1
|
Fornetti M, Barbosa M. The association between empathy and artistic practice: a cross-sectional study with medical students. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:1156. [PMID: 39415188 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-06146-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 10/07/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy is essential to medical practice, and efforts to cultivate it often include incorporating liberal arts into medical curricula to promote it. However, the association between empathy and engagement in artistic practice beyond the medical curricula remains unclear. This study aims to assess the association between medical students´ empathy and their engagement in artistic activities. METHODS Students enrolled at 11 Portuguese medical schools were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey included questions about their artistic practice, and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure empathy. RESULTS A total of 450 medical students completed the survey. 158 students (35%) were actively engaged in the arts, 118 of which practiced music (75%). Participants involved in artistic activities demonstrated significantly higher scores in the Fantasy subscale compared to their peers. Participants engaged in multiple artistic activities scored significantly higher in overall IRI, as well as in Empathic Concern and Fantasy subscales, compared to those practicing only one artistic activity. Participants who began their artistic practice earlier tended to achieve higher scores in overall IRI and on the Empathic Concern subscale. CONCLUSIONS The present study highlights a significant positive association between artistic practice and empathy levels among medical students. Further research is recommended to clarify this association, potentially informing revisions to medical school curricula.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martim Fornetti
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
- , Praceta José Saramago, Nr 1, 2° Dto, 1685-517, Caneças, Portugal.
| | - Miguel Barbosa
- CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhang MM, Chen T. Empathic pain: Underlying neural mechanism. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241283435. [PMID: 39365808 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241283435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is usually regarded as the ability to perceive the emotional state of others, which is an altruistic motivation to promote prosocial behavior and thus plays a key role in human life and social development. Empathic pain-the capacity to feel and understand the pain of others-constitutes a significant aspect in the study of empathy behaviors. For an extended duration, investigations into empathic pain have predominantly centered on human neuroimaging studies. Fortunately, recent advancements have witnessed the utilization of animal models in the exploration of the fundamental neural underpinnings of empathic pain. There is substantial evidence implicating multiple brain regions and neural networks in the generation and maintenance of empathic pain. Nevertheless, further elucidation of the neural mechanisms underlying empathic pain is warranted. This review provides a concise overview of prior studies on the neural mechanisms of empathic pain, outlining the pertinent brain regions, neural pathways, synaptic mechanisms, and associated molecules while also delving into future prospects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ming Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Maximiano-Barreto MA, de Morais Fabrício D, de Lima Bomfim AJ, Luchesi BM, Chagas MHN. Psychological Concerns Associated with Empathy in Paid and Unpaid Caregivers of Older People: A Systematic Review. Clin Gerontol 2024; 47:716-729. [PMID: 35726494 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2022.2090879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Identify associations between psychological concerns and empathy (affective and cognitive domains) in paid and unpaid caregivers of older people. METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Searches were performed in the Pubmed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus and Embase databases using the search terms "Empathy," "Caregiver," "Depression," "Burnout," Anxiety", Caregiver Burden" and "Psychological Stresses" and the Boolean operators "AND" and "OR." No restrictions were imposed regarding language or year of publication. This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021267276). RESULTS Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the present review. Most studies involved the participation of unpaid caregivers. Higher levels of empathy were associated with greater psychological concerns. Regarding affective empathy, direct associations were found with depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress. In contrast, high levels of cognitive empathy were associated with fewer depressive symptoms as well as less stress and burnout syndrome. CONCLUSIONS An association was found between greater affective empathy and psychological impairment in caregivers of older people. Higher levels of cognitive empathy can help minimize psychological concerns. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Working on empathic ability among caregivers of older people in different environments can contribute positively to the emotional impact of caregiving. Moreover, empathetic cognitive training among caregivers can serve as a strategy to minimize the negative consequences of the impact of caregiving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daiene de Morais Fabrício
- Research Group on Mental Health, Cognition and Aging, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ana Julia de Lima Bomfim
- Research Group on Mental Health, Cognition and Aging, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Bruna Moretti Luchesi
- Research Group on Mental Health, Cognition and Aging, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Campus de Três Lagoas, Federal University of Mato Grosso Do Sul, Três Lagoas, Brazil
| | - Marcos Hortes Nisihara Chagas
- Research Group on Mental Health, Cognition and Aging, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Bairral Institute of Psychiatry, Itapira, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Veerareddy A, Fang H, Safari N, Xu P, Krueger F. Social network size, empathy, and white matter: A diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024:10.3758/s13415-024-01225-5. [PMID: 39354289 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01225-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Social networks are fundamental for social interactions, with the social brain hypothesis positing that the size of the neocortex evolved to meet social demands. However, the role of fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter (WM) tracts relevant to mentalizing, empathy, and social networks remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationships between FA in brain regions associated with social cognition (superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), cingulum (CING), uncinate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus), social network characteristics (diversity, size, complexity), and empathy (cognitive, affective). We employed diffusion tensor imaging, tract-based spatial statistics, and mediation analyses to examine these associations. Our findings revealed that increased social network size was positively correlated with FA in the left SLF. Further, our mediation analysis showed that lower FA in left CING was associated with increased social network size, mediated by cognitive empathy. In summary, our findings suggest that WM tracts involved in social cognition play distinct roles in social network size and empathy, potentially implicating affective brain regions. In conclusion, our findings offer new perspectives on the cognitive mechanisms involved in understanding others' mental states and experiencing empathy within supportive social networks, with potential implications for understanding individual differences in social behavior and mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Huihua Fang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nooshin Safari
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
- Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.
- Great Bay Neuroscience and Technology Research Institute (Hong Kong), Hong Kong, Kwun Tong, China.
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Martínez-López JÁ, Munuera-Gómez P. Surrogacy in the United States: analysis of sociodemographic profiles and motivations of surrogates. Reprod Biomed Online 2024; 49:104302. [PMID: 39102759 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.104302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION What is the profile of women in the USA who become surrogates, and what is their power of decision and motivations? DESIGN This quantitative study was performed with 231 participants in the USA, given the country's long history of surrogacy, to help clarify the profile of women who become surrogates, their power of decision and motivations. RESULTS Descriptive and multivariate cluster analyses showed that women who become surrogates earn above the average income for their state of residency, have a high level of education, have health insurance, are employed, and decide to become a surrogate for prosocial/altruistic reasons. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the premise of both radical feminism and ultra-conservative Catholicism, this study found that altruism and empathy are the primary motivations for participating in surrogacy processes, and that a woman's decision to become a surrogate is not motivated by social conditioning relating to poverty or social status.
Collapse
|
6
|
Briganti G, Decety J, Scutari M, McNally RJ, Linkowski P. Using Bayesian Networks to Investigate Psychological Constructs: The Case of Empathy. Psychol Rep 2024; 127:2334-2346. [PMID: 36537224 DOI: 10.1177/00332941221146711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Network analysis is an emerging field for the study of psychopathology that considers constructs as arising from the interactions among their constituents. Pairwise effects among psychological components are often investigated by using this framework. Few studies have applied Bayesian networks, models that include directed interactions to perform causal inference on psychological constructs. Directed graphical models may be less straightforward to interpret in case the construct at hand does not contain symptoms but instead psychometric items from self-report measures. However, they may be useful in validating specific research questions that arise while using standard pairwise network models. In this study, we use Bayesian networks to investigate a well-known psychological construct, empathy from the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, in large two samples of 1973 university students from Belgium. Overall, our results support the hypotheses emphasizing empathic concern (i.e., sympathy) as causally important in the construct of empathy, and overall attribute the primacy of emotional components of empathy over their intellectual counterparts. Bayesian networks help researchers identify the plausible causal relationships in psychometric data, to gain new insight on the psychological construct under examination, help generate new hypotheses and provide evidence relevant to old ones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Briganti
- University of Mons, Mons, Belgium; Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Marco Scutari
- Istituto Dalle Molle di Studi sull'Intelligenza Artificiale, Manno, Switzerland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Savieto RM, Oliveira LPG, Borba GB, Victor EDS, Bomfim SB, de Oliveira LB, Catissi G, Patrício KP, Kiriyama EJ, Leão ER. Human-animal interaction and One Health: establishment and validation of the Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale. EINSTEIN-SAO PAULO 2024; 22:eAO0685. [PMID: 39319958 PMCID: PMC11461012 DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2024ao0685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To design and validate a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale, based on the existing Portuguese version. METHODS Content validity assessment was performed by expert judges, and the adapted scale was administered to a sample of 386 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. RESULTS The bifactorial profile of the scale remained consistent, comprising Empathic Concern for Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.75) and Emotional Attachment with Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.79). Considering the One Health framework, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral approaches are essential for achieving optimal health conditions for people, animals, and the environment given their intricate interconnections. Empathy plays a crucial role in promoting proximity between humans and animals, fostering positive connections that encourage biodiversity conservation. CONCLUSION The 13 statements were retained, confirming the validity of the animal empathy scale for use in Brazil, and a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale was established.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Maria Savieto
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Pires Garcia Oliveira
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Gustavo Benvenutti Borba
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáGraduate School on Biomedical EngineeringDepartment of Electronics-DAELNCuritibaPRBrazilDepartment of Electronics-DAELN, Graduate School on Biomedical Engineering, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
| | - Elivane da Silva Victor
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Sabrina Bortolossi Bomfim
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Giulia Catissi
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Karina Pavão Patrício
- Universidade de São PauloBotucatuSPBrazilUniversidade de São Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| | - Edgard Joseph Kiriyama
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinSão PauloSPBrazilHospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Eliseth Ribeiro Leão
