Which statement about empathy is TRUE?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In evaluating the statement "Which statement about empathy is TRUE?", I will examine each option for accuracy and consistency with what is generally known about empathy.
Option 1: "Empathy is always accurate". This is misleading. Empathy often involves understanding another person’s perspective, but it is not guaranteed to be accurate. People can misinterpret others’ emotions or intentions, leading to errors in empathic understanding. Therefore this option is false.
Option 2: "Studies show that empathy is experienced equally by all people". This claim is not supported by research. Empathy levels and expressions vary across individuals due to personality, culture, experiences, and training. Hence this statement is incorrect.
Option 3: "We are more likely to empathize with people who we feel are similar to ourselves". This aligns with well-established findings in social psychology and neuroscience: perceived similarity increases empathic concern and understanding, while dissimilarity can reduce it. This option is consistent with theory and evidence, making it true.
Option 4: "Empathy is an inborn trait that cannot be trained". While there may be a temperament component, research shows that empathy can be cultivated through education, practice, and exposure. Claiming it cannot be trained is inaccurate.
Option 5: "There are no reasons to avoid empathy—you should always empathize with everyone". Although empathy is generally beneficial, there are contexts where indiscriminate empathy can be impractical or emotionally taxing, and boundaries or discernment may be important. This makes the statement overly absolutist and thus false.
Across all options, the third statement stands out as the one that correctly reflects a robust, evidence-backed pattern of empathic responding, while the other statements contain overgeneralizations, misrepresentations, or incorrect assumptions about empathy.

PSC 154 001 FQ 2025 Final Quiz #2

Which statement about empathy is TRUE?

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