An adaptive perspective on revealed and concealed cues to empathy

Bibliographic Data

ID9620983
AuthorsRobert Ward (0000-0002-1917-2035, Wolfson Centre for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience School of Psychology Bangor University UK, corresponding author), Polly Shingler (Wolfson Centre for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience School of Psychology Bangor University UK)
Year2016
Volume107
Issue1
Pages30-32
Publication date2016-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjop.12167
PMID26748633
OpenAlexW2234138599
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited2

W u, S heppard, and M itchell ( Br. J. Psychol ., 2016; 107, 1‐22) found that observers could accurately identify people with extreme but not more average empathy scores. Here, we further consider this U‐shaped discrimination function. We first examine a statistical issue regarding the construction of the average groups, which are less homogenous by definition than the extreme groups. We then consider the kinds of questions arising when these results are considered within the adaptive framework of signal theory. Some interesting questions arise relating to the signal sender, including the costs and benefits to the sender in revealing and concealing true empathy levels, and the effects of adopting behavioural norms to conceal true levels of empathy

Cognitive psychology · Communication source · Empathy · Function (biology) · Perspective (graphical) · Perspective-taking · Statistics · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Mathematics · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology