From non-social to social emotions Flashcards
What is the mirror neurone system?
The mirror neuron system becomes active in the brain when it witnesses an act and gives the viewer the neural circuits needed to replicate that action
What are the three distinct phenomena of empathy?
Emotional empathy, cognitive empathy and empathic concern
From low functioning to high functioning
What is emotional empathy/emotional contagion?
Low-level emotional response to another person’s distress (unconscious process) – maps onto our own experiences (mirror neurone)
What is cognitive empathy?
Knowing how the other person feels and what they might be thinking – can make someone highly manipulative
What is empathic concern?
Caring about another person’s internal state – wishing for another person’s situation to be better
Empathic concern cannot exist much in part without emotional empathy
This is thought to drive altruism
E.g. A psychopath might know that they should not do something but without emotion there is less reaction to morals
What is altruism?
Means kindness, generosity – wanting to alleviate others of suffering
Why has altruism evolved?
Nice to kin – want children to survive so put them first
What is a baby schema?
A baby schema is a set of features like large head and eyes and small nose and mouth that have the evolutionary function of enhancing offspring survival
What is reciprocal altruism?
Animals share food and if bats find a horse they pump loads of blood and take back to the cave but if an animal is cheating then they get left from the herd
Who are examples of extreme altruism?
“Anti-psychopaths” e.g. donating a kidney to a stranger – more empathic concern than others
What is causing rises in kidney donation and blood donation in the last 100 years?
Wealth – as people become more wealthy, focus attention outwards instead of on themselves and altruism towards strangers increases
Which areas in the brain are associated with fear in humans?
Emotional intensity of fearful expressions with positively correlated with changes in cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the left amygdala but happy emotions were negatively correlated in this area
