Abstract

The study aimed to provide basic data for program development to improve empathy by exploring the relationship between temperament and empathy. To this end, questionnaire data on temperament(EATQ-R) and empathy(EQ-C) were collected and analyzed from 555 elementary and middle school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The results are as follows. First, among the subdimensions of temperament, affiliativeness and negative affectivity were significantly higher in female students, while surgency was significantly higher in male students. In addition, emotional empathy was significantly higher among female students. Second, among the four subdimensions of temperament, effortful control and affiliativeness had significant effects on empathy. Effortful control also had positive effects on cognitive and emotional empathy. Particularly in the case of affiliativeness, the influence on cognitve and emotional empathy was relatively large compared with effortful control. Third, there were significant differences in empathy and its subdimensions based on levels of effortful control and affiliativeness. Higher levels of effortful control were associated with higher levels of cognitive empathy. And higher levels of affiliativeness were associated with higher levels of cognitive and emotional empathy. Additionally, the interaction effect between affiliativeness and effortful control was significant for emotional empathy. Finally, the implications and limitations of the study are discussed.