Direct and indirect empathy in refugee aid

IF 2.4 2区社会学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Pub Date : 2024-06-17 DOI:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102008

Helen Landmann

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

People may sometimes bridge the emotional gap to dissimilar others by practicing indirect empathy: imagining how close others would feel in the situation of a person in need. The present study tests this claim in the context of refugee aid. Practitioners working with refugees (N = 119) reported how often they experienced direct empathy (i.e., imagining how they would feel in the situation of the refugees they were working with) and indirect empathy (i.e., imagining how their close ones would feel in the situation of the refugees). They also indicated the extent to which they perceived the refugees as similar to themselves and the extent to which they believed that the refugees they were working with had been forced to leave their country. Practitioners in refugee aid reported experiencing direct empathy more often than indirect empathy – but the prevalence of both was high. Perceived forcedness and perceived similarity positively predicted direct and indirect empathy with similar effect sizes. These findings shed light on a previously overlooked phenomenon: People working with refugees frequently experience indirect empathy. They imagine how their close ones would feel if they were forced to migrate. Knowing more about this process could contribute to improving training and coaching for people working in refugee aid.

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难民援助中的直接和间接移情

人们有时可能会通过间接移情来消除与异类之间的情感隔阂：想象他人在需要帮助的人的处境中会有多么亲近的感觉。本研究以难民援助为背景检验了这一说法。从事难民工作的从业人员（119 人）报告了他们体验直接移情（即想象自己身处难民所处境况时的感受）和间接移情（即想象亲近的人身处难民所处境况时的感受）的频率。他们还指出了在多大程度上他们认为难民与自己相似，以及在多大程度上他们认为与他们一起工作的难民是被迫离开自己的国家的。从事难民援助工作的人员表示，直接移情比间接移情更常见，但两者的发生率都很高。感知到的被迫性和感知到的相似性正向预测了直接移情和间接移情，其效应大小相似。这些发现揭示了一个以前被忽视的现象：与难民打交道的人经常会产生间接移情。他们会想象自己亲近的人如果被迫迁移会有怎样的感受。对这一过程有更多的了解有助于改善对难民援助人员的培训和指导。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Multiple-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

14.30%

发文量

122

期刊介绍： IJIR is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of theory, practice, and research in intergroup relations. The contents encompass theoretical developments, field-based evaluations of training techniques, empirical discussions of cultural similarities and differences, and critical descriptions of new training approaches. Papers selected for publication in IJIR are judged to increase our understanding of intergroup tensions and harmony. Issue-oriented and cross-discipline discussion is encouraged. The highest priority is given to manuscripts that join theory, practice, and field research design. By theory, we mean conceptual schemes focused on the nature of cultural differences and similarities.