Empathy Is Associated With Dynamic Change in Prefrontal Brain Electrical Activity During Positive Emotion in Children

Abstract

Empathy is the combined ability to interpret the emotional states of others and experience resultant, related emotions. The relation between prefrontal electroencephalographic asymmetry and emotion in children is well known. The association between positive emotion (assessed via parent report), empathy (measured via observation), and second-by-second brain electrical activity (recorded during a pleasurable task) was investigated using a sample of one hundred twenty-eight 6-to 10-year-old children. Contentment related to increasing left frontopolar activation (p < .05). Empathic concern and positive empathy related to increasing right frontopolar activation (ps < .05). A second form of positive empathy related to increasing left dorsolateral activation (p < .05). This suggests that positive affect and (negative and positive) empathy both relate to changes in prefrontal activity during a pleasurable task.

Development of socio-emotional competence in bonobos

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Does it pay to practice? A quasi-experimental study on working memory training and its effects on reading and basic number skills

“…training, training situations, increased attention from adults, rewards, motivation and a feeling of succeeding) may have influenced the results. Some studies find correlation between positive experiences and increased activity in the prefrontal cortex (Light et al, 2009). Increased activity after WM training in this particular area has been documented (Takeuchi et al, 2010;Olesen et al, 2004).…”

“…Logie highlights the development of specific strategies that may be applied to other learning situations, together with enhanced motivation. Wellbeing and positive experiences affect learning (Light et al, 2009). The discovery and development of strategies occurs during training, students experience a positive feeling from the adults' participation and positive attitudes, and the combined effect of these elements increases their willingness to apply themselves better in other contexts as well.…”

“…Success has an impact on learning (Light et al, 2009). Some of the students' improvements on the tests carried out may be due to them experiencing a feeling of succeeding during the training programme sessions, an understanding that it is possible to influence their own learning situation.…”

Las emociones positivas y la empatía como promotores de las conductas prosociales e inhibidores de las conductas agresivas

“…Telle y Pfiste (2015) utilizan el término en un sentido subjetivo, de solapamiento de sí mismo-otro (Preston y Hofelich, 2012) de percibir el afecto positivo de otra persona, activándose un afecto positivo similar en el observador. La empatía positiva y negativa están moderada-mente relacionadas (Light et al, 2009;Sallquist et al, 2009). Por otra parte, existe evidencia de que no todas las emociones se empatizan igual, encontrándose que las personas sienten más empatía con otros cuando describen emociones de felicidad o tristeza comparadas, por ejemplo, con miedo o vergüenza, al mismo tiempo que están más intrínsecamente motivadas a empatizar con la alegría que con la tristeza del otro (Duan, 2000).…”