The Role of Cultural Capital in Self-Reported Alexithymia and Empathy

Background: Sociocultural factors play an essential role in the way we process and express emotions. In this study, we asked whether Cultural Capital (CC)—the set of knowledge, cultural codes, and skills embodied by people— explains individual differences in two constructs measuring the capacity to understand our own emotions (alexithymia) or others’ emotions (empathy). Method: A pre-registered survey was conducted with an Italian sample (N = 475). Alexithymia and empathy were assessed respectively via the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results: Regression analyses confirmed a significant, although limited, role of CC in predicting alexithymia and empathy. People with higher CC showed lower Externally Oriented Thinking, higher Perspective Taking, and higher Fantasy. Self-reported alexithymia and empathy were also impacted by scores on a social desirability scale. Conclusions: These results suggest that I) Cultural Capital influences the ability to analyse one’s own feelings and understand others’ perspectives, and II) social desirability threatens the validity of self-report measures of emotional abilities. Overall, this research underlines the importance of studying affective processes by considering an individual’s cultural context.