Cognitive Empathy, Affective Empathy and Empirical Research on the Double Empathy Problem: A Critical Methodology Review

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Fellowes, S. (2026). Cognitive Empathy, Affective Empathy and Empirical Research on the Double Empathy Problem: A Critical Methodology Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07315-2

Publication date: 8 May 2026 Added to AutiHub: 11 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Sam Fellowes *

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The double empathy problem posits that autistic people and non-autistic people both lack empathy with the other side rather than the lack of empathy solely residing in one side. There have been empirical studies which lend support for the double empathy problem. I show that these studies are largely not engaging with cognitive nor affective empathy. Methods Twenty different papers are assessed on measurement made, set-up of the interaction employed and duration of the interaction to establish whether the evidence those studies generate is applicable to cognitive and affective empathy. Results Firstly the experimental measures in these studies are largely not making measurements that would detect cognitive or affective empathy. Secondly, many use setups which do not encourage or are not conducive towards cognitive or affective empathy occurring. Thirdly, many involve a short period of interaction for cognitive or affective empathy to occur. Conclusion These studies are largely not generating data about whether the double empathy problem is applicable to cognitive or affective empathy. Which aspects of empathy the evidence supporting the double empathy problem is related to is considered and suggestions are made for how future studies on the double empathy problem could target cognitive and affective empathy.

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 18:19.

Cited references
54
With a DOI
51
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
3
13 / 54 (24.1%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
5 / 54 (9.3%)
References with detected author names
53 / 54 (98.1%)
Without detected author names
1
Without a structured title
5
Without a stable identifier
3
References with raw author names still to review
1
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
161
From DOI or external metadata
161
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
1
78 / 161 (48.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 83 / 161 (51.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
14 / 161 (8.7%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 14 / 78 (17.9%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 11 / 120 (9.2%).
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