THE RELATIONS OF DISPOSITIONAL REGULATION AND EMOTIONALITY TO ELDERS EMPATHY-RELATED RESPONDING AND AFFECT WHILE VOLUNTEERING

Researchers recently have proposed that various empathy-related reacti ons are differentially related to individual differences in emotional intensity and regulation. This idea was tested with a sample of elderl y hospital volunteers. As predicted, dispositional sympathy was associ ated with high levels of both dispositional regulation and negative em otional intensity. Personal distress was linked with low regulation an d high negative emotional intensity, and cognitive perspective taking was associated with high regulation. Perspective taking moderated the relation of emotional intensity to sympathy and personal distress. In addition, elders' negative affect when volunteering at a hospital was correlated with low regulation and high personal distress. In contrast , positive affect was correlated with high levels of regulation and di spositional sympathy. The results demonstrate that findings pertaining to vicarious emotional responding are generalizable to nonstudent pop ulations engaged in planned, sustained helping behavior.