- Hospital Israelita Albert EinsteinEducation and Research CenterSão PauloSPBrazilEducation and Research Center, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ben-Ami Bartal I. The complex affective and cognitive capacities of rats. Science 2024; 385:1298-1305. [PMID: 39298607 DOI: 10.1126/science.adq6217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
For several decades, although studies of rat physiology and behavior have abounded, research on rat emotions has been limited in scope to fear, anxiety, and pain. Converging evidence for the capacity of many species to share others' affective states has emerged, sparking interest in the empathic capacities of rats. Recent research has demonstrated that rats are a highly cooperative species and are motivated by others' distress to prosocial actions, such as opening a door or pulling a chain to release trapped conspecifics. Studies of rat affect, cognition, and neural function provide compelling evidence that rats have some capacity to represent others' needs, to instrumentally act to improve their well-being, and are thus capable of forms of targeted helping. Rats' complex abilities raise the importance of integrating new measures of rat well-being into scientific research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Ben-Ami Bartal
- School of School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zack M, Behzadi A, Biback C, Chugani B, DiGiacomo D, Fang T, Houle S, Kalia A, Lobo D, Payer D, Poulos CX, Rusjan PM, Smart K, Tatone D, Warsh J, Wilson AA, Kennedy JL. Dopamine mediates a directionally opposite correlation between empathy and the reinforcing effects of amphetamine and gambling in people with gambling disorder vs. healthy controls. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 245:173865. [PMID: 39236810 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between empathy, subjective effects of addictive reinforcers and dopamine function in people with gambling disorder (PGD) vs. healthy controls (HCs) may inform GD treatment. The current investigation addressed this issue via retrospective analysis of data from three studies using amphetamine and a slot machine (SLOTS) as reinforcers in PGD and HCs. The Empathy scale of Eysenck's Impulsiveness Questionnaire assessed trait Empathy. The Gamblers Beliefs Questionnaire assessed cognitive distortions. The Eysenck Lie scale assessed socially desirable responding. PET scans quantified dopamine receptor expression and amphetamine-induced dopamine release in Study 1. Pre-treatment with the D2-receptor (D2R)-preferring antagonist, haloperidol or D1R-D2R antagonist, fluphenazine before SLOTS tested the role of D2 autoreceptors and post-synaptic D2R in Study 2. Pre-treatment with the multi-system indirect dopamine agonist, modafinil before SLOTS assessed the reliability of correlations in PGD. Striatal D2R expression predicted greater Empathy and lower amphetamine 'Liking' in HCs, and predicted greater symptom severity in PGD. Empathy predicted lower 'Exciting' effects of SLOTS under placebo in HCs; no correlation emerged under either antagonist. Relative to placebo, haloperidol decreased, whereas fluphenazine increased, the positive correlation between Empathy and Exciting effects of SLOTS in PGD. Modafinil markedly reduced the positive correlation between Empathy and Exciting effects of SLOTS seen under placebo in PGD. Empathy predicted greater cognitive distortions in PGD in all studies. Lie scale variance influenced several primary effects. Prior research linking the insula with Empathy, reactivity to interoceptive signals for risky rewards (uncertainty), and cognitive distortions, provides a parsimonious account for these results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Zack
- Molecular Brain Sciences Dept., Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Arian Behzadi
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Candice Biback
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Bindiya Chugani
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Dan DiGiacomo
- Addiction Psychiatry Service, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Tim Fang
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Sylvain Houle
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Aditi Kalia
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Daniela Lobo
- Addiction Psychiatry Service, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Doris Payer
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Constantine X Poulos
- Molecular Brain Sciences Dept., Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Pablo M Rusjan
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Kelly Smart
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Daniel Tatone
- Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jerry Warsh
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Alan A Wilson
- Vivian M. Rakoff PET Centre, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - James L Kennedy
- Molecular Brain Sciences Dept., Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Okuzumi S, Tei S, Itahashi T, Aoki YY, Hashimoto RI, Nakamura M, Takahashi H, Ohta H, Fujino J. Roles of empathy in altruistic cooperation in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder. Heliyon 2024; 10:e36255. [PMID: 39253246 PMCID: PMC11382198 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Altruistic cooperation (AC) is essential in human social interactions. Previous studies have investigated AC-related behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), revealing that there is considerable individual variability in the behavior. However, this issue is still largely unexplored especially in the adult population. Aims To investigate individual differences in AC-related behavior, we conducted the resource allocation task (RAT) and modified version of the ultimatum game (mUG) among adults with and without ASD. Methods and procedures The study employed a cross-sectional design, involving 27 adults with ASD (mean age 29.1 ± 4.3 years; three females) and 27 adults with typical development (TD) (mean age 25.8 ± 6.7 years; two females), who completed the RAT and mUG tasks. Beyond clinical characteristics, we assessed three primary psychological metrics: the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), Barratt impulsiveness scale, and the behavioral inhibition and activation systems. Outcomes and results No significant differences were observed in the proportions of participants with high AC when assessed by RAT (p = 0.15) and mUG (p = 0.59) between the TD and ASD groups. Participants with high AC from the RAT demonstrated higher perspective-taking scores on the IRI than those with low AC within both the TD (p = 0.04) and ASD groups (p = 0.03). In the TD group, high AC individuals also scored higher on the IRI's fantasy subscale as per the mUG (p = 0.03); however, this trend was not present in the ASD group. Conclusions and implications The present findings indicate that empathy plays an important role in individual differences in AC-related behavior among adults with and without ASD, although the role could be different depending on the types of AC-related behavior between TD and ASD populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Okuzumi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shisei Tei
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute of Applied Brain Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15, Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- School of Human and Social Sciences, Tokyo International University, 2509, Matoba, Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takashi Itahashi
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuta Y Aoki
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryu-Ichiro Hashimoto
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoaki Nakamura
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Kanagawa Psychiatric Center, 2-5-1 Serigaya, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Brain Integration Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhisa Ohta
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junya Fujino
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11 Kita-karasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawaracho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mitiureva DG, Terlichenko EO, Zubko VM, Kabanova PI, Abrosimova VD, Skripkina SM, Krivchenkova EV, Verkholaz DM, Borodkina AS, Komarova AV, Kiselnikov AA. Neural mechanisms of altruistic decision-making: EEG functional connectivity network analysis. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024:10.3758/s13415-024-01214-8. [PMID: 39198301 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01214-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Altruism is an enigmatic form of prosocial behavior, characterized by diverse motivations and significant interindividual differences. Studying neural mechanisms of altruism is crucial to identify objective markers of pro- and antisocial tendencies in behavior. This study was designed to delve into the mechanisms of altruism by analyzing EEG-based functional connectivity patterns within the framework of the network approach. To experimentally induce a situation of altruistic decision-making, we employed the Pain versus Gain (PvsG) task, which implies making choices concerning financial self-benefit and pain of the other. Our results reveal that the behavioral measure of altruism in the experiment correlated with emotional empathy, which is in line with the "empathy-altruism" hypothesis. Applying the network approach to EEG functional connectivity analysis, we discovered that the very process of decision-making in the PvsG is characterized by the synchronous activity of structures in the right hemisphere, which are involved in empathy for pain. The prosociality of decisions was reflected in functional connectivity between the rostral ACC and orbital IFG in the left hemisphere and the overall network centrality of the caudal ACC. This finding additionally points to the distinct functional roles of the ACC subregions in altruistic decision-making. The proposed neural mechanisms of altruism can further be used to identify neurophysiological markers of prosociality in behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dina G Mitiureva
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of RAS, 5A Butlerova Street, 117485, Moscow, Russia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zorns S, Sierzputowski C, Ash S, Skowron M, Minervini A, LaVarco A, Pardillo M, Keenan JP. Attraction is altered via modulation of the medial prefrontal cortex without explicit knowledge. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1333733. [PMID: 39206424 PMCID: PMC11349520 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1333733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that brain stimulation can alter an individual's physical appearance via dysregulation of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). In this study, we attempted to determine if individuals who receive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered to the MPFC were rated as more attractive by others. It has been previously reported that 1 hertz (Hz) (inhibitory) TMS can alter one's facial expressions such that frontal cortex inhibition can increase expressiveness. These alterations, detected by external observation, remain below the level of awareness of the subject itself. In Phase I, subjects (N = 10) received MPFC rTMS and had their photographs taken after each of the five stimulation conditions, in addition to making self-ratings across a number of variables, including attractiveness. In Phase II, participants (N = 430) rated five pictures of each of the Phase 1 individuals on attractiveness. It was found that there were no significant differences in self-assessment following rTMS (Phase I). However, attractiveness ratings differed significantly in Phase II. There was a significant difference found between 10 Hz TMS delivered to the MPFC (p < 0.001), such that individuals were rated as less attractive. Furthermore, 1 Hz TMS to the MPFC increased the number of 'Most Attractive' ratings, while 10Hz TMS decreased the number of 'Most Attractive' ratings (p < 0.001). These results suggest that the MPFC plays a role in attractiveness ratings to others. These data also support research showing that one's appearance can be altered below the level of awareness via rTMS. To our knowledge, this is the first investigation to examine how brain stimulation influences one's attractiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Zorns
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Claudia Sierzputowski
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Sydney Ash
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Molly Skowron
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Anthony Minervini
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Adriana LaVarco
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Matthew Pardillo
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| | - Julian Paul Keenan
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Vieira JB, Olsson A. The convergence between defence and care in mammals. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:714-725. [PMID: 38749809 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
The motivations to protect oneself and others have often been seen as conflicting. Here, we discuss recent evidence that self-defensive mechanisms may in fact be recruited to enable the helping of others. In some instances, the defensive response to a threat may even be more decisive in promoting helping than the response to a conspecific's distress (as predicted by empathy-altruism models). In light of this evidence, we propose that neural mechanisms implicated in self-defence may have been repurposed through evolution to enable the protection of others, and that defence and care may be convergent rather than conflicting functions. Finally, we present and discuss a working model of the shared brain mechanisms implicated in defence of both self and others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Vieira
