University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
Spring 3-2017
Major
psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Richard Osbaldiston
Mentor Department
Psychology
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, this ability is fundamental for human connection. What happens to empathy when the brain is damaged, specifically, with a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? This meta-analysis attempts to answer this question. Using PsycInfo and Medline, nine studies that compared a TBI group to a control group were located. These articles were coded, and the overall effect sizes were calculated. The results of this study revealed a medium effect size between TBI and empathy (d = -0.71). These results suggest that those with TBI have a lower capacity for empathy than those who do not have any type of brain disorder. This research provides evidence that TBI impacts empathy; The next step is to identify the areas of the brain that have been affected by TBI and analyze how each area individually impacts empathy.
