness of the importance of biodiversity in promoting sustainability. The redefinition of human-animal relationships, in the context of the fight against speciesism and the defense of veganism, has also contributed to this greater attention. Moreover, public awareness of animal rights has strengthened social reactions to violence against animals, though there are still some social sectors that are indifferent to these changes. Thus, better knowledge of the psychological mechanisms underlying reactions to animal abuse could contribute to better informal, social control of such abuse. The main aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between psychopathy, empathy with people, and empathy with nature arising from people's reactions to protected and domestic animal abuse and illegal dumping. Also, as previous studies have shown differences between men and women, both in animal abuse and in personality traits, thus gender is taken into account when analyzing these relationships. A total of 409 people, resident in a highly environmentally protected territory, participated in this study. They were aged between 18 and 82 years old and 49.9% women. Participants were asked about assigned punishments, as well as the probability of intervening personally and/or calling the police, in relation to ten scenarios, based on press releases, describing one of three types of transgression of environmental laws: abuse of protected animals, abuse of domestic animals or illegal dumping. They also responded to Spanish adaptations of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits, the Basic Empathy Scale, the Dispositional Empathy with Nature Scale, and the Social Desirability Scale. Each participant was randomly given ten scenarios corresponding to just one transgression type but all the personality scales. Results show that people's reactions were greater for abuse of domestic than protected animals or for illegal dumping, irrespective of gender. Empathy with nature was related to the reaction against animal abuse more than empathy with people and psychopathy. Results are discussed highlighting the need for future research into similarities and differences between animal abuse and other types of environmental offences, which have many victims but no single being suffering.

Higher well-being individuals are more receptive to cultivated meat: An investigation of their reasoning for consuming cultivated meat

It is evident that over-consumption of meat can contribute to the emission of hazardous greenhouse gases. One viable way to address such climate impact is to make people become more aware of more sustainable diet options, such as cultivated meat. However, it is challenging to instigate change in people's meat-eating habit, and empirical works have been examining the psychological factors that are related to consumers' willingness to consume cultivated meat. Research has suggested that psychological well-being can play a role in the meaning-making of food consumption, with higher well-being individuals showing more recognition of other sociocultural benefits of consuming food beyond just fulfilling their sustenance needs. As existing works have yet to understand the link between well-being and consumption of novel foods, the current research set out to fill this gap by examining the relationship between people's psychological well-being and their willingness to consume cultivated meat via different reasons (mediators) for consuming cultivated meat. We recruited a representative sample of 948 adults in Singapore to complete an online survey. The study offered the first evidence that there is a positive relationship between people's psychological well-being and their willingness to consume cultivated meat. Further, results revealed that their higher willingness can be motivated by the perception that cultivated meat is as healthy and nutritious, as safe as, and has the same sensory quality as real meat, and is beneficial to the society. This investigation adds to the growing literature on consumer acceptance of cultivated meat by showing the novel finding that well-being and receptivity to cultivated meat is positively linked, and such a positive link can be explained by people's better recognition of the prospective benefits offered by this alternative food.

Exploring narcissism and human- and animal-centered empathy in pet owners

Having empathy for others is typically generalized to having empathy for animals. However, empathy for humans and for animals are only weakly correlated. Thus, some individuals may have low human-centered empathy but have high animal-centered empathy. Here, we explore whether pet owners who are high in narcissism display empathy towards animals despite their low human-centered empathy. We assessed pet owners' (N = 259) three components of trait narcissism (Agentic Extraversion, Antagonism, and Narcissistic Neuroticism), human- and animal-centered empathy, attitudes towards animals, and their pet attachment. We found that Agentic Extraversion was unrelated to both human- and animal-centered empathy. We also found that Antagonism was related to less empathy for both humans and animals, as well as more negative attitudes towards animals. Lastly, we found that Narcissistic Neuroticism was unrelated to human-centered empathy and positively related to animal-centered empathy and attitudes towards animals. This research furthers our understanding of the relation between empathy towards humans and animals and provides insight into whether animal-assisted approaches may be useful for empathy training in those with narcissistic characteristics.

Preliminary Study of Cultural-Based Empathic Support to Reduce Perceived Stigma for Covid-19 Survivors and Families

This study aims to explore appropriate and meaningful forms of cultural-based support to support the recovery of COVID-19 survivors and the psychological well-being of families who are still vulnerable to receiving social stigma from society. The research method used is qualitative, which is carried out on respondents from religious practitioners, cultural practitioners, and psychologists who have direct experience with the community. The results of this study are expected to be used as guidelines for psychological treatment that can be used by related parties such as hospitals, educational institutions, the government and the private sector to accelerate the recovery process for Covid-19 survivors and their families. The results showed that: 1). Culture plays a very important role in providing social stigma and also in dealing with stigma itself; 2) Several cultural-based support practices are carried out to restore psychological conditions; 3) Empathic support which focuses on understanding the thoughts and feelings of survivors and families in their own perceptions is a concern in culture-based support practices. This study concludes that the practice of culturally based empathy support is meaningful to reduce and prevent the stigma felt by Covid-19 survivors and their families.