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Simantov T, Uzefovsky F. Empathy among autistic and non-autistic adolescents: The importance of informant effects. Autism Res 2024; 17:1628-1639. [PMID: 39016632 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to recognize the emotions of others (cognitive empathy) and to share in those emotions while maintaining a self-other distinction (emotional empathy). Previous research often, but not always, showed that autistic adults and children have lower levels of overall and cognitive empathy than non-autistic individuals. Yet how empathy manifests during adolescence, a developmental period marked by physiological, social, and cognitive change, is largely unclear. As well, we aimed to compare self versus parents' perceptions regarding adolescents' empathy. To do so, parents (N = 157) of 10-16-year-olds (N = 59 autistic) and their children (N = 133) completed empathy questionnaires. Adolescents also completed a measure of mental state recognition (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test; RMET) and parents reported on their child's autistic traits. The tasks were completed twice ~six months apart. We found that autistic adolescents reported having lower empathic concern and higher personal distress than their non-autistic peers, whereas parents of autistic adolescents perceived them as having overall lower levels of empathy. Performance on the mental state recognition task of autistic and non-autistic adolescents' was comparable. The gap between self and parent reports regarding adolescents' empathy was explainable by parent-reported autistic traits, mainly communication difficulties. Empathy remains stable across the study's two time points. Thus, the findings do not support previous views of autistic people as having less empathy and these are possibly explainable by informant effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tslil Simantov
- Psychology department, Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Psychology department, Ben-Gurion University in the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kareklas K, Oliveira RF. Emotional contagion and prosocial behaviour in fish: An evolutionary and mechanistic approach. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105780. [PMID: 38955311 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
In this review, we consider the definitions and experimental approaches to emotional contagion and prosocial behaviour in mammals and explore their evolutionary conceptualisation for studying their occurrence in the evolutionarily divergent vertebrate group of ray-finned fish. We present evidence for a diverse set of fish phenotypes that meet definitional criteria for prosocial behaviour and emotional contagion and discuss conserved mechanisms that may account for some preserved social capacities in fish. Finally, we provide some considerations on how to address the question of interdependency between emotional contagion and prosocial response, highlighting the importance of recognition processes, decision-making systems, and ecological context for providing evolutionary explanations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyriacos Kareklas
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, R. Q.ta Grande 6, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal
| | - Rui F Oliveira
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, R. Q.ta Grande 6, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal; ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, Lisboa 1149-041, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rütgen M, Lamm C. Dissecting shared pain representations to understand their behavioral and clinical relevance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105769. [PMID: 38879099 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Accounts of shared representations posit that the experience of pain and pain empathy rely on similar neural mechanisms. Experimental research employing novel analytical and methodological approaches has made significant advances in both the identification and targeted manipulation of such shared experiences and their neural underpinnings. This revealed that painful experiences can be shared on different representational levels, from pain-specific to domain-general features, such as negative affect and its regulation. In view of direct links between such representations and social behaviors such as prosocial behavior, conditions characterized by aberrant pain processing may come along with heavy impairments in the social domain, depending on the affected representational level. This has wide potential implications in light of the high prevalence of pain-related clinical conditions, their management, and the overuse of pain medication. In this review and opinion paper, we aim to chart the path toward a better understanding of the link between shared affect and prosocial behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Rütgen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Rotondi V, Allegra M, Kashyap R, Barban N, Sironi M, Reverberi C. Enduring maternal brain changes and their role in mediating motherhood's impact on well-being. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16608. [PMID: 39025996 PMCID: PMC11258333 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67316-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Parenthood, particularly motherhood, is known to impact the structure and function of the brain in the short term, but the long-term effects of parenthood and their impacts on well-being are still poorly understood. This study explores the potential longer-term associations between parenthood and the brain, parenthood and well-being, and the potential role of brain modifications in influencing mothers' well-being. Using data from the UK Biobank, which includes brain imaging information from individuals aged 45-82 at the MRI scanning, we discovered differences in brain structure between mothers and non-mothers, with mothers exhibiting widely distributed higher gray matter density, particularly strong in frontal and occipital regions. No brain changes were observed in fathers. Parents reported a higher sense of life's meaning compared to their childless counterparts. Gray matter changes did not mediate the relationship between motherhood and well-being. This suggests that the alterations in gray matter associated with motherhood do not play a deterministic role in shaping long-term changes in well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rotondi
- SUPSI, Lugano, Switzerland.
- University of Oxford & Nuffield College, Oxford, UK.
- Milan Center for Neuroscience - NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | - Carlo Reverberi
- Milan Center for Neuroscience - NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Allen TA, Hallquist MN, Dombrovski AY. Callousness, exploitativeness, and tracking of cooperation incentives in the human default network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2307221121. [PMID: 38980906 PMCID: PMC11260090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307221121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cognitive capacities that enable flexible cooperation may have evolved in parallel with the expansion of frontoparietal cortical networks, particularly the default network. Conversely, human antisocial behavior and trait antagonism are broadly associated with reduced activity, impaired connectivity, and altered structure of the default network. Yet, behaviors like interpersonal manipulation and exploitation may require intact or even superior social cognition. Using a reinforcement learning model of decision-making on a modified trust game, we examined how individuals adjusted their cooperation rate based on a counterpart's cooperation and social reputation. We observed that learning signals in the default network updated the predicted utility of cooperation or defection and scaled with reciprocal cooperation. These signals were weaker in callous (vs. compassionate) individuals but stronger in those who were more exploitative (vs. honest and humble). Further, they accounted for associations between exploitativeness, callousness, and reciprocal cooperation. Separately, behavioral sensitivity to prior reputation was reduced in callous but not exploitative individuals and selectively scaled with responses of the medial temporal subsystem of the default network. Overall, callousness was characterized by blunted behavioral and default network sensitivity to cooperation incentives. Exploitativeness predicted heightened sensitivity to others' cooperation but not social reputation. We speculate that both compassion and exploitativeness may reflect cognitive adaptations to social living, enabled by expansion of the default network in anthropogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Allen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Michael N. Hallquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dubey MJ, Ghosh R, Das G, Roy D, Das S, Chakraborty AP, Chatterjee S, Dubey S, Benito-León J. Beyond Belief and Practice: An Exploratory Literature Review and Discussion of the Differential Impact of Spirituality and Religiosity on Mental Health Disorders. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2024:10.1007/s10943-024-02090-9. [PMID: 39004656 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-024-02090-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The relationship between spirituality and religiosity and their impact on mental health is intricate and underexplored. This exploratory review aims to elucidate the distinct effects of these constructs, highlighting their contributions to psychological well-being and clinical practices. By dissecting the impacts of spirituality and religiosity on mental health, the study focuses on their individual and combined roles in shaping therapeutic approaches and theoretical understandings in the field. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, focusing on articles discussing spirituality, religiosity, and their intersection with mental health and psychopathology. Out of 312 identified articles, 69 peer-reviewed articles were included after screening for relevance. The results indicate that spirituality and religiosity significantly influence mental health yet are often conflated, leading to research inconsistencies and clinical challenges. Spirituality, as a broad and individualistic pathway, enhances personal well-being and resilience, often transcending organized religious practices. In contrast, religiosity, with its structured community support, sometimes imposes constraints that exacerbate stress under specific doctrinal pressures. Neurobiological evidence suggests that both constructs interact with cognitive processes and brain function, influencing emotional regulation and stress response. The study concludes that distinguishing between spirituality and religiosity is essential for precise academic discourse and effective clinical practice. This differentiation allows for more personalized therapeutic approaches, accommodating an individual's spiritual and religious contexts. The authors propose a refined framework for future research and therapeutic applications to be sensitive to the nuanced experiences of individuals and to better tailor interventions in clinical settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahua Jana Dubey
- Department of Psychiatry, Berhampur Mental Hospital, Berhampur, Murshidabad, West Bengal, India
| | - Ritwik Ghosh
- Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Gautam Das
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Dipayan Roy
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Shambaditya Das
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Arka Prava Chakraborty
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Subham Chatterjee
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry (IOP), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Souvik Dubey
- Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN), Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
| | - Julián Benito-León
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital "12 de Octubre", Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ritchie MB, Compton SAH, Oliver LD, Finger E, Neufeld RWJ, Mitchell DGV. The impact of acute violent videogame exposure on neurocognitive markers of empathic concern. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae031. [PMID: 38727544 PMCID: PMC11223611 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Research examining the purported association between violent gaming and aggression remains controversial due to concerns related to methodology, unclear neurocognitive mechanisms, and the failure to adequately consider the role of individual differences in susceptibility. To help address these concerns, we used fMRI and an emotional empathy task to examine whether acute and cumulative violent gaming exposure were associated with abnormalities in emotional empathy as a function of trait-empathy. Emotional empathy was targeted given its involvement in regulating not only aggression, but also other important social functions such as compassion and prosocial behaviour. We hypothesized that violent gaming exposure increases the risk of aberrant social behaviour by altering the aversive value of distress cues. Contrary to expectations, neither behavioural ratings nor empathy-related brain activity varied as a function of violent gaming exposure. Notably, however, activation patterns in somatosensory and motor cortices reflected an interaction between violent gaming exposure and trait empathy. Thus, our results are inconsistent with a straightforward relationship between violent gaming exposure and reduced empathy. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering both individual differences in susceptibility and other aspects of cognition related to social functioning to best inform public concern regarding safe gaming practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary B Ritchie
- Graduate Program in Clinical Science and Psychopathology, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Shannon A H Compton
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Lindsay D Oliver
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5R0A3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Robarts Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, ON N6C 0A7, Canada
| | - Richard W J Neufeld
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Derek G V Mitchell
