The relationship between empathy and personality traits in Saudi medical students
نویسندگان
1 Clinical Psychology Program, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2
doi
چکیده
BACKGROUND: Empathy is regarded as a fundamental personal attribute for in-training and inpractice doctors. Several factors may play a significant role to facilitate or prevent the ability of doctors’empathy toward their patients. The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationship ofempathy with personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, andopenness to experience) among undergraduate medical students.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was based on a correlational, cross-sectional designand was conducted from January 2020 to April 2020. The sample consisted of 301 undergraduatemedical students studying in different medical colleges situated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Personalinformation form, the big-five personality inventory, and the interpersonal reactivity index scales wereadministered. Obtained data were analyzed by applying several methods such as mean, standarddeviation, Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multivariable linear regression.RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed that personality dimensions accounted for 10–19% ofthe variance in scores of empathy sub-dimensions of perspective-taking, empathetic concern,fantasy, and personal distress. Agreeableness was found to be associated with empatheticconcern and perspective-taking. Openness to experience was found to be significantly related toperspective-taking and fantasy, whereas extraversion was negatively associated with perspectivetaking. Neuroticism had an association with personal distress, empathetic concern, and fantasy.Additionally, no gender difference was observed and students with people-oriented specialtypreferences showed significantly higher scores on empathy sub-domains than technology-orientedstudents.CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that personality dimensions play a notable role to predictempathetic behaviors among Saudi undergraduate medical students. This study would help to designindividualized strategies by incorporating personality dimensions in the training program to enhanceempathetic behavior among medical students.
