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Cross-Cultural Perspectives on the Role of Empathy during COVID-19’s First Wave

Author

Listed:
  • Marina L. Butovskaya

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
    International Center of Anthropology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
    Study and Science Center of Cultural Antropology, Russian State University for the Humanities, 125993 Moscow, Russia)

  • Valentina N. Burkova

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
    International Center of Anthropology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia)

  • Ashley K. Randall

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0811, USA)

  • Silvia Donato

    (Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy)

  • Julija N. Fedenok

    (Center of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia)

  • Lauren Hocker

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0811, USA)

  • Kai M. Kline

    (Counseling and Counseling Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0811, USA)

  • Khodabakhsh Ahmadi

    (Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19395-5478, Iran)

  • Ahmad M. Alghraibeh

    (Department of Psychology, King Saud University, Riyadh 2458, Saudi Arabia)

  • Fathil Bakir Mutsher Allami

    (Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Misan, Amarah 62001, Maysan, Iraq)

  • Fadime Suata Alpaslan

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Mohammad Ahmad Abdelaziz Al-Zu’bi

    (Department of Early Childhood, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa City 5468, Jordan)

  • Derya Fatma Biçer

    (Department of Business Administration, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas 58140, Turkey)

  • Hakan Cetinkaya

    (Department of Psychology, Ankara University, Ankara 06100, Turkey)

  • Oana Alexandra David

    (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

  • Seda Dural

    (Department of Psychology, Izmir University of Economics, İzmir 35330, Turkey)

  • Paige Erickson

    (Department of Psychology, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221-3038, USA)

  • Alexey M. Ermakov

    (Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia)

  • Berna Ertuğrul

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Emmanuel Abiodun Fayankinnu

    (Department of Sociology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko 001, Nigeria)

  • Maryanne L. Fisher

    (Department of Psychology, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, NS B3H 3C3, Canada)

  • Ivana Hromatko

    (Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Elena Kasparova

    (Department of Pedagogy and Problems of Education Development, Belarusian State University, 220030 Minsk, Belarus)

  • Alexander Kavina

    (Department of History, St John’s University of Tanzania, Dodoma P.O. Box 47, Tanzania)

  • Hareesol Khun-Inkeeree

    (School of Languages and General Education, Walailak University, Thasala District, Nakhon si Thammarat 80160, Thailand)

  • Fırat Koç

    (Department of Anthropology, Hitit University, Çorum 19030, Turkey)

  • Vladimir Kolodkin

    (Faculty of Media Communications and Multimedia Technology, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia)

  • Melanie MacEacheron

    (School of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0811, USA)

  • Irma Rachmawati Maruf

    (Post Graduate Notary Law Program, Pasundan University, Bandung 40113, West Java, Indonesia)

  • Norbert Meskó

    (Department for General and Evolutionary Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary)

  • Ruzan Mkrtchyan

    (Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of History, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025, Armenia)

  • Poppy Setiawati Nurisnaeny

    (State Intelligence College, Bogor 16001, Indonesia)

  • Oluyinka Ojedokun

    (Department of Pure & Applied Psychology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko 001, Nigeria)

  • Damilola Adebayo

    (Department of Pure & Applied Psychology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko 001, Nigeria)

  • Mohd S. B. Omar-Fauzee

    (School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, UUM Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Barış Özener

    (Department of Anthropology, İstanbul University, İstanbul 34452, Turkey)

  • Edna Lúcia Tinoco Ponciano

    (Institute of Psychology and Center of Social Studies, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20943-000, Brazil
    Institute of Psychology and Center of Social Studies, University of Coimbra, 3004 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Igor V. Popov

    (Faculty of Bioengineering and Veterinary Medicine, Don State Technical University, 344000 Rostov-on-Don, Russia)

  • Muhammad Rizwan

    (Department of Psychology, University of Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 22620, Pakistan)

  • Agnieszka Sabiniewicz

    (Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic TU Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany)

  • Victoriya I. Spodina

    (Department of History and Ethnology, Ob-Ugric Institute of Applied Researches and Development, 628011 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia)

  • Stanislava Stoyanova

    (Department of Psychology, South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria)

  • Nachiketa Tripathi

    (Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India)

  • Satwik Upadhyay

    (Department of Humanities & Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781 039, Assam, India)

  • Carol Weisfeld

    (Department of Psychology, University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI 48221-3038, USA)

  • Mohd Faiz Mohd Yaakob

    (School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, UUM Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Mat Rahimi Yusof

    (School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, UUM Sintok, Kedah 06010, Malaysia)

  • Raushaniia I. Zinurova

    (Institute of Innovation Management, Kazan National Research Technological University, 420015 Kazan, Russia)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the world, and concerns about psychological, social, and economic consequences are growing rapidly. Individuals’ empathy-based reactions towards others may be an important resilience factor in the face of COVID-19. Self-report data from 15,375 participants across 23 countries were collected from May to August 2020 during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, this study examined different facets of empathy—Perspective-Taking, Empathic Concern, and Personal Distress, and their association with cross-cultural ratings on Individualism, Power Distance, The Human Development Index, Social Support Ranking, and the Infectious Disease Vulnerability Index, as well as the currently confirmed number of cases of COVID-19 at the time of data collection. The highest ratings on Perspective-Taking were obtained for USA, Brazil, Italy, Croatia, and Armenia (from maximum to minimum); on Empathetic Concern, for the USA, Brazil, Hungary, Italy, and Indonesia; and on Personal Distress, from Brazil, Turkey, Italy, Armenia, Indonesia. Results also present associations between demographic factors and empathy across countries. Limitations and future directions are presented.

Suggested Citation

  • Marina L. Butovskaya & Valentina N. Burkova & Ashley K. Randall & Silvia Donato & Julija N. Fedenok & Lauren Hocker & Kai M. Kline & Khodabakhsh Ahmadi & Ahmad M. Alghraibeh & Fathil Bakir Mutsher All, 2021. "Cross-Cultural Perspectives on the Role of Empathy during COVID-19’s First Wave," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-35, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7431-:d:587478
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Olga Semenova & Julia Apalkova & Marina Butovskaya, 2021. "Sex Differences in Spatial Activity and Anxiety Levels in the COVID-19 Pandemic from Evolutionary Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Jorrat, Diego & Alfonso-Costillo, Antonio & Espín, Antonio M. & Garcia, Teresa & Kovářík, Jaromír, 2020. "Exposure to the Covid-19 pandemic and generosity," MPRA Paper 103389, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Phoebe E. Bailey & Ted Ruffman & Peter G. Rendell, 2012. "Age-Related Differences in Social Economic Decision Making: The Ultimatum Game," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 68(3), pages 356-363.
    4. Valentina N. Burkova & Marina L. Butovskaya & Ashley K. Randall & Julija N. Fedenok & Khodabakhsh Ahmadi & Ahmad M. Alghraibeh & Fathil Bakir Mutsher Allami & Fadime Suata Alpaslan & Mohammad Ahmad Ab, 2021. "Predictors of Anxiety in the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Global Perspective: Data from 23 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, April.
    5. Suzanne van de Groep & Kiki Zanolie & Kayla H Green & Sophie W Sweijen & Eveline A Crone, 2020. "A daily diary study on adolescents’ mood, empathy, and prosocial behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, October.
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