How Reflex Responses and Personality Play into the Bystander Effect
When asked about emergency situations, most people say they would spontaneously help another person. However, not everyone does so in… More
Empathy
Politeness can sometimes hurt more than it helps
Ryan — a brilliant, enthusiastic young scientist — spent a two-year layover in my neuroscience laboratory between his undergrad studies… More
This One Thing Makes You a Nicer Person
Mindfulness — the practice of staying attuned to what’s happening in the present moment — is a bonafide health trend… More
The compassion deficit
The morning Chris Sampson performed his extraordinary act of compassion began in ordinary fashion, as such mornings usually do. It… More
‘I Feel Your Pain’: The Neuroscience of Empathy
Observing someone else in anguish can evoke a deep sense of distress and sadness — almost as if it’s happening to us. APS Fellow Ying-yi Hong and other scientists identify some of the regions of the brain responsible for this sense of interconnectedness… More
Power Can Chill the Mind’s Capacity for Empathy, Researchers Find
The shocking behavior of high-profile men now embroiled in sexual harassment scandals may be explained in part from psychological studies showing a link between power and a dampened capacity for empathy… More