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Saulin A, Ma Y, Hein G. Empathy incites a stable prosocial decision bias. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae272. [PMID: 38970361 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Empathy toward suffering individuals serves as potent driver for prosocial behavior. However, it remains unclear whether prosociality induced by empathy for another person's pain persists once that person's suffering diminishes. To test this, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a binary social decision task that involved allocation of points to themselves and another person. In block one, participants completed the task after witnessing frequent painful stimulation of the other person, and in block two, after observing low frequency of painful stimulation. Drift-diffusion modeling revealed an increased initial bias toward making prosocial decisions in the first block compared with baseline that persisted in the second block. These results were replicated in an independent behavioral study. An additional control study showed that this effect may be specific to empathy as stability was not evident when prosocial decisions were driven by a social norm such as reciprocity. Increased neural activation in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was linked to empathic concern after witnessing frequent pain and to a general prosocial decision bias after witnessing rare pain. Altogether, our findings show that empathy for pain elicits a stable inclination toward making prosocial decisions even as their suffering diminishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Saulin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St, Haidan District, Beijing 100875, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Yike Rd, Changping District, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Grit Hein
- Department of Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Trujillo-Llano C, Sainz-Ballesteros A, Suarez-Ardila F, Gonzalez-Gadea ML, Ibáñez A, Herrera E, Baez S. Neuroanatomical markers of social cognition in neglected adolescents. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100642. [PMID: 38800539 PMCID: PMC11127280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Growing up in neglectful households can impact multiple aspects of social cognition. However, research on neglect's effects on social cognition processes and their neuroanatomical correlates during adolescence is scarce. Here, we aimed to comprehensively assess social cognition processes (recognition of basic and contextual emotions, theory of mind, the experience of envy and Schadenfreude and empathy for pain) and their structural brain correlates in adolescents with legal neglect records within family-based care. First, we compared neglected adolescents (n = 27) with control participants (n = 25) on context-sensitive social cognition tasks while controlling for physical and emotional abuse and executive and intellectual functioning. Additionally, we explored the grey matter correlates of these domains through voxel-based morphometry. Compared to controls, neglected adolescents exhibited lower performance in contextual emotional recognition and theory of mind, higher levels of envy and Schadenfreude and diminished empathy. Physical and emotional abuse and executive or intellectual functioning did not explain these effects. Moreover, social cognition scores correlated with brain volumes in regions subserving social cognition and emotional processing. Our results underscore the potential impact of neglect on different aspects of social cognition during adolescence, emphasizing the necessity for preventive and intervention strategies to address these deficits in this population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Trujillo-Llano
- Department of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Agustín Sainz-Ballesteros
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Tübingen, Germany
- Department for High-Field Magnetic Resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - María Luz Gonzalez-Gadea
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andres, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eduar Herrera
- Universidad Icesi, Departamento de Estudios Psicológicos, Cali, Colombia
| | - Sandra Baez
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tan H, Zeng X, Ni J, Liang K, Xu C, Zhang Y, Wang J, Li Z, Yang J, Han C, Gao Y, Yu X, Han S, Meng F, Ma Y. Intracranial EEG signals disentangle multi-areal neural dynamics of vicarious pain perception. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5203. [PMID: 38890380 PMCID: PMC11189531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49541-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Empathy enables understanding and sharing of others' feelings. Human neuroimaging studies have identified critical brain regions supporting empathy for pain, including the anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate (ACC), amygdala, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). However, to date, the precise spatio-temporal profiles of empathic neural responses and inter-regional communications remain elusive. Here, using intracranial electroencephalography, we investigated electrophysiological signatures of vicarious pain perception. Others' pain perception induced early increases in high-gamma activity in IFG, beta power increases in ACC, but decreased beta power in AI and amygdala. Vicarious pain perception also altered the beta-band-coordinated coupling between ACC, AI, and amygdala, as well as increased modulation of IFG high-gamma amplitudes by beta phases of amygdala/AI/ACC. We identified a necessary combination of neural features for decoding vicarious pain perception. These spatio-temporally specific regional activities and inter-regional interactions within the empathy network suggest a neurodynamic model of human pain empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huixin Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Liang
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Cuiping Xu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanyang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zizhou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlei Han
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinguang Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Fangang Meng
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Faner JMV, Dalangin EAR, De Leon LATC, Francisco LD, Sahagun YO, Acoba EF. Pet attachment and prosocial attitude toward humans: the mediating role of empathy to animals. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1391606. [PMID: 38933589 PMCID: PMC11200204 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1391606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Attachment relationships are widely recognized as influential in increasing prosocial tendencies, with existing literature indicating that human attachment can increase empathetic processes, thereby potentially facilitating prosocial behavior. Given that pets frequently fulfill the criteria for attachment figures, this study investigates whether the observed associations among human attachment, empathy, and prosocial attitudes extend to human-animal interactions (HAI). This study examines the relationship between pet attachment, animal empathy, and prosocial attitudes toward humans. The study hypothesizes that animal empathy mediates the association between pet attachment and prosocial attitudes. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 343 Filipino participants, predominantly consisting of single female young adults with college education backgrounds. Participants completed a battery of assessments including the Contemporary Companion Animal Bonding Scale (CCABS), the Animal Empathy Scale (AES), and the Prosocialness Scale for Adults (PSA). Aligned with our hypothesis, our study reveals that animal empathy plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between pet attachment and attitudes toward humans. We found that stronger pet attachment correlates positively with heightened animal empathy, subsequently leading to elevated levels of prosocial attitudes. Our findings prompt discussions on implications for understanding human-animal relationships and suggest avenues for future research exploration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Evelyn F. Acoba
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Central Luzon State University, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wilks M, McCurdy J, Bloom P. Who gives? Characteristics of those who have taken the Giving What We Can pledge. J Pers 2024; 92:753-763. [PMID: 37157888 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In the current project, we focus on another group of unusual altruists: people who have taken the Giving What We Can (GWWC) pledge to donate at least 10% of their income to charity. Our project aims to understand what is unique about this population. BACKGROUND Many people care about helping, but in recent years there has been a surge of research examining those whose moral concern for others goes far beyond that of the typical population. These unusual altruists (also termed extraordinary or extreme altruists or moral exemplars) make great personal sacrifices to help others-such as donating their kidneys to strangers or participating in COVID-19 vaccine challenge trials. METHOD In a global study (N = 536) we examine a number of cognitive and personality traits of GWWC pledgers and compare them to a country-matched comparison group. RESULTS In accordance with our predictions, GWWC pledgers were better at identifying fearful faces, more morally expansive and higher in actively open-minded thinking, need for cognition and two subscales of utilitarianism and, tentatively, lower in social dominance orientation. Against our predictions, they were lower in maximizing tendency. Finally, we found an inconclusive relationship between pledger status and empathy/compassion that we believe warrants further examination. CONCLUSIONS These findings offer initial insights into the characteristics that set apart those who have made the decision to donate a substantial portion of their income to help others.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matti Wilks
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Jessica McCurdy
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Paul Bloom
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kaplan G. The evolution of social play in songbirds, parrots and cockatoos - emotional or highly complex cognitive behaviour or both? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105621. [PMID: 38479604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Social play has been described in many animals. However, much of this social behaviour among birds, particularly in adults, is still relatively unexplored in terms of the environmental, psychological, and social dynamics of play. This paper provides an overview of what we know about adult social play in birds and addresses areas in which subtleties and distinctions, such as in play initiation and social organisation and its relationship to expressions of play, are considered in detail. The paper considers emotional, social, innovative, and cognitive aspects of play, then the environmental conditions and affiliative bonds, suggesting a surprisingly complex framework of criteria awaiting further research. Adult social play has so far been studied in only a small number of avian species, exclusively in those with a particularly large brain relative to body size without necessarily addressing brain functions and lateralization. When lateralization of brain function is considered, it can further illuminate a possibly significant relevance of play behaviour to the evolution of cognition, to management of emotions, and the development of sociality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Kaplan
- University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gordon-Hecker T, Shalvi S, Uzefovsky F, Bereby-Meyer Y. Cognitive empathy boosts honesty in children and young adolescents. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 241:105869. [PMID: 38350253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Children and young adolescents often tend to behave dishonestly in order to serve their self-interests. This study focused on how empathic abilities affect children's tendency to deceive others. Deception is the act of causing others to form a false belief to get them to act in a way that serves the deceiver's interests. As such, it requires the ability to predict how others might use the provided information. In two experiments, 274 participants (aged 10-16 years) played a game in which they could send a deceptive message to another participant to boost their own payoff at the other player's expense. We measured participants' cognitive and emotional empathy using different measures. We found that a measure of cognitive empathy, namely the fantasy scale, was associated with less deception of another player when that other player was not identified and was presented only as "Player B." However, when Player B was identified by name, empathy did not predict deception. In such cases, the only factors affecting deception rates were the gain for the participant (higher possible gains lead to more deception) and loss to the other player (higher possible losses lead to less deception). Overall, the findings suggest that even by 11 years of age, children can understand the impact of their unethical behavior on another child and adjust their actions accordingly. However, when the other child is not identified, children need to possess high levels of cognitive empathy toward imagined individuals to resist the temptation to deceive the other child.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Shaul Shalvi
- University of Amsterdam, 1018 WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Fang S, Luo Z, Wei Z, Qin Y, Zheng J, Zhang H, Jin J, Li J, Miao C, Yang S, Li Y, Liang Z, Yu XD, Zhang XM, Xiong W, Zhu H, Gan WB, Huang L, Li B. Sexually dimorphic control of affective state processing and empathic behaviors. Neuron 2024; 112:1498-1517.e8. [PMID: 38430912 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Recognizing the affective states of social counterparts and responding appropriately fosters successful social interactions. However, little is known about how the affective states are expressed and perceived and how they influence social decisions. Here, we show that male and female mice emit distinct olfactory cues after experiencing distress. These cues activate distinct neural circuits in the piriform cortex (PiC) and evoke sexually dimorphic empathic behaviors in observers. Specifically, the PiC → PrL pathway is activated in female observers, inducing a social preference for the distressed counterpart. Conversely, the PiC → MeA pathway is activated in male observers, evoking excessive self-grooming behaviors. These pathways originate from non-overlapping PiC neuron populations with distinct gene expression signatures regulated by transcription factors and sex hormones. Our study unveils how internal states of social counterparts are processed through sexually dimorphic mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels and offers insights into the neural mechanisms underpinning sex differences in higher brain functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunchang Fang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhengyi Luo
