Nature and Forms of Empathy in the First Years of Life
Nature and Forms of Empathy in the First Years of Life
This chapter discusses different forms of empathy, including empathic concern, empathic happiness, and empathic cheerfulness, which are present in the first years of life. It explores the evolution of empathy from parental care and the role of positive emotions in the infant–parent relationship, which is responsible for developing positive forms of empathy. The chapter looks at amygdalae, ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, the hypothalamus, and the medial network of the orbitofrontal cortex involved in early empathy, and discusses the development of empathic concern, empathic happiness, and empathic cheerfulness involving interactions of the above-mentioned hypothesized structures. Assessing the neurocircuitry of empathy patterns using neuroimaging techniques is also discussed.
Keywords: empathic happiness, empathic cheerfulness, amygdalae, ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, neurocircuitry
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