Empathic tendencies of primary school fourth grade students investigation of the relationship with social anxiety and loneliness levels

This study, conducted to examine the relationship between empathetic tendencies of fourth-grade primary school students and their levels of social anxiety and loneliness, aims to explore the relationship between empathetic tendency, its sub-dimensions (emotional empathy and cognitive empathy), and levels of social anxiety and loneliness, as well as their relationship with various demographic variables. The study group consists of 533 students (269 girls, 264 boys) living in Başiskele district of Kocaeli province, selected through convenient sampling. The research was conducted using a relational screening model. Data collection tools used in the study include the "Demographic Information Form," "KA-Sİ Empathic Tendency Scale for Children and Adolescents-Child Form (KA-Sİ EEÖ-ÇF)," "Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised (SASC-R)," and "Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS)." For data analysis, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, t-Test, Post hoc analysis Lsd, and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized. According to the results of the multiple linear regression analysis conducted on the collected data, it was found that students' cognitive empathy levels were significantly predicted by social anxiety, loneliness, and demographic variables such as gender and age, and these variables together explained 18% of the total variance in the cognitive empathy sub-dimension. Similarly, it was found that students' emotional empathy levels were significantly predicted by social anxiety, loneliness, and demographic variables such as gender and age, and these variables together explained 12% of the total variance in the emotional empathy sub-dimension. When examining empathic tendencies according to demographic characteristics, it was concluded that girls had higher empathic tendencies compared to boys. In the cognitive empathy sub-dimension, it was found that empathic tendencies differed in favor of those whose mothers worked full-time and whose mothers had a higher education level. In terms of fathers' education levels, it was found that empathic tendencies in both cognitive and emotional empathy sub-dimensions were higher for those with a higher father education level. It was also observed that empathic tendency scores (emotional and cognitive empathy) increased proportionally with the number of years of preschool education received. No differentiation was observed between empathic tendencies and other demographic variables.