Open AccessEmpathy and Personality Styles in Medical Students
Author(s) -
Yolanda Dávila-Pontón,
Alejandro ReyesReyes,
Aracelis CalzadillaNúñez,
Robert Utsman,
Pilar Torres Martínez,
Víctor Patricio Díaz Narváez
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
revista colombiana de psicología/revista colombiana de psicologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.317
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2344-8644
pISSN - 0121-5469
DOI - 10.15446/rcp.v29n2.82988
Subject(s) - empathy , psychology , personality , clinical psychology , compassion , multilevel model , regression analysis , developmental psychology , social psychology , machine learning , political science , computer science , law
This study aimed to establish the relationship between empathy and personality styles in medical students, considering the differences by gender. The participants were 278 students of the medical career of the Universidad del Azuay, Ecuador. They were evaluated using the Jefferson empathy scale and the Millon Index of Personality Styles. Relationships between empathy and personality styles were examined using Pearson's correlation coefficient and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, for comparisons by gender and educational levels; with both Student's t test and analysis of variance used respectively. Results indicated that the factor structure of the empathy scale is invariant between men and women, noticing gender differences in care with compassion and total empathy, with women presenting a higher mean. Differences are observed by educational level, where the general empathy in the first three years grows progressively, and then slightly decrease. In conclusion, female students present a mean score of total empathy greater than men, with differences of empathy according to educational level