Equilibrium in empathic concern and personal distress predict identification with all humanity (IWAH) in Indian adolescents

While empathy is known to predict Identification with All Humanity, a superordinate social identity linked to reduced prejudice and greater prosociality, the nuances of this relationship in adolescent populations have been rarely explored. Given that adolescence is a critical period of self and identity development through affiliation with different social groups, the investigation of this relationship offers valuable insights for global citizenship education, where empathy training is often central for shaping a global citizen identity. This study examines how equilibrium and disequilibrium in empathic response, comprising other-oriented Empathic Concern (EC) and self-oriented Personal Distress (PD), predict IWAH in a sample of 634 urban Indian adolescents aged 11–16 years (mean (SD) = 13.37 years (1.24); male: female = 53.6%:46.4%). Equilibrium refers to similar levels of EC and PD within the same individual, while disequilibrium refers to differences between them. Using polynomial regression with response surface analysis (PRRSA), the results showed that equilibrium in EC and PD predicted higher levels of trait IWAH, while directional disequilibrium (EC > PD) did not. The study did not observe any age differences. The findings are discussed in relation to adolescent development. In Indian adolescents, an understudied group in empathy and global citizenship research, this study contributes to a broader understanding of the developmental and cultural underpinnings of empathy and global social identification.