A Quasi-Experimental Study of an Empathy and Altruism Intervention for Social Work Students in Shanghai

Purpose To evaluate a 16-week empathy training intervention embedded in a required “Social Work Values and Ethics” course for BSW students in Shanghai, China. Method: Using a quasi-experimental design, 71 intervention group students were compared with 59 sociology students. The intervention involved immersive investigation, guided discussions, and ethical application tasks. Quantitative measures (i.e., Empathy Assessment Index, Civic Engagement Scale, Professional Identity Scale) were collected pre/post and analyzed alongside qualitative student logs. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in three empathy subscales (i.e., perspective-taking; affective response; self-other awareness), professional identity, and social responsibility behaviors. Minimal change occurred in the comparison group. In addition, affective response scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the comparison group after the intervention. Qualitative data revealed emotional overwhelm and skill gaps. Conclusions: Structured empathy training intervention significantly enhanced core competencies, validating empathy as a teachable scaffold for altruistic development. Implementation requires scaffolding emotional exposure and strengthening emotional support mechanisms.