Caring helps: Trait empathy is related to better coping strategies and differs in the poor versus the rich

Coping has been extensively studied in health psychology; however, factors influencing the usage of different coping strategies have received limited attention. In five studies (N = 3702), we explored the relationship between trait empathy and coping strategies, and how subjective socioeconomic status (SES) moderates this relationship. In Studies 1–4, we found that people with higher level of empathic concern use more adaptive coping strategies, seek more social support, and use fewer maladaptive coping strategies. Moreover, higher trait empathy related to more adaptive coping strategies among the poor, and fewer maladaptive coping strategies among the rich. In Study 5, we tested the potential biological basis of the relationship between trait empathy and coping by examining the effect of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism on coping. We found that individuals with the GG phenotype—who in previous research have been found to be more empathic—were more likely to seek social support than AG or AA individuals. Furthermore, in line with findings in Studies 1–4, amongst people with low SES, individuals with GG genotype used more adaptive coping strategies than AG or AA individuals. Our results highlight the selective role trait empathy plays in influencing coping strategy deployment, depending on the SES of individuals.

应对方式在健康心理学领域已得到广泛研究，但针对不同应对策略使用的影响因素，相关探讨却相对有限。在五项研究（总样本量N=3702）中，我们探究了特质共情与应对策略之间的关联，以及主观社会经济地位（subjective socioeconomic status, SES）对该关联的调节作用。在研究1至4中，我们发现，共情关注水平更高的个体，会更多采用适应性应对策略、寻求更多社会支持，同时更少使用非适应性应对策略。此外，特质共情水平更高的个体，在低收入群体中更倾向于使用适应性应对策略，而在高收入群体中则更少采用非适应性应对策略。在研究5中，我们通过考察催产素受体基因（oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR）rs53576多态性对应对行为的影响，探究了特质共情与应对方式间关联的潜在生物学基础。我们发现，携带GG基因型的个体——既往研究显示该基因型群体共情水平更高——相较于AG或AA基因型个体，更倾向于寻求社会支持。此外，与研究1至4的结果一致，在低主观社会经济地位群体中，携带GG基因型的个体相较于AG或AA基因型个体，会更多采用适应性应对策略。本研究结果表明，特质共情对个体应对策略部署的影响具有选择性，且该效应依赖于个体自身的主观社会经济地位。