empathy anxiety dp

This study explores the relationships among empathy, anxiety, and the tendency of defensive-pessimism-strategy usage (DP tendency) in Japanese university students within academic and friendship contexts. Utilizing a scenario-based method, a survey was conducted with 70 students, and data from 43 with high DP tendencies were analyzed. Results reveal that empathetic fantasy significantly influences DP tendencies. Additionally, trait anxiety impacts DP tendencies, while the effect of state anxiety varies across situations. A moderate correlation is found for DP tendencies between the two settings. The discussion delves into the cognitive aspects of empathy and cultural influences on DP tendencies among participants.