title: Electromyographically assessed empathic concern and empathic happiness predict increased prosocial behavior in adults.
abstract: The relation between empathy subtypes and prosocial behavior was investigated in a sample of healthy adults. "Empathic concern" and "empathic happiness", defined as negative and positive vicarious emotion (respectively) combined with an other-oriented feeling of "goodwill" (i.e. a thought to do good to others/see others happy), were elicited in 68 adult participants who watched video clips extracted from the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Prosocial behavior was quantified via performance on a non-monetary altruistic decision-making task involving book selection and donation. Empathic concern and empathic happiness were measured via self-report (immediately following each video clip) and via facial electromyography recorded from corrugator (active during frowning) and zygomatic (active during smiling) facial regions. Facial electromyographic signs of (a) empathic concern (i.e. frowning) during sad video clips, and (b) empathic happiness (i.e. smiling) during happy video clips, predicted increased prosocial behavior in the form of increased goodwill-themed book selection/donation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States. Electronic address: lights@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Sharee N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Light
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Zachary D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Swander
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Van
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Brandi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cage
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Cory
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burghy
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Westbrook
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Greishar
authors.affiliation: Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, United States.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D057566:Self Report; D012904:Smiling / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Electromyography (EMG); Empathy; Prosocial behavior