9 
Academic research into the levels of empathy displayed by students found that engineering and science specialists have lower levels of empathy than those studying other subjects. They are meaner and don’t care who knows it.
The study, carried out by psychology researchers at Linköping University, used a standard test to check empathy levels in 200 students. Engineers scored lower than doctors and nurses, as you might expect from those pursuing a nerdy profession that involves understanding computers rather than the looks on people’s faces.
Which is all fine. We need a varied mix of people to make the world work, and no one wants to do any needless small talk with the IT man while he’s removing all the spyware that mysteriously appeared on your PC.
However, the researchers claim issues could arise further down the line, as talented engineers find themselves promoted and their roles change. Instead of spending 14 hours a day examining code, a skilled programmer might eventually find himself leading a team of other workers, where the lack of empathy may turn him into Mr Evil Boss From Hell through no fault of his own.
This data was adjusted for gender, as women are naturally more empathic than men (Deanna Troi). Even with the gender adjustment in place, applied physics students turned out to be the least empathic of the lot. Probably because they know for a fact there’s no god. [PR via The Register]
Image credit: Emotionless man from Shutterstock
“Probably because they know for a fact there’s no god”.
Except atheists are more compassionate and empathic than believers:
http://www.livescience.com/20005-atheists-motivated-compassion.html
Totally agree.
I think this is sooo true, and I was raised Catholic.
Completely agree, weird statement to make in an article like this.
And I’m sure in “Standard Tests”, psychologists are the most empathetic, caring and downright weird……
Psychologists typically score quite dysfunctionally. There is a theory that people are attracted to professions in areas that they themselves as dysfunctional: hence the high rates of mental illness among psychologists and especially among psychiatrists.
I’m an engineer and I wouldn’t consider myself not empathic. True I try to follow more logical approaches but doesn’t mean I and devoid of sentiment.
I am*
As an engineer, you should know it is a fallacy to make inferences from means to single cases or vice versa. You may be the most empathic person in the whole world: you’re still exactly one data point.
I know this, statistically speaking people in my background are actually known to be less empathic than others. And I am aware it doesn’t apply to everyone on whole.
Fair enough. I just get sick of people making the inference ( (falsely) attributed to you -
smoking doesn’t kill because my uncle lived to be 98
global warming is false because its cold today (or even: global warming is true because its hot today).
pisses me off!
I was merely mocking the denomination that this article suggests nearly all engineers are lowly empathic people. I would suggest most senior engineers are. A graduate like myself is not quite there yet.
Perhaps you haven’t yet experienced years of putting up with outside observers who don’t understand your profession, denigrating your work and assuming that they can do better…
Yep, engineers can be bitter.
That’s subjective, everyone in their own profession assumes no one else can do their work. That’s not illusory superiority, simply a well-known held work ethic.
Quite right. I’m not referring to an individual’s perception of their own work.
The illusory superiority I refer to stems from those who believe they possess the skills necessary to pass judgement on others’ work, when in reality they aren’t skilled enough to determine how unskilled they really are.
And yes, it’s only logical to say that this might apply to some professions more than others. I’m as guilty of it as anyone. I’m probably doing it right now
.
Totally pisses me off too mate
.
I hate that too, and what annoys me is that you even see it in the way a new item is reported, coming from professional journalists who should know better.
Of course, some of it’s just good’ol confirmation bias…
‘news item’, not ‘new item’.
Sorry. I await the arrival of the great Edit Button with barely-contained excitement…
That might explain why you liked Prometheus actually.
Those are not synonymous.
Me too, I’m very empathic. But I did an internship at Rolls-Royce over the summer, and I found the lack of emotion from my boss quite difficult. He literally didn’t want small talk, and totally couldn’t understand why I was an indecisive person XD. So yeah, while an interesting placement, it’s slightly put me off doing engineering in a big company like that. If you don’t mind me asking, where do you work?
“and I found the lack of emotion from my boss quite difficult. He literally didn’t want small talk, and totally couldn’t understand why I was an indecisive person.”
I totally empathise with you on this. My very first graduate job was just me fending for myself and my boss just naturally assumed I would just fit in. He barely made time for me or to assist with my training. Didn’t display any compassion, empathy nor any patience for a graduate he himself hired. I explained my lack of experience at the time, this was about 20 months ago, and he seemed not to really consider it much pretty soon after hiring me. This was also a very big company as well, which was held on the shoulder of a well-known and respected demolition company.
Of course now I work for a small/medium company and with a privately held position in a temporary works business based in Camden, London.
I see, my hope is smaller companies are generally better for relations and have less red tape in the form of paperwork. I assume you’re enjoying yourself more now?
Working from a bigger company to a smaller company I would definitely say it is more relaxed and welcoming in a smaller than a larger. I am indeed enjoying myself. I have the same job title as my previous employer yet I am earning a lot more, I have more flexible hours, my employer is very understanding and I’ve been here for 13 months! I still love it.
Awesome
, that’s good news to me. Hope it continues to be a good job then!
