Arab Educational Information Network

This study aims to investigate the predicting ability for mindfulness in empathy skills of a sample of students at the University of Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain branch). To achieve the study goals researchers used a mindfulness scale which consisted of four subscales (observation, describing, act with awareness, accept without judgement), and empathy scale consisting of four subscales (fantasy, perspective-taking, empathy concern, personnel distress), with (400) male and female student samples from the university of Abu Dhabi. Researchers calculated the means, and standard deviations from the study sample’s responses on the mindfulness scale and empathy scale. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the prediction ability of the mindfulness in empathy skill, and independent sample t-test used to find out the differences between male and female in mindfulness and empathy skill scores. Results revealed that the study samples have moderate level of mindfulness; observation subscale is located in the high level, while the act with awareness subscale located in the lower level. With regard to empathy levels it has been shown samples have moderate level of empathy, perspective-taking subscale is located in the high level, while the fantasy subscale located in the lower level. Results of the study also noted that an increase in mindfulness was correlated with an increase in empathy. The study also found that there is statistically significant differences at the level (0.05) or less between males and females on the act with awareness, accept without judgement subscales in favor of females and differences on the fantasy, personnel distress and total score in favor of females, perspective-taking subscale in favor of males, with no differences between males and females on the empathy concern subscale. Results also demonstrated significant differences between students from different disciplines (arts and sciences, business and management, engineering and computer science) in some mindfulness and empathy subscales in favor of arts and sciences, business and management students, in addition to significant differences between students from different study levels on all mindfulness and empathy subscales in favor of students of higher study levels and a sequential comparison to students from the lower study levels. (Published Abstract)