Matthias Burghart

Most empathy research — particularly in psychopathy — relies on questionnaires or artificial observational paradigms that strip away the very social dynamics empathy depends upon. To address this, we conducted a naturalistic dyadic interaction study with 41 dyads (N = 82) in New Zealand. Pairs engaged in six-minute conversations about major positive and negative life events, while heart rate and electrodermal activity were recorded simultaneously. Participants subsequently re-watched the conversations and continuously rated their own and their partner’s emotional intensity, allowing computation of empathic accuracy, affective sharing, and physiological synchrony.

Risk assessment tools are increasingly used by police officers to inform high-stakes decisions, from detaining individuals to safeguarding potential victims, yet the evidence base supporting their use has never been comprehensively evaluated at the policing stage. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of such tools, identifying 29 studies representing over 256,000 individuals across nine countries. Across 28 different tools and 134 effect sizes, we found an overall pooled AUC of 0.67, reflecting poor to moderate predictive performance. Tools targeting intimate partner violence performed worst, with a pooled AUC of just 0.64. Actuarial tools outperformed structured professional judgement approaches, and health-related outcome tools showed the strongest performance, though based on limited evidence. Critically, we found significant authorship bias: independent validations yielded substantially lower AUCs than studies conducted by the original tool developers. Calibration data were almost entirely absent from the literature, undermining confidence in the reliability of risk estimates in practice. While some newer, large-scale tools demonstrate stronger performance and more transparent reporting, the evidence does not currently support the routine use of most existing tools at the policing stage. We call for the development and independent validation of higher quality tools alongside robust implementation frameworks, to support more consistent and evidence-based decision-making in police settings.