Intergroup differences in the sharing of emotive states: Neural evidence of an empathy gap
Open accessAbstract
Empathy facilitates prosocial behavior and social understanding. Here, however, we suggest that the most basic mechanism of empathy--the intuitive sharing of other's emotional and motivational states--is limited to those we like. Measuring electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha oscillations as people observed ingroup vs outgroup members, we found that participants showed similar activation patterns when feeling sad as when they observed ingroup members feeling sad. In contrast, participants did not show these same activation patterns when observing outgroup members and even less so the more they were prejudiced. These findings provide evidence from brain activity for an ingroup bias in empathy: empathy may be restricted to close others and, without active effort, may not extend to outgroups, potentially making them likely targets for prejudice and discrimination.
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The ability to empathise with another is suggested to be stronger with those whom one identifies with, and is less available to outgroup members without active effort.
“The ability to empathise with another is suggested to be stronger with those whom one identifies with, and is less available to outgroup members without active effort (Gutsell & Inzlicht, 2012).”
From Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2021) · cites this paper as Gutsell & Inzlicht, 2012
Previous research has shown that both empathy and the MNS response are affected by interpersonal differences, with participants responding more with those who they identify with, and not with outgroups.
“This understanding has some empirical support; specifically, previous research has shown that both empathy and the MNS response are affected by interpersonal differences, with participants responding more with those who they identify with, and not with outgroups”
From Is the Putative Mirror Neuron System Associated with Empathy? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2021) · cites this paper as Gutsell & Inzlicht, 2012
In that study, the more prejudiced the person, the less activity was evident when viewing the outgroup member.
“Consistent with the larger literature, the more prejudiced the person, the less activity was evident (felt distress) when viewing the outgroup member.”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [111]
There was no difference by specific outgroup (white, black, South Asian, East Asian).
“There was no difference by specific outgroup (white, black, South Asian, East Asian).”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [111]
A study measuring EEG brain activity of non-blacks found that seeing someone from one's own racial group who is sad elicited the same brain activity as feeling sad oneself, while viewing someone of another race triggered no corresponding brain activity.
“It found that seeing someone from one’s own racial group who is sad elicited the same brain activity as feeling sad oneself. In contrast, viewing someone of another race (outgroup), triggered no corresponding brain activity.”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [111]
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“We administered a second measure related to empathy reading the mind in the eyes test (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) a measure of mindreading and social sensitivity.”
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Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action
Williams, D. R., & Cooper, L. A. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16040606 · Cited by 415 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Gutsell, J. N., & Inzlicht, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Venue
- Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2011-06-23
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 596-603
- ISSN
- 1749-5016 (ISSN-L)
- 1749-5024
- PMC
- PMC3375887
- OpenAlex
- W2139203871
- Cited by
- 203
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 33.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
- Keywords
- empathy, empathy gap, in-group favoritism, out-group bias, prejudice, social exclusion, sadness, prosocial behavior
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Brain, Brain Mapping, Electroencephalography, Emotions, Empathy, Evoked Potentials, Visual, Female, Group Processes, Humans, Male, Motivation, Photic Stimulation, Prejudice, Social Identification, White People, Asian People, Young Adult
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