Generation Z\u27s Positive and Negative Attributes and the Impact on Empathy After a Community-Based Learning Experience

Generation Z, also known as the iGeneration, iGenners, GenZ, and Generation Now, consists of those born in the mid-1990s through the late 2010s. Historical events important for this generation have influenced their perception of safety as well as how they interact with others. As compared to previous generations, technological advances (i.e., Smartphones, social media) changed how GenZ communicates, socializes, and receives information. Unique experiences and attributes influenced Generation Z’s empathy because living through these events and seeing their impact changes how they can understand and take the perspective of others. The relation between three factors was examined across University students who are members of Generation Z; intensity of the CBL activity (high versus low), sex, and empathy (empathy assessment index, basic empathy scale, ethnocultural empathy scale). It is hypothesized that freshmen students would exhibit higher gains in empathy due to their developmental period. As hypothesized, there was a consistent main effect for sex in multiple subscales across the Honors Colloquium and Interdisciplinary late-teen sample indicating that females were higher in initial pretest scores and remained higher on post-scores on empathy as compared to males. These findings hold implication for instructors aiming to provide effective CBL experience for their students. Faculty may consider how students may be differentially receptive to CBL experiences on multiple demographic and personality variables, and while this study only examined sex and intensity of experience, it provides a good representation of the diversity of outcomes that can be evidenced