The Benefits of Teaching Empathy: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of an empathy-specific character education curriculum to increase empathy levels in students and to determine whether any measurable benefits were noted aside from an increase in empathy, such as improving academic performance, decreasing absenteeism, and reducing negative behaviors in schools. The data collected from this randomized controlled trial was analyzed using ordinary least squares regression and mediation models. The results showed the curriculum appeared to increase the empathy development rate among girls and decrease the empathy development rate among boys. No significant findings were found on the effect of the curriculum on race and no significant relationship was found between race and empathy. Higher levels of empathy were related to lower levels of negative behavior among students with no significant effect from the curriculum. Greater levels of empathy suggested higher GPAs with no significant effect from the curriculum. Neither student empathy levels nor the curriculum had a significant effect on absenteeism.