Cited by 958Primate Behavior and EcologyAction Observation and SynchronizationChild and Animal Learning Development

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Mammalian empathy: behavioural manifestations and neural basis

de Waal, Frans B. M., Preston, Stephanie D.·2017·Nature Reviews Neuroscience

DOI 10.1038/nrn.2017.72

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Abstract

Recent research on empathy in humans and other mammals seeks to dissociate emotional and cognitive empathy. These forms, however, remain interconnected in evolution, across species and at the level of neural mechanisms. New data have facilitated the development of empathy models such as the perception-action model (PAM) and mirror-neuron theories. According to the PAM, the emotional states of others are understood through personal, embodied representations that allow empathy and accuracy to increase based on the observer's past experiences. In this Review, we discuss the latest evidence from studies carried out across a wide range of species, including studies on yawn contagion, consolation, aid-giving and contagious physiological affect, and we summarize neuroscientific data on representations related to another's state.

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Background
Validating Rat Model of Empathy for Pain: Effects of Pain Expressions in Social Partners
Li, C.-L., Yang, Y., He, T., Wang, R.-R., Geng, K.-W., Du, R., Luo, W.-J., Wei, N., Wang, X., Wang, Y., et al. (2018) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00242 · Cited by 63
“Debate and controversy still exists between the PAM (de Waal and Preston, 2017; Preston and de Waal, 2017) and the mirror system (Rizzolatti and Caruana, 2017) in terms of theoretical considerations about representations of empathy.”
Background
Empathy and its associations with age and sociodemographic characteristics in a large UK population sample
Sommerlad, A., Huntley, J. D., Livingston, G., Rankin, K. P., & Fancourt, D. E. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257557 · Cited by 62
Observational fear behavior in rodents as a model for empathy
Kim, A., Keum, S., & Shin, H. (2018) · Genes Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1111/gbb.12521 · Cited by 63
Empathy regulation, prosociality, and moral judgment
Cameron, C. D., Conway, P. J., & Scheffer, J. A. (2021) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.09.011 · Cited by 59
Bidirectional cingulate-dependent danger information transfer across rats
Han, Y., Bruls, R., Soyman, E., Thomas, R. M., Pentaraki, V., Jelinek, N., Heinemans, M., Bassez, I., Verschooren, S., Pruis, I., et al. (2019) · PLoS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000524 · Cited by 55
“Second, what is being transferred? One important distinction relates to the distinction between behavioral mimicry and emotional contagion [30,31].”
Background
Maturation of Pain Empathy from Child to Adult Shifts from Single to Multiple Neural Rhythms to Support Interoceptive Representations
Lévy, J., Goldstein, A., Pratt, M., & Feldman, R. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-19810-3 · Cited by 58
Sharing playful mood: rapid facial mimicry in Suricata suricatta
Palagi, E., Marchi, E., Cavicchio, P., & Bandoli, F. (2019) · Animal Cognition · doi:10.1007/s10071-019-01269-y · Cited by 56
Anterior Cingulate Cortex Signals Attention in a Social Paradigm that Manipulates Reward and Shock
Schneider, K. N., Sciarillo, X. A., Nudelman, J. L., Cheer, J. F., & Roesch, M. R. (2020) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.039 · Cited by 58
Help or flight? Increased threat imminence promotes defensive helping in humans
Vieira, J. B., Schellhaas, S., Enström, E., & Olsson, A. (2020) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2020.1473 · Cited by 61
With a little help from my friends: The effect of social proximity on emotion regulation-related brain activity
Morawetz, C., Berboth, S., & Bode, S. (2021) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117817 · Cited by 55
The association between acute stress & empathy: A systematic literature review
Nitschke, J. P., & Bartz, J. A. (2022) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105003 · Cited by 69
Psychopathy to Altruism: Neurobiology of the Selfish–Selfless Spectrum
Sonne, J., & Gash, D. M. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00575 · Cited by 67
“As defined by de Waal and Preston (2017), empathy is a “term for all processes that emerge from the fact that observers understand others’ states by activating their own personal, neural, and mental representations of that state.””
Background
Involvement of oxytocin and GABA in consolation behavior elicited by socially defeated individuals in mandarin voles
Li, L., Yuan, W., He, Z., Wang, L., Jing, X.-Y., Zhang, J., Yang, Y., Guo, Q., Zhang, X., Cai, W., et al. (2018) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.12.238 · Cited by 57
Towards a unified theory of emotional contagion in rodents—A meta-analysis
Hernandez-Lallement, J., Gómez-Sotres, P., & Carrillo, M. (2022) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.010 · Cited by 53
“Published literature on social behavior in rodents is quite extensive and ranges from the late 1940’s [14–25] to recent influential pieces unifying the building blocks of empathy across species [26,27].”
When differences matter: rTMS/fMRI reveals how differences in dispositional empathy translate to distinct neural underpinnings of self-other distinction in empathy
Bukowski, H., Tik, M., Silani, G., Ruff, C. C., Windischberger, C., & Lamm, C. (2020) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2020.03.009 · Cited by 51
Sustainable Compassion Training: Integrating Meditation Theory With Psychological Science
Condon, P., & Makransky, J. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02249 · Cited by 53
Determinants of Social Cognitive Aging: Predicting Resilience and Risk
Henry, J. D., Grainger, S. A., & von Hippel, W. (2022) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-033020-121832 · Cited by 56
Rats display empathic behavior independent of the opportunity for social interaction
Cox, S. S., & Reichel, C. M. (2019) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0572-8 · Cited by 51
Chronic trauma impairs the neural basis of empathy in mothers: Relations to parenting and children’s empathic abilities
Lévy, J., Yirmiya, K., Goldstein, A., & Feldman, R. (2019) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100658 · Cited by 52
Upregulating positive affect through compassion: Psychological and physiological evidence
Förster, K., & Kanske, P. (2022) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.03.009 · Cited by 59
Measures of empathy and compassion: A scoping review
Vieten, C., Rubanovich, C. K., Khatib, L. A., Sprengel, M. L., Tanega, C., Polizzi, C. P., Vahidi, P., Malaktaris, A. L., Chu, G. M., Lang, A. J., et al. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0297099 · Cited by 66

Authors: de Waal, F. B. M., & Preston, S. D.
Affiliations: University of Michigan (US)
ORCID: Preston, Stephanie D.
Venue: Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2017-06-29
Volume: 18
Issue: 8
Pages: 498-509
ISSN: 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
1471-0048
DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2017.72
OpenAlex: W2732246028
Cited by: 957
References: 142
Citations by year: 2026: 97 · 2025: 111 · 2024: 149 · 2023: 119 · 2022: 132 · 2021: 120 · 2020: 92 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 13
FWCI: 9.86
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: University of Michigan
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: empathy, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, perception-action model, mirror neurons, mirror neuron theory, consolation, neural basis of empathy, interspecies empathy, embodied representations, evolution of empathy
MeSH terms: Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Emotions, Empathy, Biological Evolution, Humans, Mammals, Models, Neurological, Mirror Neurons

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Mammalian empathy: behavioural manifestations and neural basis

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