How client affiliation and competition influence the authenticity of a coach’s empathy

In this set of studies we explored the influence of the client’s affiliation and potential competition on the coach’s empathy. We expected that both competition and low affiliation would negatively affect the coach’s inner empathy. In three studies we manipulated the coaching client in terms of affiliation and competition. In the first study (N₁ = 198) the participants were asked to coach either an affiliating, competing, or neutral client. In the second study (N₂ = 155) they were asked to coach either a less affiliating, competing, or neutral client. In the third study (N₃ = 52) they coached either a neutral client or a client who was both competing and less affiliating. The results of all three studies revealed that both competition and affiliation influenced the coach’s affiliation feelings and inner empathy but not their expressed empathy. We further found that coaches felt less authentic in their behavior and their empathy when coaching a competing and less affiliating client than when coaching a neutral client. The set of studies provides evidence for the client’s influence on a coach’s empathy with a valuable degree of external validity because a mixed sample, future psychologists, and real coaches were tested. The results of these studies suggest that the coach’s expressed empathy does not change dependent on the client. Thus, coaches stay in their professional role. However, staying authentic seems to be difficult when being confronted with a competing and less affiliating client.