Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy (PESE) refers to people's belief in their ability to empathize with others, respond compassionately to their distress, and recognize the emotional impact of their actions (Bandura et al., 2003; Di Giunta et al., 2010). PESE may be a protective factor against various negative outcomes, including loneliness defined as the subjective dissatisfaction with one's social and relational life (Shevlin et al., 2014). Individuals with higher levels of PESE tend to be more other-oriented, which fosters positive social connections and, in turn, helps reduce feelings of loneliness (Eisenberg et al., 2010). Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor within the general population, particularly among young people (Victor & Young, 2012), and it has become more prevalent over recent decades (Bueker et al., 2021). This study investigates its putative protective role among adolescents aged 14 to 15 years. Over 28 days, once a day, we asked 78 adolescents (71% boys) through a smartphone app to answer questions about loneliness and PESE. We conducted a multilevel regression analysis to investigate the protective effect of PESE on loneliness at the between level (i.e., interindividual differences) and within-person level (i.e., intraindividual changes). Our findings indicated that PESE negatively predicted daily loneliness both at the interindividual (β=-.40; p=.02) and intraindividual levels (β=-.23; p<.01) among adolescents. These results imply that both higher levels on average of PESE and higher-than-expected peaks of PESE may foster stronger social connections, thereby diminishing feelings of loneliness and fulfilling communal needs (Bakan, 1966). Understanding the role of PESE in adolescents can inform the development of interventions to address the daily challenges young people face. By enhancing PESE, these interventions could promote social competencies, reduce loneliness, and ultimately improve overall well-being.
The protective role of Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy on daily Loneliness in a sample of Italian adolescents / Virzì, Alessia Teresa; Beolchini, Elisabetta; Gregori, Fulvio; Barrero Toncel, Virginia Isabel; Caldaroni, Silvia; Fu, Yuanhang; Camps, Diana; Guttesen, Kristian; Paz Quilodrán, Valentina; Gerbino, Maria; Luengo Kanacri, Paula; Jónsson, Ólafur; Lundie, David. - (2025). (Intervento presentato al convegno European Conference of Developmental Psychology 2025 tenutosi a Vilnius, Lithuania).
The protective role of Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy on daily Loneliness in a sample of Italian adolescents
Alessia Teresa Virzì;Elisabetta Beolchini;Fulvio Gregori;Virginia Isabel Barrero Toncel;Silvia Caldaroni;Yuanhang Fu;Maria Gerbino;
2025
Abstract
Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy (PESE) refers to people's belief in their ability to empathize with others, respond compassionately to their distress, and recognize the emotional impact of their actions (Bandura et al., 2003; Di Giunta et al., 2010). PESE may be a protective factor against various negative outcomes, including loneliness defined as the subjective dissatisfaction with one's social and relational life (Shevlin et al., 2014). Individuals with higher levels of PESE tend to be more other-oriented, which fosters positive social connections and, in turn, helps reduce feelings of loneliness (Eisenberg et al., 2010). Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a significant risk factor within the general population, particularly among young people (Victor & Young, 2012), and it has become more prevalent over recent decades (Bueker et al., 2021). This study investigates its putative protective role among adolescents aged 14 to 15 years. Over 28 days, once a day, we asked 78 adolescents (71% boys) through a smartphone app to answer questions about loneliness and PESE. We conducted a multilevel regression analysis to investigate the protective effect of PESE on loneliness at the between level (i.e., interindividual differences) and within-person level (i.e., intraindividual changes). Our findings indicated that PESE negatively predicted daily loneliness both at the interindividual (β=-.40; p=.02) and intraindividual levels (β=-.23; p<.01) among adolescents. These results imply that both higher levels on average of PESE and higher-than-expected peaks of PESE may foster stronger social connections, thereby diminishing feelings of loneliness and fulfilling communal needs (Bakan, 1966). Understanding the role of PESE in adolescents can inform the development of interventions to address the daily challenges young people face. By enhancing PESE, these interventions could promote social competencies, reduce loneliness, and ultimately improve overall well-being.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
