The Relationship Between Empathy and the Effectiveness of Interpersonal Communication Among Students of MTsN 1 Banda Aceh

Abstract

Empathy is an individual’s reaction to the experiences observed in others, while interpersonal communication effectiveness refers to the ability to achieve mutually satisfying communication goals between two individuals. This study aims to examine the relationship between empathy and the effectiveness of interpersonal communication among students at MTsN 1 Banda Aceh. The research employed a quantitative approach using a correlational method. Sampling was conducted using the purposive sampling technique. The study population consisted of 405 students, with a sample of 193 students. Data collected were analyzed using the Product Moment correlation test with SPSS version 22.0. The results indicate a significant relationship between empathy and interpersonal communication effectiveness among MTsN 1 Banda Aceh students, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.728 and p = 0.000 (p < 0.05), and r² = 0.530. This finding shows that there is a significant relationship between empathy and interpersonal communication effectiveness, meaning that the higher the level of empathy, the higher the effectiveness of interpersonal communication, and conversely, the lower the empathy, the lower the communication effectiveness.