The Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Empathy with the Mediating Role of Helping Behaviors in Female Prisoners with Anti-social Personality Disorder

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of helping behaviors in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and empathy among female prisoners diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Objectives: The present study employed a descriptive correlational design. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The statistical population comprised all female prisoners in Isfahan diagnosed with ASPD and sentenced to one year of incarceration. Methods: A purposive sampling method was utilized. During the period from spring to summer 2023, 128 individuals diagnosed with ASPD were selected as the target group following clinical interviews and the administration of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) test. The research instruments included the MCMI-III, the EI Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Sociable Personality Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using PLS software with SEM. Results: The findings revealed that helping behavior acts as a mediating variable in the relationship between EI and empathy, enhancing the mutual effect of these variables. Conclusions: The results of this study underscore the importance of understanding the interplay between EI, empathy, and helping behaviors in female prisoners with ASPD. The findings suggest that helping behaviors mediate the influence of EI on empathy, demonstrating that engaging in prosocial behaviors positively affects individuals' capacity to comprehend and share others' emotions, but the fit indices of the model were not confirmed.