The Mediating Role of Empathy on Broader Autism Traits and Prosocial Behavior

Background: The Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP), characterized as subclinical symptoms and personality traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), includes aloofness, rigidity, and pragmatic language difficulties (Piven et al., 1997; Landa et al., 1992). Studies have shown that BAP characteristics are present to varying degrees in non-clinical samples (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001; Jobe & Williams-White, 2007; Wainer, Ingersoll, & Hopwood, 2011).  While research has shown that college students who exhibit BAP traits experience difficulties in social skills and social cognition (Sasson, Nowlin, & Pinkham, 2013), very few studies have examined the relationship between BAP traits and pro-social behavior while accounting for related characteristics. One study, however, showed that individuals with high levels of autistic traits engaged in fewer pro-social behaviors during open-ended responses to hypothetical situations (Jameel et al., 2014). 

Empathy, as a whole, has been conceptualized as a motivating source that predicts pro-social behavior (Eisenberg and Miller, 1987). That is, when you understand another person’s emotional state and can predict their response, you may engage in helping behavior. Individuals with ASD have been shown to demonstrate impairments in cognitive empathy while emotional empathy remains intact (Blair, 2008). As such, determining the influence of both empathy subtypes may elucidate the relationship between decreased pro-social responses by individuals with increased levels of ASD traits.

Objectives: The purpose of the investigation was to determine whether cognitive and/or affective empathy mediated the relation between BAP traits and pro-social behavior.

Methods: A predominantly female sample (N = 505, 75.8% female), ages 18-60 (M = 20.9, SD= 4.28) was recruited from an undergraduate student population at a public mid-Atlantic university. Participants completed self-report measures on BAP traits (Broader Autism Phenotype Questionnaire; Hurley et al., 2007), cognitive and affective empathy levels (Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy; Reniers et al., 2011), and pro-social behaviors (Prosocial Tendencies Measure; Carlo & Randall, 2002). Mediation was tested using hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapped estimation of confidence intervals around the indirect effect (PROCESS; Hayes, 2013).

Results: Mediational analyses were run for both components of empathy as mediators between BAP traits and pro-social behavior. As hypothesized, BAP traits predicted decreased pro-social behavior (total effect = B = -.122, SE = .018, p<.001, 95% CI = -.148 to -.076). However, only cognitive empathy significantly and uniquely mediated the effect of BAP traits on pro-social behavior (indirect effect B = -.068, Boot SE = .011, 95% CI=-.091 to -.048). Furthermore, even when controlling for affective empathy, cognitive empathy still mediated the relationship between BAP and pro-social behavior (indirect effect B= -.054, Boot SE = .010 95% CI=-074 to -.036).

Conclusions: Cognitive empathy appears to play a unique role in mediating the relation between BAP traits and pro-social behavior whereas affective empathy does not demonstrate the same effect. Limitations, and clinical implications are explored