Is it better to receive than to give? Empathy in the conflict-distress relationship. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The moderating effect of partner empathy on the relationship between both directions of work-family conflict (work-to-family and family-to-work) and psychological distress of both the job incumbent and partner are examined in this study. Considering empathy as a specific dimension of emotional social support, we hypothesized that receiving empathy would buffer negative spillover to the job incumbent while giving empathy would exacerbate negative crossover to the partner. A study of 270 job incumbents and their partners revealed that receiving partner empathy fully moderated spillover effects due to family-to-work conflict but had no effects with work-to-family conflict. We also found it interesting that giving partner empathy moderated the crossover effects on family-to-work conflict but had no effects with work-to-family conflict. Implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed.

published proceedings

  • J Occup Health Psychol

author list (cited authors)

  • Ferguson, M., Carlson, D., Zivnuska, S., & Whitten, D.

citation count

  • 20

complete list of authors

  • Ferguson, Merideth||Carlson, Dawn||Zivnuska, Suzanne||Whitten, Dwayne

publication date

  • July 2010