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

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 140 of the 140 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

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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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Kiehl KA, 2014, The psychopath whisperer: inside the minds of those without a conscience
  2. Darwin C, 1871, The descent of man

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Metadata

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
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
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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