TY - JOUR
T1 - If I cry, do you care?
T2 - Individual differences in empathy moderate the facilitation of caregiving words after exposure to crying faces
AU - Lockwood, P.
AU - Millings, A.
AU - Hepper, E.
AU - Rowe, A.C.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Crying is a powerful solicitation of caregiving, yet little is known about the cognitive processes underpinning caring responses to crying others. This study examined (1) whether crying (compared to sad and happy) faces differentially elicited semantic activation of caregiving, and (2) whether individual differences in cognitive and emotional empathy moderated this activation. Ninety participants completed a lexical decision task in which caregiving, neutral, and nonwords were presented after subliminal exposure (24 ms) to crying, sad, and happy faces. Individuals low in cognitive empathy had slower reaction times to caregiving (vs. neutral) words after exposure to crying faces, but not after sad or happy faces. Results are discussed with respect to the role of empathy in response to crying others.
AB - Crying is a powerful solicitation of caregiving, yet little is known about the cognitive processes underpinning caring responses to crying others. This study examined (1) whether crying (compared to sad and happy) faces differentially elicited semantic activation of caregiving, and (2) whether individual differences in cognitive and emotional empathy moderated this activation. Ninety participants completed a lexical decision task in which caregiving, neutral, and nonwords were presented after subliminal exposure (24 ms) to crying, sad, and happy faces. Individuals low in cognitive empathy had slower reaction times to caregiving (vs. neutral) words after exposure to crying faces, but not after sad or happy faces. Results are discussed with respect to the role of empathy in response to crying others.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84873901394&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1027/1614-0001/a000098
DO - 10.1027/1614-0001/a000098
M3 - Article
SN - 1614-0001
VL - 34
SP - 41
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Individual Differences
JF - Journal of Individual Differences
IS - 1
ER -