2026/02/17 by Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka, Amy Rundio, Megan Castro +1 · 1 voice
Medicine · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Empathy and Medical Education #Communication in Education and Healthcare #Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences
paper · doi:10.1177/10776958251415242
openalex publication_date 2026/02/17 · openalex created_date 2026/02/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Empathy is an under-researched yet vital communication skill. This mixed-methods study examined undergraduate communication students’ understanding of empathy in education and work. Using a survey to measure empathy levels and interviews to examine students’ understanding, the results demonstrated that students were generally empathetic, although men scored lower. Most defined empathy with either cognitive or affective components, rarely both, and described its value for relationships and communication careers, especially in understanding audiences, but noted risks like burnout. These findings give educators a starting point for understanding students’ empathy, and gaps in understanding demonstrate a need to integrate empathy into curricula.