Investigating the correlation between empathy and academic performance in medical sciences students, Iran, Zabol

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohsen Hamidian 1
Afrooz Mazidimoradi 2
Ali Miri 3
Anis Jor 4
Zahra Shahabinia 5
Hananeh Gazmeh 4
hamid salehiniya 6
1 Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Zabol, University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
2 Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
3 Department of Nutrition, School of Health, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
4 Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
5 Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
6 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
10.22034/pjms.2025.2061510.1209
Abstract
Introduction: Empathy is a complex social emotion that can be challenging to understand and measure. This study investigated the correlation between empathy and academic performance among students at Zabol University of Medical Sciences.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was carried out among 220 students at Zabol University of Medical Sciences in 2025. We collected comprehensive data through a three-part questionnaire, which included sections on basic information, academic performance, and Davis's standard empathy questionnaire. The analysis of this data utilized SPSS version 19 software, employing independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients, all at a significance level of α<0.05, ensuring rigorous evaluation of our findings.
Findings: The average age of the students was 22.51 ± 2.11 years, and the average GPA of the previous academic semester and the total GPA of the students were 16.43 ± 1.55 and 16.24 ± 1.52, respectively. 41 (18.6%) of the students reported moderate empathy and 179 (81.4%) reported high empathy. The mean empathy score was significantly higher in female students, living in private homes, and with local admission than in other groups (p<0.05). A weak direct linear correlation was observed between the empathy score and the previous semester's GPA (r=0.167, p=0.013) and the overall GPA (r=0.150, p=0.026) of the students. Also, a weak direct linear correlation was observed between the academic turmoil score and the overall GPA of the students (r=0.145, p=0.031).
Conclusion: Empathy, as a key psychological trait, is associated with individual, social, and academic factors and can influence academic success.
Keywords
Empathy
Academic Performance
Students
Medical Sciences
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