Effects of Age on Emotion Regulation, Emotional Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior.

Bailey, PE; Brady, B; Ebner, NC; Ruffman, T

Effects of Age on Emotion Regulation, Emotional Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior.

Bailey, PE Brady, B Ebner, NC Ruffman, T

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Publisher:: Oxford University Press
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2020, 75, (4), pp. 802-810
Issue Date:: 2020-03-09

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bailey, PE
dc.contributor.author	Brady, B
dc.contributor.author	Ebner, NC
dc.contributor.author	Ruffman, T
dc.date.accessioned	2022-10-31T04:28:51Z
dc.date.available	2022-10-31T04:28:51Z
dc.date.issued	2020-03-09
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2020, 75, (4), pp. 802-810
dc.identifier.issn	1079-5014
dc.identifier.issn	1758-5368
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163054
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVES: The degree to which older adults experience emotional empathy and show subsequent prosocial behavior versus experience personal distress in response to another's distress remains unclear. METHOD: Young (n = 40; 17-29 years) and older (n = 39; 61-82 years) adults watched videos of individuals expressing pain or no pain. Pain mimicry was recorded using facial electromyography. Participants were then asked if they would spend the remaining time helping the experimenter. Self-reported tendency to suppress or reappraise emotion was assessed, as well as trait and state emotional empathy and personal distress. RESULTS: Pain mimicry was associated with reduced trait suppression in older adults. In both age groups, greater emotional empathy, averaged across video condition, was associated with increased helping. In addition, relative to young adults, older adults reported more personal distress and emotional reactivity in response to the videos but were just as willing to help. They also put more effort into helping. DISCUSSION: These findings contribute to clarification of mixed previous evidence regarding the experience of emotional empathy in young versus older adulthood. We discuss the importance of considering additional subcomponents of empathy such as emotion regulation, while also accounting for the relevance of the empathy induction to each age group.
dc.format	Print
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Oxford University Press
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP130101420
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1093/geronb/gby084
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1608 Sociology, 1701 Psychology
dc.subject.classification	Gerontology
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Altruism
dc.subject.mesh	Electromyography
dc.subject.mesh	Empathy
dc.subject.mesh	Facial Expression
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Helping Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Pain
dc.subject.mesh	Photic Stimulation
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Altruism
dc.subject.mesh	Electromyography
dc.subject.mesh	Empathy
dc.subject.mesh	Facial Expression
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Helping Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Pain
dc.subject.mesh	Photic Stimulation
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Pain
dc.subject.mesh	Electromyography
dc.subject.mesh	Facial Expression
dc.subject.mesh	Photic Stimulation
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Altruism
dc.subject.mesh	Helping Behavior
dc.subject.mesh	Empathy
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.title	Effects of Age on Emotion Regulation, Emotional Empathy, and Prosocial Behavior.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	75
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1608 Sociology
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Clinical Psychology
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-10-31T04:28:50Z
pubs.issue	4
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	75
utslib.citation.issue	4

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: The degree to which older adults experience emotional empathy and show subsequent prosocial behavior versus experience personal distress in response to another's distress remains unclear. METHOD: Young (n = 40; 17-29 years) and older (n = 39; 61-82 years) adults watched videos of individuals expressing pain or no pain. Pain mimicry was recorded using facial electromyography. Participants were then asked if they would spend the remaining time helping the experimenter. Self-reported tendency to suppress or reappraise emotion was assessed, as well as trait and state emotional empathy and personal distress. RESULTS: Pain mimicry was associated with reduced trait suppression in older adults. In both age groups, greater emotional empathy, averaged across video condition, was associated with increased helping. In addition, relative to young adults, older adults reported more personal distress and emotional reactivity in response to the videos but were just as willing to help. They also put more effort into helping. DISCUSSION: These findings contribute to clarification of mixed previous evidence regarding the experience of emotional empathy in young versus older adulthood. We discuss the importance of considering additional subcomponents of empathy such as emotion regulation, while also accounting for the relevance of the empathy induction to each age group.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/163054