Study sheds new light on the genetics underlying possible social differences between modern humans, our ancestors, and other primate species.
People who are more accurate at reading another person's emotions are better able to understand what a musician is trying to convey through their compositions. Additionally, those with higher empathetic accuracy are better able to feel the emotions conveyed through music.
Neuroimaging study reveals those with psychopathy have a 10% larger striatum than non-psychopaths. Researchers say the increased size of the striatum, a brain area associated with cognitive and social functions, may account for a higher likelihood of impulsive behaviors and increased need for stimulation often associated with psychopathy. Additionally, researchers suggest there may be an element of heredity in the neural anatomy, adding support to the neurodevelopmental perspective of psychopathy.
Mothers and children who participated in empathy skill training had better relationships and improved overall well-being, a new study reports.
Teaching children to be kind and practicing kindness at home improves a parent's resilience and a child's empathy.
The stress hormone cortisol reduces altruistic behaviors and alters brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in people with higher levels of empathy.
Despite common thought, not all people with dark triad disorders are void of empathy. Some people with dark triad disorders experience above-average empathetic capabilities. Researchers shed light on "dark empaths" and empathy deficits in those with dark triad disorders.
Children who had a sibling with a developmental disorder scored higher in cognitive empathy than those who had typically developing siblings. However, there were no differences in emotional empathy or prosocial behaviors between those who had neurotypical or neurodivergent siblings.
Overall, women scored higher on compassion-related items and self-reflection, while men scored higher on emotional regulation and cognitive-related items.
Children are more likely to forgive wrongdoers who apologize, especially if the offender is in their "in-group", and the upset child possesses advanced Theory of Mind skills.
While interpersonal emotional regulation appears to be ubiquitous and the people we reach out to are often supportive, they may not always provide the emotional support we are looking for.
Brain scans of grandmothers taken when viewing photos of their grandchildren revealed greater activation in brain areas associated with emotional empathy, suggesting grandmothers are geared towards feeling what their grandchild is feeling when interacting with them. By contrast, when viewing images of their adult children, brain areas associated with cognitive empathy become activated.
