Social Psychology - Lecture 8 (Empathy)

Benefits of Empathy

1. Empathic people build friendships more easily 2. Empathic people excel at work, especially if their work involves people 3. Patients of empathic doctors report less depression 4. Employees of empathic managers are less stressed 5. Individuals with empathic romantic partners report more relationship satisfaction

Sources of Shared Affect

1. Mimicry 2. Automatic Stimulation

Mirror Neuron System

A group of specialized neurons that mirror the actions and behaviour of others.

Mirror Neuron

A neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another.

Perspective-Taking

Cognitive process by which we consider someone else's perspective.

Empathy

The ability to share and understand the feelings of another.

Shared Affect

The tendency to literally feel someone else's affect.