Empathy: Its ultimate and proximate bases
By:
Stephanie D. Preston
Frans B. M. de Waal
BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES., Volume: 25, Issue: 1 Pages: 1-+
Published: FEB 2002
Short abstract:
Our proximate and ultimate model of empathy integrates diverse theories, reconciles conflicting definitions, and generates specific predictions. Focusing on the evolution of perception-action processes connects empathy with more basic phenomena such as imitation, group alarm, social facilitation, vicariousness of emotions, and mother-infant responsiveness. The latter, shared across species that live in groups, have profound effects on reproductive success. Perception-action processes are accordingly the driving force in the evolution of empathy. With the more recent evolutionary expansion of prefrontal functioning, these basic processes have been augmented to support more cognitive forms of empathy.
Abstract
There is disagreement in the literature about the exact nature of the phenomenon of empathy. There are emotional, cognitive, and conditioning views, applying in varying degrees across species. An adequate description of the ultimate and proximate mechanism can integrate these views. Proximately, the perception of an object's state activates the subject's corresponding representations, which in turn activate somatic and autonomic responses. This mechanism supports basic behaviors (e.g., alarm, social facilitation, vicariousness of emotions, mother-infant responsiveness, and the modeling of competitors and predators) that are crucial for the reproductive success of animals living in groups.
The Perception-Action Model (PAM), together with an understanding of how representations change with experience, can explain the major empirical effects in the literature (similarity, familiarity, past experience, explicit teaching, and salience). It can also predict a variety of empathy disorders. The interaction between the PAM and prefrontal functioning can also explain different levels of empathy across species and age groups. This view ban advance our evolutionary understanding of empathy beyond inclusive fitness and reciprocal altruism and can explain different levels of empathy across individuals, species, stages of development, and situations.