Some Recent EEG and Other Studies Relevant to Empathy & Compassion- Clifford Saron

7/27/2019 Some Recent EEG and Other Studies Relevant to Empathy & Compassion- Clifford Saron

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Some Recent EEG and otherstudies relevant to Empathy

and CompassionClifford Saron, PhD

Center for Mind and Brain

MIND Institute

UC Davis


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Trends in CognitiveSciences, February 2012,

Vol. 16, No. 2


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Cognition materializes in an interpersonal space. Theemergence of complex behaviors requires the

coordination of actions among individuals according toa shared set of rules. Despite the central role of otherindividuals in shaping ones mind, most cognitive

studies focus on processes that occur within a single

individual. We call for a shift from a single-brain to amulti-brain frame of reference. We argue that in manycases the neural processes in one brain are coupled tothe neural processes in another brain via the

transmission of a signal through the environment.Brain-to-brain coupling constrains and shapes theactions of each individual in a social network, leading tocomplex joint behaviors that could not have emerged in

isolation.


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I can easily tell if someone else wants to enter a conversation. I find it difficult to explain to others things that I understand easily,

when they don't understand it first time. I really enjoy caring for other people. I find it hard to know what to do in a social situation. People often tell me that I went too far in driving my point home in a

discussion.

It doesn't bother me too much if I am late meeting a friend. Friendships and relationships are just too difficult, so I tend not to

bother with them. I often find it difficult to judge if something is rude or polite. When I was a child, I enjoyed cutting up worms to see what would

happen. I can pick up quickly if someone says one thing but means another. I find it easy to put myself in somebody else's shoes. I am good at predicting how someone will feel. I can't always see why someone should have felt offended by a

remark.

Baron-Cohen & Wheelwright 2004 Empathy Quotient


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Observation of own quartet performance

NeuroImage 60 (2012) 105

116


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Brain Research 2012

6 Sec / 6 Stim 6 Sec / 6 Stim 6 Sec / 6 Stim


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Significant correlations were observed between scores from theperspective taking subscale of the IRI and P50 amplitudes during the pain

condition over left centro-parietal (r2

=0.50, p=0.026) and parietal (r2

=0.60,p=0.005) brain regions.

Similarly, scores from the perspective taking subscale were also correlatedwith P50 amplitudes during the touch condition over left parietal brainregions (r2=0.47, p=0.039).

N=23


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2010


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16/17Slater et al, 2010 PLOS

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