Ahh I see how you’ve got confused. Real Engineers don’t examine code, they design useful real things. You’re on about Sparkie’s (Computer programmers masquerading as Engineers). Engineers (real ones) are nice people. Like me
I couldn’t agree any more! The term ‘Engineer’ has been watered down enough without all the computer science people jumping on the band wagon.
I also agree with you. Real engineers are funny but smart guys….. obviously not talking about myself
Should also probably add than I use the term “real engineer” loosely as I am only a simple civil engineering student at the moment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_engineering
Not sure if you’re just trolling but how is a complex piece of software not a “useful real thing”? Sure not all programmers are engineers but there are similar distinctions in what you call ‘real’ engineers, e.g someone who plans and builds a conservatory compared to someone who designs and builds a space rocket. Similarly there’s a bit of a distinction between people who design and code iPhone apps and people who design and code things like Photoshop. Not all programmers are software engineers but all software engineers are programmers.
Although, I am currently doing a Computer Science degree so I have a bit of a biased opinion on the matter
I agree with scarrabb. There are lots of jobs that shouldn’t have ‘engineer’ in the title, but I think software engineers should probably retain that right, as designing software is a tough process and involves many of the same considerations as hardware design. For the record I’m doing Mechanical Engineering at uni
.
Computer science is most definitely an engineering discipline… I study aerospace engineering. avionics for example which is a branch of my course falls into comsci and avionics is most definitely engineering.
I just wish BT (just 1 example of many) would dispatch technicians not ‘engineers’…unless he’s going to design the router from scratch… he’s a technician.
I agree the fundamental element is design. Without design you’re a technician, handyman, etc.
Now, I am not trying to knock anyone’s profession here as I deeply understand the need for programmers and computer science people. However the true definition of a ‘Real Engineer’ is a person that has an engineering degree. Now an engineering degree is probably a degree that has engineering in the degree title. So if you are have a Bsc Software engineering degree this would class you.
Just for your information I studied Mechanical Engineering, and now my job title is ‘project engineer’ to use the term correctly.
CClark: I agree with what you’re saying partially, but I didn’t go to university as it wasn’t an option, and now I’m head of a Design and Development department for a leading electronics component manufacturer in the UK. I completed a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship at my place of work which consisted of 3 years at college on day release. I believe this is the best way of learning Engineering as you do the College part, the hands on part, and you get to work in all departments of a real company so you don’t become a graduate with no real qualities valuable to a company. My cousin studied mechanical Engineering purely at college and Uni and now delivers car parts. Only a select few with degrees might end up in jobs at places like BAE (I’ve dealt with a lot of them) and to be honest they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about. – This is only my opinion on the Uni VS Apprenticeship path. Both are Engineers but nothing beats hands on experience for Designing new products.
As an employer and former employee, who is a semi skilled engineer (superficial skills), some comments based on real world touchy feely experience:
1. Engineers may appear cold, but they are honest. This appear the norm with those who have fairly sophisticated skills that take a lifetime to hone, such as sportsmen, musicians, artists – engineers etc. They possess more self respect as well as enjoyment and pride in their achievements and abilities, so are less likely to bare ill will to others, unlike the sort who become jobsworth council workers or self serving put down company managers.
2. The people I have found outwardly friendly at first encounter have been the less skilled who are out to impress through dress and BS than any tangible abilities.
But like everything, there are exceptions.
I for one both respect and love engineers. They realise their own or the dreams of others. They make. They do.
And most importantly of all, every engineer I know (every one, no exceptions – UK, USA) who has married has had children and been a superb father/mother. Not sure if it’s relevant, but non have got divorced. That shows good character judgement. Geeky & cold on the outside, rational & loving on the inside. #iheartengineers
+1
I’m not cold hearted, I just see the world for what it is. A place that, for the most part, is devoid of free will and hapinness, a world with a number of inevitabilities that sees the human race self destructing.
I see exactly how the world could work perfectly but at the same time I know it never will.
I see the big picture, and in that picture things people empathise with just seem insignificant.
I do empathise with those around me, I do have emotions and they can be disturbing at times but the logical part of me knows that no matter how much we want it is not possible to do anything.
Mate, that sounds like depression rather than rationality to me. That’s definitely a pessimistic world view rather than a neutral one. The reality is, no-one can accurately predict that stuff, and humans can do good and bad. There’s a lot of terrible things in this world, and yet there are still people willing to rail against it. Also, the free will bit is complicated, it kind of depends on how you define free will. Sure, we are all simply products of our ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ and therefore make decisions based on these things alone, and not some invisible ‘spiritual’ or soul-based element people imagine. But then, if we can’t calculate how it works, if we can’t understand how it all meshes together in one giant domino effect where we all can affect each other’s lives, then it still appears to be free will. Right? How can we ever say for sure what it is?
I have been an Engineering student and a science student, and currently doing a mix of both in my post grad. We aren’t unempathetic we are just bloody busy, overworked and usually tired.
We also don’t spend all that much time examining code. Sure writing code is a part of it but not that big. A software “engineer” is not an engineer, most good universities call it something else and don’t count computer science or informatics as part of engineering.