Derya SARIDOĞAN, Arzu BULUT
İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksek Okulu Dergisi - 2026;14(2):469-486
Empathy and altruism are key professional competencies among healthcare providers, influencing patient-centred care, ethical decision-making, and therapeutic communication. As future practitioners, health sciences students will have direct patient interactions, making the development of these skills essential. While the empathy-altruism link is well established, the role of gender in this relationship within healthcare education is less well understood. This study examined the predictive effects of cognitive empathy, emotional reactivity, and social skills on altruism among health sciences students and tested whether gender moderates these associations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 459 undergraduates (75.6% female; Mage = 20.98, SD = 2.65) from a Faculty of Health Sciences in Türkiye. Participants completed the Empathy Quotient Scale and the Altruism Scale. Data were analysed using correlation analyses, t-tests, and Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 1) with 5000 bootstrap samples. Females scored higher than males on emotional reactivity and altruism. Gender significantly moderated the cognitive empathy-altruism associates between cognitive empathy and altruism (B = -1.19, 95% CI [-2.29, -0.10]), with a stronger association among males (B = 3.34, 95% CI [2.41, 4.26]) than among females (B = 2.14, 95% CI [1.57, 2.71]). No moderating role of gender was found for emotional reactivity or social skills. Empathy, particularly emotional reactivity, is a strong driver of altruistic behaviour in health sciences students. The stronger cognitive empathy-altruism link in males indicates gender-specific pathways. Training that strengthens affective and cognitive empathy may promote compassionate, patient-centred care.