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zicheng Wei
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuxin Qin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jieyan Zheng
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hongyang Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jianhua Jin
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Jiali Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Chenjian Miao
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shana Yang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yonglin Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zirui Liang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao Min Zhang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hongying Zhu
- Institute on Aging, Hefei, China and Brain Disorders, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | | | - Lianyan Huang
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Boxing Li
- Neuroscience Program, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Advanced Medical Technology Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Key Laboratory of Human Microbiome and Chronic Diseases (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Szczuka A, Sochacka-Marlowe A, Korczyńska J, Mazurkiewicz PJ, Symonowicz B, Kukina O, Godzińska EJ. Do They Know What They Are Doing? Cognitive Aspects of Rescue Behaviour Directed by Workers of the Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena to Nestmate Victims Entrapped in Artificial Snares. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:515. [PMID: 38672785 PMCID: PMC11051173 DOI: 10.3390/life14040515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ant rescue behaviour belongs to the most interesting subcategories of prosocial and altruistic behaviour encountered in the animal world. Several studies suggested that ants are able to identify what exactly restrains the movements of another individual and to direct their rescue behaviour precisely to that object. To shed more light on the question of how precise the identification of the source of restraint of another ant is, we investigated rescue behaviour of red wood ant Formica polyctena workers, using a new version of an artificial snare bioassay in which a nestmate victim bore two wire loops on its body, one (acting as a snare) placed on its petiole and an additional one on its leg. The tested ants did not preferentially direct their rescue behaviour towards the snare. Moreover, the overall strategy adopted by the most active rescuers was not limited to precisely targeted rescue attempts directed towards the snare, but consisted of frequent switching between various subcategories of rescue behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of precise identification of cognitive processes and overall behavioural strategies for better understanding of causal factors underlying animal helping behaviour in light of new facts discovered by testing of various successive research hypotheses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Szczuka
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Alicja Sochacka-Marlowe
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Julita Korczyńska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Paweł Jarosław Mazurkiewicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MISMaP), University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha St. 2c, PL 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Symonowicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Olga Kukina
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Physiology, Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration, Pushkinska St. 86, 61024 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Ewa Joanna Godzińska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Carriedo N, Rodríguez-Villagra OA, Moguilner S, Morales-Sepulveda JP, Huepe-Artigas D, Soto V, Franco-O’Byrne D, Ibáñez A, Bekinschtein TA, Huepe D. Cognitive, emotional, and social factors promoting psychosocial adaptation: a study of latent profiles in people living in socially vulnerable contexts. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1321242. [PMID: 38680276 PMCID: PMC11050042 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1321242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social adaptation is a multifaceted process that encompasses cognitive, social, and affective factors. Previous research often focused on isolated variables, overlooking their interactions, especially in challenging environments. Our study addresses this by investigating how cognitive (working memory, verbal intelligence, self-regulation), social (affective empathy, family networks, loneliness), and psychological (locus of control, self-esteem, perceived stress) factors interact to influence social adaptation. Methods We analyzed data from 254 adults (55% female) aged 18 to 46 in economically vulnerable households in Santiago, Chile. We used Latent profile analysis (LPA) and machine learning to uncover distinct patters of socioadaptive features and identify the most discriminating features. Results LPA showed two distinct psychosocial adaptation profiles: one characterized by effective psychosocial adaptation and another by poor psychosocial adaptation. The adaptive profile featured individuals with strong emotional, cognitive, and behavioral self-regulation, an internal locus of control, high self-esteem, lower stress levels, reduced affective empathy, robust family support, and decreased loneliness. Conversely, the poorly adapted profile exhibited the opposite traits. Machine learning pinpointed six key differentiating factors in various adaptation pathways within the same vulnerable context: high self-esteem, cognitive and behavioral self-regulation, low stress levels, higher education, and increased social support. Discussion This research carries significant policy implications, highlighting the need to reinforce protective factors and psychological resources, such as self-esteem, self-regulation, and education, to foster effective adaptation in adversity. Additionally, we identified critical risk factors impacting social adaptation in vulnerable populations, advancing our understanding of this intricate phenomenon.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Carriedo
- Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Odir A. Rodríguez-Villagra
- Institute for Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, Sabanilla, San José, Costa Rica
- Neuroscience Research Center, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Sebastián Moguilner
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Latin American Brain Health, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Morales-Sepulveda
- University of Sydney Business School, Darlington, NSW, Australia
- Facultad de Educación Psicología y Familia, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela Huepe-Artigas
- Facultad de Educación Psicología y Familia, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Soto
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel Franco-O’Byrne
- Latin American Brain Health, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Latin American Brain Health, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Tristan A. Bekinschtein
- Cambridge Consciousness and Cognition Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Huepe
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Winters DE, Massey SH, Sakai JT. Adolescent substance use outcomes in response to social consequences of use: the role of empathy. JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 2024; 54:202-217. [PMID: 38434989 PMCID: PMC10906742 DOI: 10.1177/00220426231159303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Evidence suggests empathy deficits have a temporal relationship with substance use severity by late adolescence theorized to decrease use via recognition of social consequences. However, this has yet to be tested empirically along with differences in cognitive and affective empathy. Adolescents admitted to substance use treatment (n= 3,382) were followed through treatment and 12 months after treatment. Variable trajectories were fit using growth curve models; and cross-lagged effects of cognitive and affective empathy on response to social consequences of use were tested along with how response to social consequences affected the mean trajectory of substance use. Results indicate higher cognitive empathy predicted greater response to social consequences of use and response to these consequences at the end of treatment predicted a steeper decrease in substance use. This evidence highlights the importance of cognitive empathy for responding to social consequences of use for motivating less substance use in adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Drew E Winters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 e. 17th place, Aurora, CO 80045-2559, USA
| | - Suena H Massey
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Joseph T Sakai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, 13001 e. 17th place, Aurora, CO 80045-2559, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Jeon D, Kim S, Lee SK, Chu K. Chronic social stress in early life can predispose mice to antisocial maltreating behavior. ENCEPHALITIS 2024; 4:23-30. [PMID: 38444108 PMCID: PMC11007547 DOI: 10.47936/encephalitis.2023.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose In our previous study, we developed an assay system to evaluate antisocial maltreating behavior of conspecific mice using a perpetrator-victim paradigm. We also generated a mouse model for the maltreating behavior by mimicking child maltreatment or abuse. Here, we further investigate the antisocial behavior using anti-aggressive and antipsychotic drugs. Methods Model mice sequentially subjected to maternal separation (MS), social defeat (SD), and social isolation (SI) in that order (MS/SD/SI model) were subjected to a maltreating behavioral task. The MS/SD/SI mice were treated with oxytocin (OXY), clozapine (CLZ), haloperidol (HAL), and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used for protein analysis. Results A substantial portion of the MS/SD/SI model mice (46% of males and 40% of females) showed a higher number of nose pokes than the control. OXY or 8-OH-DPAT treatment reduced the high number of nose pokes by the MS/SD/SI mice, whereas HAL increased it. CLZ did not affect the number of nose pokes by the MS/SD/SI mice. Interestingly, although the OXY level in the MS/SD/SI mice was similar to that in the control, the amount of OXY receptor was lower in the MS/SD/SI mice. The amount of 5-HT1A receptor was also decreased in the MS/SD/SI mice. Conclusion Chronic social stress in childhood might predispose a mouse to antisocial behavior. Our maltreating behavior assay system, including the MS/SD/SI model, is a good animal system for research on and drug screening for brain disorders associated with antisocial or psychotic behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sangwoo Kim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Kun Lee
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kon Chu
- Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Testard C, Tremblay S, Parodi F, DiTullio RW, Acevedo-Ithier A, Gardiner KL, Kording K, Platt ML. Neural signatures of natural behaviour in socializing macaques. Nature 2024; 628:381-390. [PMID: 38480888 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07178-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Our understanding of the neurobiology of primate behaviour largely derives from artificial tasks in highly controlled laboratory settings, overlooking most natural behaviours that primate brains evolved to produce1-3. How primates navigate the multidimensional social relationships that structure daily life4 and shape survival and reproductive success5 remains largely unclear at the single-neuron level. Here we combine ethological analysis, computer vision and wireless recording technologies to identify neural signatures of natural behaviour in unrestrained, socially interacting pairs of rhesus macaques. Single-neuron and population activity in the prefrontal and temporal cortex robustly encoded 24 species-typical behaviours, as well as social context. Male-female partners demonstrated near-perfect reciprocity in grooming, a key behavioural mechanism supporting friendships and alliances6, and neural activity maintained a running account of these social investments. Confronted with an aggressive intruder, behavioural and neural population responses reflected empathy and were buffered by the presence of a partner. Our findings reveal a highly distributed neurophysiological ledger of social dynamics, a potential computational foundation supporting communal life in primate societies, including our own.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Testard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Sébastien Tremblay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Felipe Parodi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ron W DiTullio
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Kristin L Gardiner
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Konrad Kording
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Marketing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