The Complexity of the Human-Animal Bond: Empathy, Attachment and Anthropomorphism in Human-Animal Relationships and Animal Hoarding

The human-animal relationship is ancient, complex and multifaceted. It may have either positive effects on humans and animals or poor or even negative and detrimental effects on animals or both humans and animals. A large body of literature has investigated the beneficial effects of this relationship in which both human and animals appear to gain physical and psychological benefits from living together in a reciprocated interaction. However, analyzing the literature with a different perspective it clearly emerges that not rarely are human-animal relationships characterized by different forms and levels of discomfort and suffering for animals and, in some cases, also for people. The negative physical and psychological consequences on animals' well-being may be very nuanced and concealed, but there are situations in which the negative consequences are clear and striking, as in the case of animal violence, abuse or neglect. Empathy, attachment and anthropomorphism are human psychological mechanisms that are considered relevant for positive and healthy relationships with animals, but when dysfunctional or pathological determine physical or psychological suffering, or both, in animals as occurs in animal hoarding. The current work reviews some of the literature on the multifaceted nature of the human-animal relationship; describes the key role of empathy, attachment and anthropomorphism in human-animal relationships; seeks to depict how these psychological processes are distorted and dysfunctional in animal hoarding, with highly detrimental effects on both animal and human well-being.

Empathy development from adolescence to adulthood and its consistency across targets

This research was conducted with two main goals-to contribute to knowledge on the development of empathy from early adolescence to adulthood, including its contribution to decoding emotion expression, and to improve the understanding of the nature of empathy by simultaneously assessing empathy toward two different targets-humans and animals. It unfolded into two cross-sectional studies: One (S1) obtaining measures of empathy toward humans and animals as targets across five age groups (from pre-adolescents to adults); and another (S2) where a subset of the adolescents who participated in S1 were assessed in emotion expression decoding and subjective and physiological responses to emotional video clips. The results of S1 showed that empathy toward animals and most dimensions of empathy toward humans increase toward adulthood, with important gender differences in empathy to animals and humans, and empathy levels in girls starting off in the age trajectory at higher levels, A moderate correlation between empathy toward human and toward animal targets was also found. S2 showed that the expression of positive emotion is better recognized than that of negative emotion, surprise, or neutral expression, and that the measure of human-directed empathy predicts successful decoding of negative emotion, whereas skin conductance responses (SCRs) and subjective valence ratings predicted successful identification of positive emotion. Gender differences emerged but not across all age groups nor all subscales. Results yield keys to the developmental "pace" and trajectory of the various dimensions of empathy and to how empathy relates to emotion decoding.

The Influence of Student-Teacher Relationship on School-Age Children's Empathy: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Objective

Empathy is the ability to adopt another person’s perspective and experience the thoughts and emotions of that individual. A growing number of studies have shown that school-age children’s empathy robustly contributes to their interpersonal communication, academic achievement and psychosocial adjustment. For school-age children, school becomes the main place for learning and socializing. The student-teacher relationship is an important interpersonal relationship between children and adults after they leave home, which plays an important role in the development of children’s self-ability. However, the relationship between student-teacher relationship and children’s empathy and its mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to explore the influence of student-teacher relationship on school-age children’s empathy, and the mediating roles of emotional intelligence.

Methods

468 school-age children (250 boys and 238 girls) aged 8–11 (M_age = 9.22, SD_age = 1.20) from Guizhou Province completed questionnaires about student-teacher relationship, emotional intelligence, and children’s empathy.

Results

The results showed that student-teacher relationship positively and directly predicted empathy for girls, but not for boys. In addition, we also found that emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between student-teacher relationship and children’s empathy among both boys and girls.

Conclusion

This study reveals the effect of student-teacher relationship on the school-age children’s empathy, and the unique mediating role of emotional intelligence. Moreover, this study further reveals the different effects of student-teacher relationship on boys’ and girls’ empathy, emphasizing that positive student-teacher relationship can directly promote the development of girls’ empathy. Finally, this study emphasizes that cultivating and improving the emotional intelligence of school-age children may be an effective way to promote the development of children’s empathy.

Fear, love, and the origins of canid domestication: An oxytocin hypothesis

The process of dog domestication likely involved at least two functional stages. The initial stage occurred when subpopulations of wolves became synanthropes, benefiting from life nearby or in human environments. The second phase was characterized by the evolution of novel forms of interspecific cooperation and social relationships between humans and dogs. Here, we discuss possible roles of the oxytocin system across these functional stages of domestication. We hypothesize that in early domestication, oxytocin played important roles in attenuating fear and stress associated with human contact. In later domestication, we hypothesize that oxytocin's most critical functions were those associated with affiliative social behavior, social engagement, and cooperation with humans. We outline possible neurobiological changes associated with these processes and present a Siberian fox model of canid domestication in which these predictions can be tested. Lastly, we identify limitations of current studies on the neuroendocrinology of domestication and discuss challenges and opportunities for future research.

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We propose various roles for oxytocin across canid domestication.

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In early domestication, oxytocin primarily regulated fear and anxiety toward humans.

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In late domestication, oxytocin facilitated interspecific social bonds and cooperation.

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Comparative neurobiology is critical for understanding oxytocin's roles in domestication.

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Experimentally domesticated Siberian foxes provide a powerful model for these studies.