Affective empathy is the ability to recognize and share the feelings of other people. Empathetic individuals have a good understanding of what another person is experiencing; they notice the nuances of their mood and respond to their emotions. This response manifests as sympathy and empathy. When sympathizing, we experience our own feelings about what is happening to someone else. When empathizing, we immerse ourselves in the other person's state, identify with them, and experience the same emotions as the other person.
People with a high level of empathy are sensitive, friendly, and willing to help others. They easily establish trusting relationships with people. People are drawn to empaths and seek their companionship, not only counting on assistance. The thing is that interacting with an empathetic person brings joy, pleasure, psychological comfort, helps relieve the burden of negative experiences, or allows sharing pleasant emotions.
The ability to empathize is essential for some professionals. Without the ability to empathize, sympathize, and respond to the feelings of others, it can be challenging to work as a doctor or educator, journalist or social worker, administrator, or police officer. It's useful to know how developed your emotional empathy is if you are choosing your future profession.
Empathetic individuals usually have a good understanding of their own emotions, comprehend the origins of their moods, and the reasons for their feelings. Therefore, they can understand the feelings of other people. Empathy is an important part of emotional intelligence, which is strongly linked to our success in life and social well-being.
The test assesses the level of affective or emotional empathy. It is designed for quick self-assessment and can be used for express diagnostics by psychologists, educators, social workers, and recruiters. It consists of 20 items.