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Cited by 2,200Emotions and Moral BehaviorPsychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentMindfulness and Compassion Interventions

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 257 of the 261 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Compassion: an evolutionary analysis and empirical review

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Goetz, Jennifer L., Keltner, Dacher, Simon-Thomas, Emiliana·2010·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/a0018807PMC PMC2864937
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Abstract

What is compassion? And how did it evolve? In this review, we integrate 3 evolutionary arguments that converge on the hypothesis that compassion evolved as a distinct affective experience whose primary function is to facilitate cooperation and protection of the weak and those who suffer. Our empirical review reveals compassion to have distinct appraisal processes attuned to undeserved suffering; distinct signaling behavior related to caregiving patterns of touch, posture, and vocalization; and a phenomenological experience and physiological response that orients the individual to social approach. This response profile of compassion differs from those of distress, sadness, and love, suggesting that compassion is indeed a distinct emotion. We conclude by considering how compassion shapes moral judgment and action, how it varies across different cultures, and how it may engage specific patterns of neural activation, as well as emerging directions of research.

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Citations

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Show all 261 references

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Blum L 1980 Compassion Rorty AO Explaining emotions 507 517 Berkeley University of California Press
  2. Bockover MI 1995 The concept of emotion revisited: A critical synthesis of Western and Confucian thought Marks J Ames RT Emotions in East Asian thought: A dialogue in comparative philosophy 161 180 Albany State University of New York Press
  3. Brown DE 1991 Human universals New York McGraw Hill
  4. Clore GL Ortony A 2008 Appraisal theories: How cognition shapes affect into emotion Lewis M Haviland-Jones JM Barrett LF Handbook of Emotions 3rd 628 642 New York Guilford Press
  5. de Silva P 1995 Theoretical perspectives on emotions in early Buddhism Marks J Ames RT Emotions in East Asian thought: A dialogue in comparative philosophy 109 122 Albany State University of New York Press
  6. Hatfield E Caccioppo JT Rapson RL 1993 Emotional contagion New York Cambridge University Press
  7. Izard CE 1977 Human emotions New York Plenum Press
  8. Kahneman D 1999 Objective happiness Kahneman D Diener E Schwarz N Hedonic psychology New York Cambridge University Press

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Metadata

Authors
Goetz, J. L., Keltner, D., & Simon-Thomas, E.
Affiliations
University of California, Berkeley (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2010-05
Volume
136
Issue
3
Pages
351-374
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/a0018807
PMC
PMC2864937
OpenAlex
W2148616640
Cited by
2,200
References
261
Citations by year
2026: 168 · 2025: 203 · 2024: 164 · 2023: 218 · 2022: 209 · 2021: 201 · 2020: 169 · 2019: 155 · 2018: 139 · 2017: 131 · 2016: 110 · 2015: 94 · 2014: 84 · 2013: 66 · 2012: 56
FWCI
67.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32-MH067562)
  • Metanexus Institute
  • Russell Sage Foundation
  • Fetzer Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Keywords
compassion, evolution of emotions, cooperation, protection of vulnerable persons, caregiver behavior, touch, vocalizations, physiological responses, social approach, moral judgment, cross-cultural variation, neuronal activation
MeSH terms
Adult, Animals, Arousal, Child, Preschool, Cooperative Behavior, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Emotions, Empathy, Biological Evolution, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Morals, Motivation, Nonverbal Communication, Social Support, Socialization, Touch, Empirical Research

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