McCurdy LY, Yip SW, Worhunsky PD, Zhai ZW, Kim S, Strathearn L, Potenza MN, Mayes LC, Rutherford HJV. Neural correlates of altered emotional responsivity to infant stimuli in mothers who use substances. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 171:126-133. [PMID: 38277872 PMCID: PMC10922955 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Mothers who use substances during pregnancy and postpartum may have altered maternal behavior towards their infants, which can have negative consequences on infant social-emotional development. Since maternal substance use has been associated with difficulties in recognizing and responding to infant emotional expressions, investigating mothers' subjective responses to emotional infant stimuli may provide insight into the neural and psychological processes underlying these differences in maternal behavior. In this study, 39 mothers who used substances during the perinatal period and 42 mothers who did not underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while viewing infant faces and hearing infant cries. Afterwards, they rated the emotional intensity they thought each infant felt ('think'-rating), and how intensely they felt in response to each infant stimulus ('feel'-rating). Mothers who used substances had lower 'feel'-ratings of infant stimuli compared to mothers who did not. Brain regions implicated in affective processing (e.g., insula, inferior frontal gyrus) were less active in response to infant stimuli, and activity in these brain regions statistically predicted maternal substance-use status. Interestingly, 'think'-ratings and activation in brain regions related to cognitive processing (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex) were comparable between the two groups of mothers. Taken together, these results suggest specific neural and psychological processes related to emotional responsivity to infant stimuli may reflect differences in maternal affective processing and may contribute to differences in maternal behavior in mothers who use substances compared to mothers who do not. The findings suggest potential neural targets for increasing maternal emotional responsivity and improving child outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Yan McCurdy
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Division of Prevention and Community Research, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Patrick D Worhunsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Zu Wei Zhai
- Department of Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA
| | - Sohye Kim
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA; Departments of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Lane Strathearn
- Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA; Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA; The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, 06109, USA; The Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA
| | - Linda C Mayes
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Zhou Y, Han S, Kang P, Tobler PN, Hein G. The social transmission of empathy relies on observational reinforcement learning. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313073121. [PMID: 38381794 PMCID: PMC10907261 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313073121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Theories of moral development propose that empathy is transmitted across individuals. However, the mechanisms through which empathy is socially transmitted remain unclear. Here, we combine computational learning models and functional MRI to investigate whether, and if so, how empathic and non-empathic responses observed in others affect the empathy of female observers. The results of three independent studies showed that watching empathic or non-empathic responses generates a learning signal that respectively increases or decreases empathy ratings of the observer. A fourth study revealed that the learning-related transmission of empathy is stronger when observing human rather than computer demonstrators. Finally, we show that the social transmission of empathy alters empathy-related responses in the anterior insula, i.e., the same region that correlated with empathy baseline ratings, as well as its functional connectivity with the temporoparietal junction. Together, our findings provide a computational and neural mechanism for the social transmission of empathy that accounts for changes in individual empathic responses in empathic and non-empathic social environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Pyungwon Kang
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Philippe N. Tobler
- Department of Economics and Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
| | - Grit Hein
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Bhatt KV, Weissman CR. The effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior: a proposed mechanism for enduring antidepressant effects. NPJ MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 3:7. [PMID: 38609500 PMCID: PMC10955966 DOI: 10.1038/s44184-023-00053-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic shown to have enduring antidepressant effects. Currently, the mechanism for its enduring effects is not well understood. Empathy and prosocial behavior may be important for understanding the therapeutic benefit of psilocybin. In this article we review the effect of psilocybin on empathy and prosocial behavior. Moreover, we propose that psilocybin may induce a positive feedback loop involving empathy and prosocial behavior which helps explain the observed, enduring antidepressant effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kush V Bhatt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cory R Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Pang C, Zhou Y, Han S. Temporal Unfolding of Racial Ingroup Bias in Neural Responses to Perceived Dynamic Pain in Others. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:157-170. [PMID: 37635197 PMCID: PMC10838865 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01102-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated how empathic neural responses unfold over time in different empathy networks when viewing same-race and other-race individuals in dynamic painful conditions. We recorded magnetoencephalography signals from Chinese adults when viewing video clips showing a dynamic painful (or non-painful) stimulation to Asian and White models' faces to trigger painful (or neutral) expressions. We found that perceived dynamic pain in Asian models modulated neural activities in the visual cortex at 100 ms-200 ms, in the orbitofrontal and subgenual anterior cingulate cortices at 150 ms-200 ms, in the anterior cingulate cortex around 250 ms-350 ms, and in the temporoparietal junction and middle temporal gyrus around 600 ms after video onset. Perceived dynamic pain in White models modulated activities in the visual, anterior cingulate, and primary sensory cortices after 500 ms. Our findings unraveled earlier dynamic activities in multiple neural circuits in response to same-race (vs other-race) individuals in dynamic painful situations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Pang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuqing Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Mei S, Weiß M, Hein G, Han S. EEG evidence for racial ingroup bias in collective empathy for pain. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae019. [PMID: 38300214 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research on racial ingroup bias in empathy for pain focused on neural responses to a single person's suffering. It is unclear whether empathy for simultaneously perceived multiple individuals' pain (denoted as collective empathy in this study) is also sensitive to perceived racial identities of empathy targets. We addressed this issue by recording electroencephalography from Chinese adults who responded to racial identities of 2 × 2 arrays of Asian or White faces in which 4 faces, 1 face, or no face showed painful expressions. Participants reported greater feelings of others' pain and their own unpleasantness when viewing 4 compared to 1 (or no) painful faces. Behavioral responses to racial identities of faces revealed decreased speeds of information acquisition when responding to the face arrays with 4 (vs. 1 or no) painful expressions of Asian (but not White) faces. Moreover, Asian compared to White face arrays with 4 (vs. 1 or no) painful expressions elicited a larger positive neural response at 160-190 ms (P2) at the frontal/central electrodes and enhanced alpha synchronizations at 288-1,000 ms at the central electrodes. Our findings provide evidence for racial ingroup biases in collective empathy for pain and unravel its relevant neural underpinnings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Mei
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 52 Heidian Street, Beijing 100080, China
| | - Martin Weiß
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Grit Hein
- Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz 1, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Shihui Han
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 52 Heidian Street, Beijing 100080, China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Meng Y, Jia S, Liu J, Zhang C, Wang H, Liu Y. The shorter a man is, the more he defends fairness: relative height disadvantage promoting third-party punishment-evidence from inter-brain synchronization. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae048. [PMID: 38342691 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Third-party punishment occurs in interpersonal interactions to sustain social norms, and is strongly influenced by the characteristics of the interacting individuals. During social interactions, height is the striking physical appearance features first observed, height disadvantage may critically influence men's behavior and mental health. Herein, we explored the influence of height disadvantage on third-party punishment through time-frequency analysis and electroencephalography hyperscanning. Two participants were randomly designated as the recipient and third party after height comparison and instructed to complete third-party punishment task. Compared with when the third party's height is higher than the recipient's height, when the third party's height is lower, the punishment rate and transfer amount were significantly higher. Only for highly unfair offers, the theta power was significantly greater when the third party's height was lower. The inter-brain synchronization between the recipient and the third party was significantly stronger when the third party's height was lower. Compared with the fair and medium unfair offers, the inter-brain synchronization was strongest for highly unfair offers. Our findings indicate that the height disadvantage-induced anger and reputation concern promote third-party punishment and inter-brain synchronization. This study enriches research perspective and expands the application of the theory of Napoleon complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Meng
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| | - Shuyu Jia
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| | - Jingyue Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| | - Chenyu Zhang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| | - He Wang
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district,Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| | - Yingjie Liu
- School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district, Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
- School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, 21 Bohai avenue, Caofeidian district,Tangshan 063000, Hebei province, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Levantini V, Muratori P, Bertacchi I, Grilli V, Marzano A, Masi G, Milone A, Kimonis ER. The "Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood": Psychometric Properties and Associations with Externalizing Problems and Callous Unemotional Traits. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024:10.1007/s10578-024-01673-7. [PMID: 38261151 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-024-01673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Empathy is crucial to the development of socio-emotional skills in youth and empathy development is central to understanding and subtyping youth with externalizing problems. This study explored for the first time the psychometric properties of the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC) in a sample of 652 Italian children aged 6 to 8 years. The gender invariance of MEEC scores and their associations with other measures of empathy and prosocial behavior, and children's externalizing problems and callous-unemotional (CU) traits were also evaluated. Results indicated that with some modifications, a 5-factor structure of the Italian version of MEEC scores fitted the data and was invariant across gender. Results further supported the reliability and validity of MEEC total and subscale scores. Practical implications of these results are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Levantini
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Pietro Muratori
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Iacopo Bertacchi
- Accademia di Neuropsicologia dello Sviluppo (A.N.Svi), Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Virginia Grilli
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Masi
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
| | - Eva R Kimonis
- Parent-Child Research Clinic, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Patole S, Pawale D, Rath C. Interventions for Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Providers-A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:171. [PMID: 38255060 PMCID: PMC10815881 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compassion fatigue is a significant issue considering its consequences including negative feelings, impaired cognition, and increased risk of long-term morbidities. We aimed to assess current evidence on the effects of interventions for compassion fatigue in healthcare providers (HCP). METHODS We used the Cochrane methodology for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) for conducting and reporting this review. RESULTS Fifteen RCTs (n = 1740) were included. The sample size of individual studies was small ranging from 23 to 605. There was significant heterogeneity in participant, intervention, control, and outcome characteristics. The tools for assessing intervention effects on compassion fatigue included ProQOL, compassion fatigue scale, and nurses compassion fatigue inventory. Thirteen out of the fifteen included RCTs had overall high risk of bias (ROB). Meta-analysis could not be performed given the significant heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence on interventions for reducing compassion fatigue in HCPs is inadequate. Given the benefits reported in some of the included studies, well-designed and adequately powered RCTs are urgently needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Patole
- Neonatal Directorate, KEM Hospital for Women, Perth, WA 6008, Australia; (D.P.); (C.R.)
