Psychopathy, Emotional Contagion, and Empathy

Abstract

In an effort to discover quality evidence about the emotional experience of individuals who report psychopathic tendencies, the relationship between psychopathy, emotional contagion (EC), and empathy were explored. The study posits one basic question: Do people who self-report psychopathy exhibit normal tendencies for EC and empathy? Three psychological measures were selected and formatted into an online survey. These measures are: the SRP III, which measures psychopathic tendencies, the EC scale, and the TEQ which measures empathy. Participants were solicited from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks campus in an effort to replicate a similar study conducted by Dr. Cherie Luckhurst at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The following hypotheses were proposed: there will be a negative correlation between individuals’ scores on the psychopathic tendencies measures, and their scores on the EC and TEQ (empathy) measures. The study used a Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) method for data analysis and correlation indicators. Also, a multiple regression analysis was utilized to investigate predictor variables.