Empathic concern : what it is and why it's important
Bibliographic Information
Empathic concern : what it is and why it's important
C. Daniel Batson
Oxford University Press, c2023
Available at / 2 libraries
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [221]-254) and index
Summary:"Empathy has received a lot of attention since the turn of the millennium. Barack Obama championed it as a vital but underutilized national resource-famously saying in a commencement address at Northwestern University in 2006, "There's a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit." As Obama explained two weeks earlier at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, empathy for him meant "to put yourself in other people's shoes-to see the world from their eyes.""-- Provided by publisher
Contents of Works
- Part I: what empathic concern is
- A definition - and a measure
- Distinguishing empathic concern from personal distress
- Distinguishing it from other things called empathy
- Necessary conditions for feeling empathic concern
- Empathic concern's evolutionary roots
- Varieties of empathic concern
- Part II: why empathic concern is important
- Motivational consequences: the empathy-altruism hypothesis
- Behavioral consequences: interpersonal benefits
- Behavioral consequences: interpersonal liabilities
- Behavioral consequences: intergroup benefits
- Behavioral consequences: intergroup liabilities
- Realizing the potential of empathic concern
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Empathy has received much attention in recent years, being touted by some as a cure for what ails our society but considered by others to be a source of trouble. One reason for the very different assessments is that "empathy" has been used to refer to different psychological phenomena. For some scholars and researchers, empathy refers to feeling as another feels. Others think of empathy as feeling for, not feeling as, another. When the other is in need, feeling for him or her has been called "empathic concern."
This book provides an evidence-based review of developments in our understanding of empathic concern over the past five decades, clarifying what empathic concern is (and isn't), where it comes from, what its forms are, its motivational consequences, and its importance in interpersonal and intergroup relations. Rather than lauding empathic concern as a panacea or castigating it as a problem, the evidence supports a more nuanced view: Empathic concern has benefits but also liabilities, and its benefits can be realized only if we recognize and address its liabilities. The evidence-based review also points to needed next steps in research on the nature and function of empathic concern-and on its use in interventions to increase sensitive response to the needs of others near and far.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Empathy Controversy
Part I: What Empathic Concern Is
1. A Definition-and a Measure
2. Distinguishing Empathic Concern from Personal Distress
3. Distinguishing It from Other Things Called Empathy
4. Necessary Conditions for Feeling Empathic Concern
5. Empathic Concern's Evolutionary Roots
6. Varieties of Empathic Concern
Part II: Why Empathic Concern Is Important
7. Motivational Consequences: The Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis
8. Behavioral Consequences: Interpersonal Benefits
9. Behavioral Consequences: Interpersonal Liabilities
10. Behavioral Consequences: Intergroup Benefits
11. Behavioral Consequences: Intergroup Liabilities .
12. Realizing the Potential of Empathic Concern
by "Nielsen BookData"