Scholarlink

Objectives <p>A prominent adolescent developmental trait is the dynamic self-other interplay between understanding others’ feelings to shape self-perception and utilizing personal experiences to engage with others. Empathy is spontaneous deep comprehension of others’ situations, while self-compassion centers on self-connection amid difficulties. The study employed a cross-lagged network analysis to explore the temporal directionality of their relationship.</p> Method <p>A total of 789 Chinese adolescents (62.48% male; <i>M</i><sub><i>age</i></sub> = 15.47, <i>SD</i><sub><i>age</i></sub> = 0.69) completed the Chinese versions of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (for empathy) and Self-Compassion Scale (for self-compassion), with assessments at two time points (6-month interval) from June 2021 to December 2022.</p> Results <p>In the contemporaneous network, the strongest bridge strength linked mindfulness and perspective-taking at T1 to mindfulness and empathic personal distress at T2, and mindfulness consistently held the highest node strength centrality. The temporal model showed cross-dimensional reciprocal prediction between the two empathy dimensions (cognitive: perspective-taking, fantasy; emotional: empathic concern, empathic personal distress) and no within-subdimension predictive links. For self-compassion, mutual prediction occurred between its positive and negative dimensions and among positive dimensions, but not among negative dimensions. For empathy and self-compassion, perspective-taking and empathic personal distress were most influential (low in-prediction, high out-prediction), whereas overidentification, self-kindness, and mindfulness had limited influence on others but were prone to external influence.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings revealed an interconnected network of empathy and self-compassion, reflecting the asymmetrical interplay of adolescents’ interpersonal psychological processes and providing a theoretical framework for understanding the balance between empathy and self-care in their psychological development.</p> Preregistration <p>This study was not preregistered.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Others to the Self or Self to Others? The Longitudinal Relations Between Empathy and Self-Compassion in Adolescents—A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月11日

查看全文
  • Teng Chen,
  • Wan Ding,
  • Weilong Xiao,
  • Weijian Li,
  • Ruibo Xie

摘要

Objectives

A prominent adolescent developmental trait is the dynamic self-other interplay between understanding others’ feelings to shape self-perception and utilizing personal experiences to engage with others. Empathy is spontaneous deep comprehension of others’ situations, while self-compassion centers on self-connection amid difficulties. The study employed a cross-lagged network analysis to explore the temporal directionality of their relationship.

Method

A total of 789 Chinese adolescents (62.48% male; Mage = 15.47, SDage = 0.69) completed the Chinese versions of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (for empathy) and Self-Compassion Scale (for self-compassion), with assessments at two time points (6-month interval) from June 2021 to December 2022.

Results

In the contemporaneous network, the strongest bridge strength linked mindfulness and perspective-taking at T1 to mindfulness and empathic personal distress at T2, and mindfulness consistently held the highest node strength centrality. The temporal model showed cross-dimensional reciprocal prediction between the two empathy dimensions (cognitive: perspective-taking, fantasy; emotional: empathic concern, empathic personal distress) and no within-subdimension predictive links. For self-compassion, mutual prediction occurred between its positive and negative dimensions and among positive dimensions, but not among negative dimensions. For empathy and self-compassion, perspective-taking and empathic personal distress were most influential (low in-prediction, high out-prediction), whereas overidentification, self-kindness, and mindfulness had limited influence on others but were prone to external influence.

Conclusions

These findings revealed an interconnected network of empathy and self-compassion, reflecting the asymmetrical interplay of adolescents’ interpersonal psychological processes and providing a theoretical framework for understanding the balance between empathy and self-care in their psychological development.

Preregistration

This study was not preregistered.