de Vignemont, Frederique ; Singer, Tania (2006): Empathic brain Flashcards
What is empathy, according to the article?
Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of others
What are some of the neural correlates of empathy?
Some neural correlates of empathy include emotion recognition, perspective taking, and affective resonance.
Emotion recognition
refers to the ability to accurately identify and understand the emotions expressed by others, based on their facial expressions, vocal tones, and other nonverbal cues.
Perspective taking
refers to the ability to understand and take into account the perspectives of others, including their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, in order to better understand their behavior and motivations.
Affective resonance
refers to the experience of sharing the emotional states of others. It is a key component of empathy, and involves feeling similar emotions to those expressed by others, as well as feeling a sense of connection and concern for their well-being.
What brain regions are involved in empathy, according to the article?
anterior insula, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the mirror neuron system.
What is the role of the anterior insula in empathy?
The anterior insula is thought to play a role in the experience of empathy by processing interoceptive and emotional information.
What is the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in empathy?
The anterior cingulate cortex is thought to play a role in empathy by monitoring emotional responses and regulating emotional arousal. So more of emotion regulation.
What is the mirror neuron system, and what is its role in empathy?
The mirror neuron system is a network of neurons that become active both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. This system may play a role in empathy by allowing individuals to simulate and understand the actions and experiences of others.
What are some potential applications of research on the neural basis of empathy?
Potential applications of research on the neural basis of empathy include the development of interventions to improve empathic abilities and the treatment of disorders characterized by deficits in empathy.
What are some potential limitations of research on the neural basis of empathy?
Potential limitations of research on the neural basis of empathy include the complexity of the construct of empathy, the difficulty of measuring empathy in a laboratory setting, and the potential for individual differences in empathic abilities.
What is the difference between affective empathy and cognitive empathy, and how are they related to different brain regions?
Affective empathy refers to the experience of sharing the emotional states of others, while cognitive empathy refers to the ability to understand and infer the mental states of others. Affective empathy is thought to involve the anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex, while cognitive empathy is thought to involve the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions involved in mentalizing or theory of mind.
What is the role of the mirror neuron system in empathy, and what evidence supports this role?
The mirror neuron system is thought to play a role in empathy by allowing individuals to simulate and understand the actions and experiences of others. This system involves neurons that become active both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. Research has found that activation of the mirror neuron system is associated with both affective and cognitive aspects of empathy.
How do individual differences in empathic abilities relate to differences in brain function and structure?
Research has found that individual differences in empathic abilities are associated with differences in brain function and structure. For example, individuals with higher levels of empathy tend to have greater activation in brain regions involved in affective and cognitive empathy, including the anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal cortex.
