The empathic brain: how, when and why?

The empathic brain: how, when and why?

2006, 10 (10), pp.435-441 | Frédérique de Vignemont, Tania Singer
The article "The Empathic Brain: How, When and Why?" by Frédérique de Vignemont and Tania Singer explores the neural mechanisms and contextual factors that influence empathy. Recent imaging studies have shown that individuals automatically share the emotions of others when exposed to their emotions, but the authors question the assumption of automaticity and propose a contextual approach. They suggest that empathic responses are modulated by appraisal processes, which can occur early in emotional cue evaluation and may or may not lead to an empathic brain response. The authors propose two major roles for empathy: its epistemological role in providing information about future actions and environmental properties, and its social role in serving as the origin of cooperative and prosocial behavior, as well as effective social communication. They discuss the modulatory factors that influence empathic responses, including the intensity, saliency, and valence of the emotion, the relationship between the empathizer and the target, the characteristics of the empathizer, and the situative context. The authors also explore the evolutionary and social functions of empathy, suggesting that it enables faster and more accurate predictions of others' needs and actions, and facilitates social communication and coherence.The article "The Empathic Brain: How, When and Why?" by Frédérique de Vignemont and Tania Singer explores the neural mechanisms and contextual factors that influence empathy. Recent imaging studies have shown that individuals automatically share the emotions of others when exposed to their emotions, but the authors question the assumption of automaticity and propose a contextual approach. They suggest that empathic responses are modulated by appraisal processes, which can occur early in emotional cue evaluation and may or may not lead to an empathic brain response. The authors propose two major roles for empathy: its epistemological role in providing information about future actions and environmental properties, and its social role in serving as the origin of cooperative and prosocial behavior, as well as effective social communication. They discuss the modulatory factors that influence empathic responses, including the intensity, saliency, and valence of the emotion, the relationship between the empathizer and the target, the characteristics of the empathizer, and the situative context. The authors also explore the evolutionary and social functions of empathy, suggesting that it enables faster and more accurate predictions of others' needs and actions, and facilitates social communication and coherence.
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