Abstract:
For this study, empathy was defined as not only understanding and sharing another’s mental
state, but also responding from a perspective more closely resembling the observed rather than
the observer. Based on evidence suggesting relationships between reading and empathy, between
empathy and gender, and between reading and gender, the current study investigated the
relationship between empathy and reading and how this relationship varies as a function of
psychological gender. Canonical correlation analysis confirmed the relationship of reading
behaviors and appreciation of reading to aspects of empathy. It also demonstrated the utility of
investigating gender differences based not on physical, but psychological gender, and confirmed
a positive relationship between femininity and empathy. Key among the findings was the
discovery of a positive relationship of psychological masculinity to cognitive empathy, amount
of non-fiction reading, and appreciation of reading. The greater predictive power in
psychological gender, which is more malleable than physical gender, counters sex stereotypes
regarding empathy and reading behaviors; if men can be more like women in personality, they
may also be more empathetic. The relationships established in this study have implications for
the development of empathy and programs to facilitate it.
