Preston, Stephanie D. and de Waal, Frans B. M. (2000) Empathy: Its ultimate and proximate bases. (Unpublished)
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Abstract
The empathy literature is characterized by debate regarding the nature of the phenomenon. We propose a unified theory of empathy, divided into ultimate and proximate levels, grounded in the emotional link between individuals. On an ultimate level, emotional linkage supports group alarm, vicariousness of emotions, mother-infant responsiveness, and the modeling of competitors and predators; these exist across species and greatly effect reproductive success. Proximately, emotional linkage arises from a direct mapping of another's behavioral state onto a subject's behavioral representations, which activate responses in the subject. This ultimate and proximate account parsimoniously explains different phylogenetic and ontogenetic levels of empathy.
| Item Type: | Other |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | emotion; perspective taking; emotional contagion; cognitive empathy; comparative; evolution; altruism; perception-action |
| Subjects: | Neuroscience > Behavioral Neuroscience Biology > Evolution Psychology > Comparative Psychology |
| ID Code: | 1042 |
| Deposited By: | Preston, Stephanie D. |
| Deposited On: | 19 Oct 2000 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Sep 2007 17:36 |
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