Social Anxiety and Empathy (1 CE)

Number of Credits: 1

This course is for: Clinical Psychologists, Counselors, and Marriage & Family Therapists

Course By: Ken Springer, PhD

Content By: Roy, A., Oldehinkel, A. J., & Hartman, C. A. (2017). Social anxiety and empathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 78.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102357

Course Description: Some studies have linked social anxiety to diminished empathy, while other studies suggest that social anxiety is associated with greater empathy. The present study consists of a systematic review and meta-analysis intended to clarify the relationship between social anxiety and empathy, and to identify variables that influence this relationship. 50 quantitative studies grounded in  measures of social anxiety as well as affective empathy and/or cognitive empathy were reviewed. The authors found that greater social anxiety was associated with greater affective empathy, an association that was moderately strong for males but non-significant for females. Social anxiety and cognitive empathy were not related overall, although for individuals with clinical levels of social anxiety, greater social anxiety was weakly predictive of less cognitive empathy. These and other findings have implications for therapeutic approaches intended to support individuals with social anxiety.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the rationale for this review and the methods by which studies were selected
2. Describe the main findings of the study concerning relationships between social anxiety and empathy
3. Integrate the strengths and limitations of the study, and summarize the possible implications for treatment of social anxiety

Course Outline:

• Read and understand Social anxiety and empathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Review the Course Description and Learning Objectives
• Analyze the rationale for examining how social anxiety is related to affective and cognitive empathy
• Understand the criteria used to include or exclude studies from this review
• Analyze the relationships identified between social anxiety and each type of empathy, and note how these relationships are influenced by other variables
• Integrate the study's key findings, strengths, limitations, and clinical implications
• Work through the post-test questions, using the article as the sole basis for your answers
• Revisit the article for any missed questions and/or to better understand the relationship between social anxiety and empathy

Approvals: