Predicting empathic ability: The relationship between feelings, agency, and empathy

This study examined a new possible correlate of empathic ability---Locus of Evaluation. In this investigation, the degree to which listeners used an Internal Locus of Evaluation to articulate their experience was compared with their ability to respond empathically. The main hypothesis of the study was that listeners who were more able to articulate their feelings and to express their preferences, values, and goals would offer higher levels of empathy than listeners who articulated few or none of these qualities. That is, listeners possessing an Internal Locus of Evaluation were predicted to be more empathic.; Participants were asked to write about recent experiences in their lives and to compose stories about the characters in TAT cards. They were then given instructions on how to respond empathically and asked to respond with empathy to a series of therapy excerpts.; Two new scales were developed for the purpose of measuring Locus of Evaluation in the participants' written materials. The scales were based on two aspects of Locus of Evaluation described by Rogers---Feelings and Agency. The Feeling Scale assessed the degree to which participants articulated feelings and integrated feelings into the context of their experience. The Agency Scale assessed the degree to which participants articulated their preferences, values, and goals and expressed these within the context of their experience.; Overall, the findings supported the hypothesized relationship between Feelings, Agency, and Empathy. Participants who expressed more feelings were found to offer higher levels of empathy than participants who expressed fewer feelings. Similarly, participants who articulated their preferences, values, and goals were found to be more empathic than participants who expressed fewer of these qualities. Contrary to prediction, however, combined Feeling and Agency scores were not more strongly predictive of empathic responding than either Feelings or Agency alone.; The findings also brought into question the construct validity of the Feeling and Agency Scales. Some possible explanations for this finding are discussed. Some considerations about the measurement of empathy in this study are also examined. Additionally, directions for future research are proposed.