![]() While it’s not clear exactly how humans experience empathy, there is a growing body of research on the topic.Įxperts in the field of social neuroscience have developed two theories in an attempt to gain a better understanding of empathy. Cognitive empathy is more like a skill: Humans learn to recognize and understand others’ emotional state as a way to process emotions and behavior. Cognitive empathy, also known as empathic accuracy, involves “having more complete and accurate knowledge about the contents of another person’s mind, including how the person feels,” Hodges and Myers say. ![]() This refers to how well an individual can perceive and understand the emotions of another. The second type of empathy is cognitive empathy. Debate remains concerning whether the impulse to help is based in altruism or self-interest. ![]() “Many of the most noble examples of human behavior, including aiding strangers and stigmatized people, are thought to have empathic roots,” according to Hodges and Myers. There is a positive correlation between feeling empathic concern and being willing to help others. This type of empathy is especially relevant when it comes to discussions of compassionate human behavior. Hodges and Myers note that, while empathetic people feel distress when someone falls, they aren’t in the same physical pain. ![]() It is important to note that feelings of distress associated with emotional empathy don’t necessarily mirror the emotions of the other person. “The first is feeling the same emotion as another person … The second component, personal distress, refers to one’s own feelings of distress in response to perceiving another’s plight … The third emotional component, feeling compassion for another person, is the one most frequently associated with the study of empathy in psychology,” they explain. Emotional empathy consists of three separate components, Hodges and Myers say. Especially in social psychology, empathy can be categorized as an emotional or cognitive response. Researchers distinguish between two types of empathy. Sympathy, in contrast, involves the experience of being moved by, or responding in tune with, another person.” Emotional and Cognitive Empathy A distinction is maintained between self and other. According to Hodges and Myers in the Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, “Empathy is often defined as understanding another person’s experience by imagining oneself in that other person’s situation: One understands the other person’s experience as if it were being experienced by the self, but without the self actually experiencing it. Though they may seem similar, there is a clear distinction between empathy and sympathy. “It is also a key ingredient of successful relationships because it helps us understand the perspectives, needs, and intentions of others.” “Empathy is a building block of morality-for people to follow the Golden Rule, it helps if they can put themselves in someone else’s shoes,” according to the Greater Good Science Center, a research institute that studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Having empathy increases the likelihood of helping others and showing compassion. Empathy is a broad concept that refers to the cognitive and emotional reactions of an individual to the observed experiences of another.
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