THE HERITABILITY OF CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH DISPOSITIONAL EMPATHY

This investigation used data from Loehlin and Nichols's (1976) study o f over 800 sets of twins to examine evidence for the heritability of t hree facets of empathy: empathic concern, personal distress, and persp ective taking. Expert judges first identified sets of adjectives, incl uded within Loehlin and Nichols's original data, which reflected each empathy construct; these items were then validated in an independent s ample. Comparisons of the responses given to these items by identical and fraternal twins in the Loehlin and Nichols investigation revealed evidence of significant heritability for characteristics associated wi th the two affective facets of empathy-empathic concern and personal d istress-but not for the nonaffective construct of perspective taking. This pattern is consistent with the view that temperamental emotionali ty may underlie the heritability of affective empathy.