Where do the cooperative skills that hold together human societies come from and why don’t our selfish instincts overwhelm them? Evolutionary game theory suggests that empathy is a crucial contributor.
We know being nice is good for friendships. But we wanted to find out why some antisocial people are socially successful. So we looked at whether rebels had more friends in high school than nice kids.
Psychologists are debating whether the presence of one trait – boldness – is the key to determining if someone is a psychopath, or just a garden-variety criminal.
Karen Wu, California State University, Los Angeles
A cold, logical list of attributes sought in a partner is cast aside by the hot emotions that come up in real life. A psychology researcher explains how this ‘hot-cold empathy gap’ works in dating.
The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley believed that we can exercise our moral imagination ‘in the same manner as exercise strengthens a limb’. Here, then, are some tips for fostering empathy through art.
Children start developing empathy and compassion as toddlers and should have a good understanding of generosity by age nine. Parents can help foster these behaviours.
Many dog owners have tales of their faithful companion licking away their tears. Researchers investigated whether, beyond being comforting, canines would actually take action to help an upset owner.
Everybody does it, but why? Scientists aren’t really sure if exhaustion, stress or some other social factor is at the root of yawning – and how it can be so contagious.
It’s easy to be cynical about charity drives like the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Are they just PR stunts or can they make a difference beyond fundraising? Our study shows they can, and they do.
Foundational to the work of Holocaust educators and many teachers have been the survivors. Given there are fewer survivors who are alive today, how do educators inform future generations?
As Pink Shirt Day approaches, early childhood educators offer practical strategies for parents and teachers to create an inclusive environment and reduce bullying.
When we include someone (or something) in our moral circle we feel a sense of moral obligation for their treatment. But the factors determining who is in or out are more complicated than you may think.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary