Assessing Empathy-related Interpretations in Healthcare Consultations for Chronic Symptoms: A Novel Scenario-Based Task

Planes Alias, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3263-959X, Moore, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5228-3124, Fallon, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1451-6983, Herron, Katie and Krahé, Charlotte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0620-1263 (2025) Assessing Empathy-related Interpretations in Healthcare Consultations for Chronic Symptoms: A Novel Scenario-Based Task. [Data Collection]

Abstract

This interpretation bias task is a novel instrument developed to assess how individuals interpret ambiguous, empathy-related cues from healthcare professionals. The task comprises 15 brief vignettes, each describing a scenario that could plausibly occur during a medical appointment. Each vignette is followed by three possible interpretations—positive, neutral, and negative—which participants rate on a continuous scale ranging from 0 (Not at all likely) to 100 (Extremely likely). This format enables the measurement of spontaneous evaluative tendencies and cognitive-affective appraisals within patient–provider interactions. It is suitable for use in experimental, clinical, and population-based research to explore individual differences in interpretation bias, particularly in relation to perceived empathy from clinicians.

Additional Information:	Depositing user's licence comment:
Creators:	Planes Alias, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3263-959X, Moore, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5228-3124, Fallon, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1451-6983, Herron, Katie and Krahé, Charlotte ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0620-1263
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ambiguous scenarios; Chronic Pain; Empathy; Fibromyalgia; Healthcare interactions; Interpretation Bias Task; 520207 Social and affective neuroscience; 5203 Clinical and health psychology; 52 Psychology; 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology; 52 Psychology; 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.24377/LJMU.d.00000239
Division:	Psychology (new Sep 2019)
Field of Research:	Psychology Psychology > Biological psychology > Social and affective neuroscience Psychology > Clinical and health psychology Psychology > Cognitive and computational psychology
Date Deposited:	17 Jul 2025 12:55
Last Modified:	17 Jul 2025 12:55
URI:	https://opendata.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/239
Data collection method:	This task was adapted from existing vignette-based measures, such as the Adolescent Interpretations of Bodily Threat (Heathcote et al., 2016) but focuses specifically on ambiguous social interactions within healthcare rather than bodily threat or general social contexts. The vignettes were carefully designed to avoid explicit cues, allowing participants to project their own interpretations based on prior experiences, beliefs, and reasoning. To enhance ecological validity and sensitivity, the task was co-developed with four individuals with lived experience of chronic pain, who contributed to scenario development, refinement, and piloting of the online task. These contributors provided feedback on the realism and emotional salience of the vignettes, ensuring the measure reflects authentic patient perspectives. Additionally, the materials were reviewed and refined in consultation with experts in pain research and clinical psychology.
Resource language:	English
Metadata language:	English
Statement on legal, ethical and access issues:	This deposit contains a set of vignettes developed to assess interpretation bias in healthcare. These were co-created with Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) contributors, and no identifiable information was shared or included. Ethical approval for the wider study was granted by Liverpool John Moores University (UREC reference: 24/PSY/077). The materials are anonymised, original, and openly accessible for academic and educational use with appropriate citation.
Collection period:	From To 11 November 2024 30 January 2025