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dinesh Pawale
- Neonatal Directorate, KEM Hospital for Women, Perth, WA 6008, Australia; (D.P.); (C.R.)
| | - Chandra Rath
- Neonatal Directorate, KEM Hospital for Women, Perth, WA 6008, Australia; (D.P.); (C.R.)
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Fitri FI, Lage C, Mollayeva T, Santamaria-Garcia H, Chan M, Cominetti MR, Daria T, Fallon G, Gately D, Gichu M, Giménez S, Zuniga RG, Hadad R, Hill-Jarrett T, O’Kelly M, Martinez L, Modjaji P, Ngcobo N, Nowak R, Ogbuagu C, Roche M, Aguzzoli CS, Shin SY, Smith E, Yoseph SA, Zewde Y, Ayhan Y. Empathy as a crucial skill in disrupting disparities in global brain health. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1189143. [PMID: 38162446 PMCID: PMC10756064 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1189143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain health refers to the state of a person's brain function across various domains, including cognitive, behavioral and motor functions. Healthy brains are associated with better individual health, increased creativity, and enhanced productivity. A person's brain health is intricately connected to personal, social and environmental factors. Racial, ethnic, and social disparities affect brain health and on the global scale these disparities within and between regions present a hurdle to brain health. To overcome global disparities, greater collaboration between practitioners and healthcare providers and the people they serve is essential. This requires cultural humility driven by empathy. Empathy is a core prosocial value, a cognitive-emotional skill that helps us understand ourselves and others. This position paper aims to provide an overview of the vital roles of empathy, cooperation, and interdisciplinary partnerships. By consciously integrating this understanding in practice, leaders can better position themselves to address the diverse challenges faced by communities, promote inclusivity in policies and practices, and further more equitable solutions to the problem of global brain health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fasihah Irfani Fitri
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Carmen Lage
- Department of Neurology, Marques de Valdecilla University Hospital - Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tatyana Mollayeva
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Canada Research Chairs, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Acquired Brain Injury Research Lab, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hernando Santamaria-Garcia
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Center of Memory and Cognition Intellectus, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PhD Program in Neuroscience) Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Melissa Chan
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marcia R. Cominetti
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Tselmen Daria
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Gillian Fallon
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Dominic Gately
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Muthoni Gichu
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sandra Giménez
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit, Memory Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Gutierrez Zuniga
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Hospital Quirónsalud Valle del Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafi Hadad
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tanisha Hill-Jarrett
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Memory and Aging Center, Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Mick O’Kelly
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Luis Martinez
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Memory and Aging Center, Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Paul Modjaji
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ntkozo Ngcobo
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Rafal Nowak
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Neuroelectrics (Spain), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chukwuanugo Ogbuagu
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria
| | - Moïse Roche
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, Dublin, Ireland
- Division of Psychiatry, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cristiano Schaffer Aguzzoli
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - So Young Shin
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- College of Nursing, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Erin Smith
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Selam Aberra Yoseph
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yared Zewde
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yavuz Ayhan
- Senior Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute/Trinity College, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Rowlands K, Simic M, Treasure J, Cardi V. Emotional reactivity and prosocial behaviour in response to witnessing social exclusion in adolescents with eating disorders and healthy controls. J Eat Disord 2023; 11:224. [PMID: 38098100 PMCID: PMC10722719 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00927-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prosocial behaviour can promote positive social interactions and it is a key skill in adolescence. People with emotional problems or psychiatric disorders, such as people with eating disorders might have impairments in prosocial behaviour, due to broader documented difficulties in underlying processes (e.g., mentalizing). METHODS The aim of this study was to examine prosocial behaviour in adolescents with eating disorders compared to healthy controls, using a computerised behavioural task. Adolescents (N = 123) including patients with eating disorders (n = 61) and healthy adolescents (n = 62) played a four-player computerised Prosocial Cyberball Game with three pre-programmed avatar players. During the task, participants witnessed the exclusion of one of the players, and subsequently had the opportunity to compensate for this by throwing the ball more often to the excluded player. Throughout the game, participants rated the level of negative emotion in themselves and in the excluded player. RESULTS Patients made significantly fewer ball tosses towards the excluded player during the compensation round compared to healthy controls (large effect size). Patients reported a significantly smaller increase in negative emotion after witnessing the exclusion and a significantly smaller decrease in negative emotion following the compensation round (large effect sizes). Patients also estimated a smaller decrease in negative emotion in the excluded player following the compensation round (medium effect size). There were no significant associations between these outcomes and eating disorder psychopathology in patients. CONCLUSIONS Compared to healthy adolescents, adolescent patients with eating disorders demonstrated less prosocial compensatory behaviour towards a computerised victim of social exclusion. In addition, they reported flatter negative emotion in themselves in response to witnessing and compensating for exclusion, and in the excluded player following compensation. If these findings are replicated, interventions to target these difficulties might contribute to improvements in social functioning in this patient group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katie Rowlands
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Mima Simic
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK
| | - Janet Treasure
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Veerareddy A, Fang H, Safari N, Xu P, Krueger F. Cognitive empathy mediates the relationship between gray matter volume size of dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and social network size: A voxel-based morphometry study. Cortex 2023; 169:279-289. [PMID: 37972460 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Social networks are an important factor in developing and maintaining social relationships. The social brain network comprises brain regions that differ in terms of their location, structure, and functioning, and these differences tend to vary among individuals with different social network sizes. However, it remains unknown how social cognitive abilities such as empathy can affect social network size. The goal of our study was to examine the relationship between brain regions in the social brain network, empathy, and individual social network size by using the Social Network Index, which measures social network diversity, size, and complexity by assessing 12 different types of relationships. We performed voxel-based morphometry and mediation analyses using data from questionnaires and structural magnetic resonance imaging data in a sample of 204 young adults. Our findings showed that the gray matter volume of the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) was inversely associated with social network size and cognitive empathy mediated this association, suggesting that decreased gray matter volume in the dmPFC is associated with greater utilization of cognitive empathy, which, in turn, seems to increase social network size. A potential mechanism explaining this inverse relationship could be cognitive pruning, a phenomenon that occurs in the brain between early adolescence and adulthood, but future longitudinal studies are needed. In conclusion, our findings provide information about the neurocognitive mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of social networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Huihua Fang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center, Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nooshin Safari
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (BNU), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Center for Neuroimaging, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Smith C, Stamoulis C. Effects of multidomain environmental and mental health factors on the development of empathetic behaviors and emotions in adolescence. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293473. [PMID: 37992006 PMCID: PMC10664943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy is at the core of our social world, yet multidomain factors that affect its development in socially sensitive periods, such as adolescence, are incompletely understood. To address this gap, this study investigated associations between social, environmental and mental health factors, and their temporal changes, on adolescent empathetic behaviors/emotions and, for comparison, callous unemotional (CU) traits and behaviors, in the early longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development sample (baseline: n = 11062; 2-year follow-up: n = 9832, median age = 119 and 144 months, respectively). Caregiver affection towards the youth, liking school, having a close friend, and importance of religious beliefs/spirituality in the youth's life were consistently positively correlated with empathetic behaviors/emotions across assessments (p<0.001, Cohen's f = ~0.10). Positive family dynamics and cohesion, living in a neighborhood that shared the family's values, but also parent history of substance use and (aggregated) internalizing problems were additionally positively associated with one or more empathetic behaviors at follow-up (p<0.001, f = ~0.10). In contrast, externalizing problems, anxiety, depression, fear of social situations, and being withdrawn were negatively associated with empathetic behaviors and positively associated with CU traits and behaviors (p<0.001, f = ~0.1-0.44). The latter were also correlated with being cyberbullied and/or discriminated against, anhedonia, and impulsivity, and their interactions with externalizing and internalizing issues. Significant positive temporal correlations of behaviors at the two assessments indicated positive (early) developmental empathetic behavior trajectories, and negative CU traits' trajectories. Negative changes in mental health adversely moderated positive trajectories and facilitated negative ones. These findings highlight that adolescent empathetic behaviors/emotions are positively related to multidomain protective social environmental factors, but simultaneously adversely associated with risk factors in the same domains, as well as bully victimization, discrimination, and mental health problems. Risk factors instead facilitate the development of CU traits and behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calli Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Catherine Stamoulis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Plata-Bello J, Privato N, Modroño C, Pérez-Martín Y, Borges Á, González-Mora JL. Empathy Modulates the Activity of the Sensorimotor Mirror Neuron System during Pain Observation. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:947. [PMID: 37998694 PMCID: PMC10669321 DOI: 10.3390/bs13110947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study is to analyze the brain activity patterns during the observation of painful expressions and to establish the relationship between this activity and the scores obtained on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). METHODS The study included twenty healthy, right-handed subjects (10 women). We conducted a task-based and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. The task involved observing pictures displaying painful expressions. We performed a region of interest (ROI) analysis focusing on the core regions of the sensorimotor mirror neuron system (MNS). Resting-state fMRI was utilized to assess the functional connectivity of the sensorimotor MNS regions with the rest of the cortex using a seed-to-voxel approach. Additionally, we conducted a regression analysis to examine the relationship between brain activity and scores from the IRI subtests. RESULTS Observing painful expressions led to increased activity in specific regions of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. The largest cluster of activation was observed in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL). However, the ROI analysis did not reveal any significant activity in the remaining core regions of the sensorimotor MNS. The regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between brain activity during the observation of pain and the "empathic concern" subtest scores of the IRI in both the cingulate gyri and bilateral IPL. Finally, we identified a positive relationship between the "empathic concern" subtest of the IRI and the functional connectivity (FC) of bilateral IPLs with the bilateral prefrontal cortex and the right IFG. CONCLUSION Observing expressions of pain triggers activation in the sensorimotor MNS, and this activation is influenced by the individual's level of empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julio Plata-Bello
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, S/C de Tenerife, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, University of La Laguna, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Nicole Privato
- Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, University of La Laguna, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, S/C de Tenerife, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Cristián Modroño
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Yaiza Pérez-Martín
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, S/C de Tenerife, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - África Borges
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, University of La Laguna, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| | - José Luis González-Mora
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna, 38320 La Laguna, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Rum Y, Golan O, Allison C, Smith P, White SR, Baron-Cohen S. Does Having a Sibling Affect Autistic People's Empathy? J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06153-w. [PMID: 37934396 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06153-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
This study examined whether autistic people with siblings score higher on measures of empathy than those without siblings. Cohorts of autistic children (n = 939; mean age = 7.35 years (SD = 2.15)) and autistic adults (n = 736; mean age = 37 years (SD = 12.39)) from the Cambridge Autism Research Database (CARD) were each divided into two groups: with or without siblings. Empathy was measured using the children version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) (parent-report) for children. For adults, the EQ (self-report version) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) were used. Contrary to the hypothesis, autistic children without siblings scored higher on EQ than those with siblings (t(283.70) = 4.20, p < .001; d = 0.50). In adults, there was no difference between autistic adults with and without siblings on both measures, but there was an interaction effect between sex and group on the RMET (f(1732) = 4.10, p = 0.04): whilst autistic males without siblings on average scored lower than females, autistic males with siblings on average performed similarly to females. Future research should investigate the possible effect of siblings on autistic males' empathy performance in a larger cohort of autistic individuals. Children's empathic abilities may be underestimated by their parents when they have siblings due to a contrast effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yonat Rum
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- School of Education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Ofer Golan
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon R White
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Shalev I, Eran A, Uzefovsky F. Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy interact with stress to predict mental health, parenting, and relationship outcomes. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1237278. [PMID: 37928564 PMCID: PMC10621795 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Empathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychosocial functioning: mental health, romantic relationships, and parenting. Methods Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy were assessed across eight time points, where participants from the general population (N = 566) self-reported their empathy, stress, depressive symptoms, romantic satisfaction, and parental functioning. Results Both trait and state aspects of empathy were associated with all psychosocial outcomes, with state empathy showing a stronger effect. Additionally, empathy components interacted with stress-emotional empathy better-predicted outcomes under high stress, while cognitive empathy under low stress. Discussion Our findings advance the theoretical understanding of empathy, emphasizing the effects of state-dependent empathy fluctuations on our everyday mental and social lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Alal Eran
- Computational Health Informatics Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Kitano M, Shoji K, Nakaita I, Sano S, Tachibana S, Shigemura J, Tachimori H, Noguchi N, Waki F, Edo N, Koga M, Toda H, Yoshino A, Nagamine M. Japanese public health nurses classified based on empathy and secondary traumatic stress: variable-centered and person-centered approaches. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:710. [PMID: 37784052 PMCID: PMC10544614 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05198-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare providers frequently help traumatized people and are regularly exposed to indirect trauma from their work, resulting in negative psychological responses, such as secondary traumatic stress. Empathy has been associated with patient's quality of care and secondary traumatic stress among healthcare providers. However, the relationship between dispositional empathy and secondary traumatic stress has not been fully elucidated. This study used person- and variable-centered approaches to explore the nature of this relationship. METHODS A total of 1,006 Japanese public health nurses working in the Tohoku region and Saitama prefecture completed questionnaires that included scales assessing dispositional empathy, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. First, we examined predictors of secondary traumatic stress using multiple linear regression analysis. Then, we conducted a latent profile analysis to classify participants into unique groups based on four subscales of dispositional empathy (i.e., empathic concern, perspective taking, personal distress, fantasy) and secondary traumatic stress. Finally, we compared the mean values of the study variables across these groups. RESULTS The multiple regression indicated that in those working in Saitama prefecture, lifetime traumatic experiences, work-related distress, and personal distress were positively related to secondary traumatic stress, but perceived support was negatively related to secondary traumatic stress. Latent profile analysis extracted four unique subgroups. Group 1 displayed the highest secondary traumatic stress levels. Group 2 was characterized by the highest level of empathic concern, personal distress, and fantasy and the lowest perspective taking. Group 3 had a moderate secondary traumatic stress level. Group 4 had the lowest secondary traumatic stress and personal distress scores. In these four groups, the burnout scale (exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) showed a pattern similar to the secondary traumatic stress scale. CONCLUSIONS Our person-centered approach showed that this sample of public health nurses could be classified into four unique groups based on their empathy and secondary traumatic stress scores. Although this group of public health nurses was not large, one group displayed high personal distress levels and high secondary traumatic stress levels. Further research is needed to determine effective interventions for this group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masato Kitano
- Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Kotaro Shoji
- University of Human Environments, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Ikumi Nakaita
- Faculty of Nursing, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Sano
- Department of Psychology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shoichi Tachibana
- Division of Environmental Medicine, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Jun Shigemura
- Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hisateru Tachimori
- Endowed Course for Health System Innovation, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Information Medicine, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihito Noguchi
- Department of Nursing, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Fumiko Waki
- Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Naoki Edo
- Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan
| | - Minori Koga
- Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Toda
- Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Aihide Yoshino
- Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masanori Nagamine
- Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa City, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Lin Y, Xie B. Disentangle psychopathic traits, self-construal and prosocial behaviours: A literature review. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 240:104045. [PMID: 37826884 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy encompasses a constellation of personality traits, including interpersonal callousness, absence of remorse and guilt, and impulsivity. While extensive research has linked psychopathy to various antisocial behaviours, there has been a scarcity of studies investigating its association with prosocial behaviours, particularly within diverse sociocultural contexts. This comprehensive review explores recent literature that delves into the intricate interplay between psychopathy, prosocial behaviours, and self-construal. The current review reveals a complex and sometimes contradictory relationship between psychopathy and prosocial behaviours. The authors also examine the role of self-construal, a crucial sociocultural aspect, in relation to psychopathy and prosocial behaviours, and imply the intricate interplay between them. Amidst the review, the interactions between key constructs and sociocultural as well as contextual factors, including group identification and public awareness, are highlighted, and their potential role in modulating individuals' prosocial decision-making is discussed. At last, this review pinpointed notable research gaps: the potential moderating role of self-construal in the connection between psychopathy and prosocial behaviours, and a methodologically specific recommendation for future research is proposed. These findings consolidate the current evidence on psychopathy, self-construal and prosocial behaviours, and offer valuable insights into how sociocultural factors contribute to the heterogeneous expression of psychopathic traits, illuminating the directions for research on the development of culture-specific conceptualizations of psychopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yiheng Lin
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wanping Nan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bin Xie
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wanping Nan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|