Comparing empathy perceived by interlocutors in multiparty conversation and external observers

Shiro Kumano

Abstract: This paper investigates the basic characteristics of perceived empathy in Breithaupt's three-person model to consider a way of realizing its automatic prediction or empathy reading machines. More specifically, we report the extent to which interlocutors differ from external observers in perceiving the empathy aroused during group conversation. We also evaluate the accuracies of various frequently used models, including majority voting and multiple regression, in predicting an interlocutor's ratings from those of other interlocutors and/or those of the observers. Defining empathy as the emotional congruence between pairs of interlocutors, we studied a four-person conversation, in which previously unacquainted people held a decision-making discussion. We used a 5-point Likert scale when collecting self-reports of empathy from the interlocutors, and reports from a total of forty external observers (ten for each interlocutor) who adopted a target interlocutor's perspective. We obtained three indications. First, when no empathy ratings are available from the target interlocutor for model training, it is beneficial to ask observers to take the target interlocutor's perspective. Second, when target interlocutors' self-reports are available, it is advantageous to instruct observers not to take the target interlocutor's perspective. Third, in both scenarios, it is useful to ask interlocutors to rate the pairs excluding themselves. These findings provide some insights into good rating procedure as regards studying perceived empathy.