Thread: Sensitivity, Affective Empathy and Cognitive Empathy
Okay, so I posted this on the Facebook, and may as well post it here as well because *shrugs*. Should at least pretend there is activity on this site.
Anyway, so people can be affected by other people's emotions. That's affective empathy; when you look at someone who is upset and feel bad in response. Then there is cognitive empathy; a learned form of empathy which generally considers not what people are feeling but WHY. And sensitivity... I don't really know, to be honest. And looking it up is too much work! :D Anyway, I guess sensitivity is a measure of how you feel in response to other people's feelings? As in, feeling people are upset with you (via affective empathy) would cause more stress for a very sensitive person than a not sensitive person.
I guess what I'm idly wondering is the relationships between these three... So far I think I have the following:
* A high affective empathy may cause a high sensitivity, but I'm not too sure.
* A high sensitivity implies at least a moderate affective empathy, at least...
* Having both a high affective empathy and a high sensitivity can cause problems in using cognitive empathy because when you see someone upset, you feel so upset that you can't help them.
* Having a low sensitivity, a low affective empathy or a low cognitive empathy makes you an asshole.
* Having a high sensitivity makes you want to avoid all criticism at all because it upsets you too much.
So yeah, just idle wondering. I'd ask for responses but I doubt anyone would give them.
Anyway, so people can be affected by other people's emotions. That's affective empathy; when you look at someone who is upset and feel bad in response. Then there is cognitive empathy; a learned form of empathy which generally considers not what people are feeling but WHY. And sensitivity... I don't really know, to be honest. And looking it up is too much work! :D Anyway, I guess sensitivity is a measure of how you feel in response to other people's feelings? As in, feeling people are upset with you (via affective empathy) would cause more stress for a very sensitive person than a not sensitive person.
I guess what I'm idly wondering is the relationships between these three... So far I think I have the following:
* A high affective empathy may cause a high sensitivity, but I'm not too sure.
* A high sensitivity implies at least a moderate affective empathy, at least...
* Having both a high affective empathy and a high sensitivity can cause problems in using cognitive empathy because when you see someone upset, you feel so upset that you can't help them.
* Having a low sensitivity, a low affective empathy or a low cognitive empathy makes you an asshole.
* Having a high sensitivity makes you want to avoid all criticism at all because it upsets you too much.
So yeah, just idle wondering. I'd ask for responses but I doubt anyone would give them.
The fourth statement is pretty skewed, I think. You can have a low cognitive empathy but a high affective empathy but not be an asshole. Basically the person who sits there listening to everything the person says and is really supportive, but doesn't actually know how to fix it or what to do to make them feel better. That doesn't make them an asshole, I think.
I mean, I actually have a low affective empathy but a high cognitive one, it seems. I don't think I'm that much of an asshole, right?! D:
I mean, I actually have a low affective empathy but a high cognitive one, it seems. I don't think I'm that much of an asshole, right?! D:
