Cited by 741Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPrimate Behavior and EcologyAction Observation and Synchronization

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Empathy as a driver of prosocial behaviour: highly conserved neurobehavioural mechanisms across species

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Decety, Jean, Bartal, Inbal Ben-Ami, Uzefovsky, Florina, Knafo-Noam, Ariel·2016·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

DOI 10.1098/rstb.2015.0077PMC PMC4685523

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Abstract

Empathy reflects the natural ability to perceive and be sensitive to the emotional states of others, coupled with a motivation to care for their well-being. It has evolved in the context of parental care for offspring, as well as within kinship bonds, to help facilitate group living. In this paper, we integrate the perspectives of evolution, animal behaviour, developmental psychology, and social and clinical neuroscience to elucidate our understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying empathy. We focus, in particular, on processing of signals of distress and need, and their relation to prosocial behaviour. The ability to empathize, both in animals and humans, mediates prosocial behaviour when sensitivity to others' distress is paired with a drive towards their welfare. Disruption or atypical development of the neural circuits that process distress cues and integrate them with decision value leads to callous disregard for others, as is the case in psychopathy. The realization that basic forms of empathy exist in non-human animals is crucial for gaining new insights into the underlying neurobiological and genetic mechanisms of empathy, enabling translation towards therapeutic and pharmacological interventions.

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Authors: Decety, J., Bartal, I. B.-A., Uzefovsky, F., & Knafo-Noam, A.
Affiliations: The Child Neurosuite—Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5658 South University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
University of California, Berkeley (US)
University of Cambridge (GB)
Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
ORCID: Bartal, Inbal Ben-Ami
Uzefovsky, Florina
Venue: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Publisher: The Royal Society
Published: 2016-01-19
Volume: 371
Issue: 1686
Pages: 20150077
ISSN: 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
1471-2970
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0077
PMC: PMC4685523
OpenAlex: W2216930413
Cited by: 740
References: 140
Citations by year: 2026: 72 · 2025: 100 · 2024: 90 · 2023: 101 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 69 · 2020: 71 · 2019: 55 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 9
FWCI: 4.36
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: bronze
doi.org
Licence: royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ (tdm)
Locations: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: John Templeton Foundation (Science of Philantropy)
European Research Council (1670/13)
Israel Science Foundation (449/14)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
Keywords: empathy, prosocial behavior, distress signals, callousness, psychopathy, evolution of empathy, parental care, kinship bonds, social neuroscience, animal behavior, neural circuits, therapeutic interventions
MeSH terms: Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Empathy, Biological Evolution, Humans, Social Behavior, Stress, Psychological, Psychology, Developmental

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Empathy as a driver of prosocial behaviour: highly conserved neurobehavioural mechanisms across species

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