Empathy as "appraisal": Developing a new language-based approach to the exploration of clinical empathy

Pounds, Gabrina (2011) Empathy as "appraisal": Developing a new language-based approach to the exploration of clinical empathy. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice, 7 (2). 145–168. ISSN 2040-3666

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

It is widely argued that empathy can and should be taught as part of medical training and attempts have been made to incorporate the teaching of empathy in medical school programmes of study. Empathy, however, is particularly difficult to define and measure. Various definitions and rating scales have been used but no systematic overview of the potential verbal realisation of empathy has so far been produced. This study is concerned with providing such an overview. The existing consultation training material aimed at medical professionals (e.g. Piasecky, 2003; Silverman et al. 2005 and Moulton, 2007) and relevant linguistic studies (Suchman et al. 1997; Wynn and Wynn, 2006 and Martinovsky et al. 2007) form the basis for the exploration of relevant dimensions of empathy and its potential verbal realisation. The ‘appraisal’ framework (Martin and White, 2005) developed within a systemic functional approach to discourse analysis is then used to help build a provisional framework of the levels of attitudinal (particularly, affective) expression inherent in empathic communication. Suggestions are made as to how the validity of the expressive categories identified may be tested and further refined and how the insights from this study may be applied within the medical context.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies (former - to 2024)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Migration Research Network Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Language and Communication Studies
Depositing User:	Katherine Humphries
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2011 14:21
Last Modified:	24 Sep 2024 09:05
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/35724
DOI:	10.1558/japl.v7i2.145

Actions (login required)

View Item