THE EFFECT OF DISPOSITIONAL EMPATHY ON ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP BEHAVIORS - HETEROSOCIAL ANXIETY AS A MODERATING INFLUENCE

Recent research has supported a model that specifies the way dispositional empathy influences everyday social behavior; the present investigation examined one possible boundary condition of the model. It was posited that high levels of heterosocial anxiety constitute a self-oriented affective reaction that interferes with the operation of an other-oriented empathic response. As a result, the usual association between dispositional empathy and social behaviors should be weakened among those high in heterosocial anxiety. Data collected from 119 college students involved in monogamous romantic relationships provided partial support for this hypothesis. Evidence for the predicted moderating effect was found for positive social behaviors but not for negative behaviors. Evidence also suggested that the moderating effect was strongest for dispositional perspective taking-the most cognitive facet of empathy-and considerably weaker for the affective constructs of empathic concern and personal distress.