Empathy: a physiological substrate.
The relation between empathy (defined as the ability to perceive accurately how another person is feeling) and physiology was studied in 31 Ss. Ss viewed 15-min martial interactions and used a rating dial to indicate continuously how they thought a designated spouse was feeling. Rating accuracy was determined by comparing Ss' ratings with identical self-ratings obtained previously from the target spouse. Physiological linkage between S and target was determined using bivariate time-series analyses applied to 5 autonomic and somatic measures obtained from the S during the rating task and from the target spouse during the original conversation. Accuracy of rating negative emotion was greatest when S and target evidenced high levels of physiological linkage across time. Accuracy of detecting positive emotion was related to a state of low cardiovascular around in the S, but not to physiological linkage between S and target.
Levenson
R W
RW
Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
Ruef
A M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology