Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Linguistics and Cognitive Science
Reader 1
Shannon Burns
Reader 2
Adam Novy
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2024 Zoey Anne G Lofgren
Abstract
Abstract
In this study, we investigated empathy within a human-centered design context. While empathy is a well-researched subject within the field of psychology, there is little experimental research on its application in design. As such, the term “empathy” is often thrown around with a lack of clarity about what it actually means in design courses. Empathy is a complex psychological phenomenon that allows us to respond to and understand others’ emotions, but it is unable to be “turned on.” This study specifically aims to address the question of whether or not empathy is actually used within design. Participants completed two self-report surveys—one on trait empathy (the Interpersonal Relativity Index) and another on empathy in design (Empathy in Design Scale). Results from the study were analyzed using a simple linear regression, and revealed that participants with higher trait empathy also expressed higher empathy when thinking about design.
Key words: Design, Human-Centered Design, Empathy
Recommended Citation
Lofgren, Zoey, "An Investigation of Empathy in HCD" (2024). Scripps Senior Theses. 2375.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/2375
