APS

2026 APS Annual Convention

New Approaches to Understanding Empathy

Friday, May 29, 2026 · Barcelona, Spain

Oral · Emotion & Motivation: What Drives the Self

This symposium will illustrate unexpected perceptual and motivational contributions to empathy. The speakers will describe low-level, perceptual effects that may underlie all aspects of empathy, present novel findings on non-human primates, show how motivation affects empathy involving artificial intelligence, and discuss tests resulting from an integration of the findings.

Chairs & Discussants

  • Maurer DaphneChair
    McMaster University

Presentations

  1. Perceptual Roots of EmpathyDaphne Maurer, Charles Maurer
  2. Great Apes Understanding of Others’ NeedsZanna Clay, Moritz Koester, Christopher Krupenye
  3. Choosing Empathy In the Age of AI: Psychological and Normative ConsiderationsC. Daryl Cameron, Joshua Wenger, Madeline Reinecke