The authors attempted to compare the empathy differences between the elderly and the young, by using a combined method of self-assessment questionnaire and behavioral task. In study 1, 280 elderly and 304 young adults were recruited as participants, completed Interpersonal Reactivity Index Scale (IRI), a self-assessment questionnaire on empathy. In study 2, the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET), a behavioral task, was used in 71 older adults and 74 younger adults to compare their differences on empathy. The results showed that: 1) compared with the young group, the cognitive empathy of the elderly decreased significantly according to both the self-assessment questionnaire or performance in the behavioral task; 2) compared with the young group, the emotional empathy of the elderly decreased significantly for negative emotional stimuli; 3) within the group of elderly, the intensity of emotional empathy for positive emotion pictures was markedly higher than that for negative emotions, while no significant difference was found in the young group. These results suggest that empathy for positive and negative emotions develops separately from youth to old age. 

结合自评问卷和行为任务两种测量方式, 比较老年人与青年人的共情差异。研究1采用人际反应指数量表(IRI), 以280名老年人和 304名青年人为研究对象, 探究两个年龄组被试基于自评问卷的共情差异。研究2使用多维共情测试(MET), 以71名老年人和74名青年人为研究对象, 进一步比较两个年龄组被试基于行为任务的共情差异。研究结果显示: 1) 与青年人相比, 无论是基于自评问卷还是行为任务, 老年人的认知共情均显著下降; 2) 与青年人相比, 老年人对消极情绪的情绪共情显著下降, 但对积极情绪的情绪共情无显著变化; 3) 老年人对积极情绪的情绪共情显著高于消极情绪, 青年人对这两种效价情绪的认知共情和情绪共情均无显著差异。结果表明, 从青年期到老年期, 对积极情绪和消极情绪的共情能力存在分离性的发展特征。