Empathy in Kentucky high school students.

Abstract

Empathy rates are declining rapidly, especially in adolescents. Studies show empathy is an important skill used in several fields of work. The lack of empathy led to the research question: Do High School Students of a Highly Rated High School in Kentucky display more Sympathy or Empathy? An online survey with five hypothetical scenarios — each with a different age group — was given to a convenience sample within the school. The responses were coded and analyzed on Atlas.ti, an online qualitative coding software, converting the qualitative data to quantitative data. The results were categorized into one of four categories: Empathy, Sympathy, Mix of Both, or None. The research showed that students showed less empathy to older age groups than younger ones, illustrating Psychological Closeness, where people show more empathy to people with whom they share similarities. The research concluded that high school students in a highly rated high school in Kentucky are more empathetic to individuals they can relate to most.

Keywords

• empathy
• adolescents
• sympathy
• survey
• age groups
• atlas.ti