Empathy and intolerance of Russian youth towards people with disabilities: gender and personality differences

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Abstract

In this article, we present the results of a study on empathy and intolerance in relation to people with disabilities among Russian students. We investigated gender and personal differences in the relationship between the level of aggressive behavior, empathy and anxiety (as an indicator of stress). The sample consisted of 192 students — 106 of young men and 86 of young women (average age 20 years). We used a psychological questionnaires and experimental design with the presentation of stimulating photographs. At the first stage, all respondents filled in a personal questionnaire of the self-ratings on aggressive behavior by Bass&Perry, questionnaire of empathic abilities developed by Boyko, and the Spielberg-Khanin questionnaire for determining the level of anxiety. On the next step, we showed a stimulus material — a set of pictures with disabled people. After photo session, we asked respondents to fill in questionnaires on empathy and anxiety again. The results of the study show that the effect of stimulant photos stimulated the arousal of the level of anxiety and empathy in students, Also the development of empathy can lead to a decrease in the number of manifestations of rejection, hostility and aggression (and, consequently, fear) towards people with disabilities.

General Information

Keywords: empathy, intolerance, anxiety, aggression, stimulus foto, people with disabilities, students, Buss&Perry, Spielberg-Khanin, Boyko questionnaires.

Journal rubric: Social Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2019120105

Acknowledgements. This research was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (grant № 18-18-00075).

For citation: Burkova V.N., Fedenok J.N., Butovskaya M.L. Empathy and intolerance of Russian youth towards people with disabilities: gender and personality differences. Eksperimental'naâ psihologiâ = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2019. Vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 53–69. DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2019120105. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Valentina N. Burkova, PhD in History, Senior Researcher in the Sector of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute Ethnology and Anthropology Russian Academy of Sciences, Lecturer in International Centre of Anthropology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4777-0224, e-mail: burkovav@gmail.com

Julia N. Fedenok, researcher in the Sector of cross - cultural psychology and human ethology, Institute ethnology and anthropology Russian academy of sciences, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: julia.fedenok@gmail.com

Marina L. Butovskaya, Doctor of History, Professor, Head of the Sector of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEA RAS), Leading Researcher Training and Research Center of Social Anthropology, Russian State Humanitarian University (RGGU UNCSA), Professor of the Department of Ethnology, Faculty of History, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5528-0519, e-mail: marina.butovskaya@gmail.com

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