Salud & Sociedad: investigaciones en psicologia de la salud y psicologia social
On-line version ISSN 0718-7475
Abstract
FORMIGA, Nilton S.. A proposal for a parsimonious model between empathy and cultural orientation type in the brazilian population. Salud & Sociedad [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.186-199. ISSN 0718-7475.
Constant changes in people's social, economic, and cultural lives are seen in contemporary society. These changes may be related to the individualistic and collectivist orientations that are linked in the dynamics of the psychosocial environment. These orientations do not arise from a social vacuum, but from the recognition by the person of his capacity for empathy. The present study aims to identify the relationship between empathy and the cultural orientations of individualism and collectivism. We applied the multidimensional scales of the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index regarding the type of individualist and collectivist cultural orientations and socio-demographic data on 382 men and women. All subjects were between the ages of 14-61 and studying in public and private schools in the cities of João Pessoa and Natal-RN in Brazil. The structural model analysis showed a strong positive association of empathy with the collectivist orientation type and a weak association with individualistic orientation type. As a result we have identified the importance of developing a series of practices that promote empathy skills to generate cultural activities that promote valuing others and traditions
Keywords : Empathy; Individualism-collectivism attributes; Theoretical model.