This bachelor's thesis investigated the effect of sex and menstrual phase on affective empathy responsiveness. Sixteen males and 32 females were presented with 102 short written sentences describing basic emotions or neutral situations. Participants were asked how they would feel in those situations. Data analysis found no significant gender differences in correct responses. However, correlation analysis revealed higher levels of estrogen were linked to fewer correct answers for angry stimuli and faster response times. Higher empathy scores on a personality test also correlated with slower response times. Analysis of EEG data found lower global brain activity for anger, disgust and sadness, but higher activity for happy stimuli, demonstrating an emotion effect across participants.

1. VILNIUS UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Natural Sciences
Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics
Greta Driukaitė
The Evaluation of Affective Empathy
among Males and Females
Bachelor Thesis
Empathy is a multidimensional construct and comprises the ability to perceive, understand
and feel emotional state of others. Gender differences have been reported for various aspects of
emotional and cognitive behaviours. Also evidence has accumulated that emotion recognition
performance varies with menstrual cycle phase (Derntl et al., 2010, 2013). The study investigated
effect of sex and menstrual-phase on empathy affective responsiveness. We investigated 16 males
and 32 females (10 during their follicular phase, 8 during their luteal phase and 7 during their late
luteal phase). We presented 102 short written sentences describing real-life situations which induce
basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness and sadness) and situations that were emotionally
neutral (17 stimuli per condition). Participants were asked to imagine how they would feel if they
were experiencing those situations. Correct answers and response time were collected as a
behavioural data and EEG was recorded aiming to evaluate the global field power in different task
conditions. Data analysis of correct answers demonstrated no significant gender effect. Correlation
analysis revealed: a significant negative correlation between 17β-estradiol levels and correct
answers of angry stimuli and a significant negative correlation between 17β-estradiol and
progesterone levels and response time. Also a significant positive correlation between empathy
dimensions evaluated using NEO PI-R test and reaction time. Data analysis of global field power
values demonstrated a significant emotion effect. Analysis of a significant emotion effect showed
lower global field power values for anger, disgust and sadness stimuli, but higher global fields
power values for happy stimuli.