Tag Archives: empathy

Human Attachments Shape Interbrain Synchrony toward Efficient Performance of Social Goals

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

The human brain has undergone massive expansion across primate evolution through life amidst multi-layered social attachments; within families, among friends, and between clan members and this enabled humans to coordinate their brains with those of others toward the execution of … Continue reading →

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Why it can make sense to believe in the kindness of strangers

Posted on November 5, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

Would you risk your life for a total stranger? While you might consider yourself incapable of acts of altruism on that scale, it happens again and again. During hurricanes and mass shootings, some people go to great lengths to help … Continue reading →

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Empathy May Be in the Eye of the Beholder

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

Empathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent. We encourage empathy for those inflicted with … Continue reading →

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Mutual Aid – A Factor in Evolution

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

On the other hand, wherever I saw animal life in abundance, as, for instance, on the lakes where scores of species and millions of individuals came together to rear their progeny; in the colonies of rodents; in the migrations of birds which … Continue reading →

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The evolutionary neurobiology, emergence and facilitation of empathy

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

Mutual aid between and among members of a species may be the most potent force in evolution. This was the position taken by the Russian evolutionists who proposed that greater emphasis be placed on ‘mutual aid’ than on ‘survival of … Continue reading →

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The neuroevolution of empathy

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

There is strong evidence that empathy has deep evolutionary, biochemical, and neurological underpinnings. Even the most advanced forms of empathy in humans are built on more basic forms and remain connected to core mechanisms associated with affective communication, social attachment, and parental … Continue reading →

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The Social Neuroscience of Empathy

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Giorgio Bertini

The phenomenon of empathy entails the ability to share the affective experiences of others. In recent years social neuroscience made considerable progress in revealing the mechanisms that enable a person to feelwhat another is feeling. The present reviewprovides an in-depth and critical discussion … Continue reading →

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Empathy with strangers can be learned

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Giorgio Bertini

We can learn to empathize with strangers. Surprisingly positive experiences with people from another group trigger a learning effect in the brain, which increases empathy. As researchers from the University of Zurich reveal, only a handful of positive learning experiences … Continue reading →

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A neural link between altruism and empathy toward strangers

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Giorgio Bertini

Giving up a kidney to a stranger requires a certain sense of selflessness, what’s come to be known in social science as extraordinary altruism. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz wanted to understand the connection between this trait and empathy, … Continue reading →

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Testosterone may reduce Empathy by reducing Brain connectivity

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Giorgio Bertini

High levels of testosterone may reduce empathy by interfering with communication between parts of the brain involved in emotion, according to a study to be published in the journal Psychoneuroendicinology. There is a large body of scientific research linking testosterone, … Continue reading →

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