Empathy is usually described as a pleasant emotion; For many people it corresponds to common kindness and emotional sensitivity, to being tender and considerate of others. But empathy is much more: it is an ideal capable of transforming our lives and, at the same time, generating substantial social change. Empathy can cause a revolution in human relationships. But is empathy learned? In this Psychology-Online article we will discover together the development of empathy, what it is, its stages and how to work on it. We will see what empathy is in psychology with examples and what the development of empathy is like in boys and girls.
What is the development of empathy and its importance
The term empathy derives from the Greek word empathy, which means actively experiencing the way another person experiences an experience, but was introduced at the end of the 19th century by Robert Vischer, a scholar of figurative arts and aesthetic issues, who spoke of “feeling inside.” of “con-sent”.
In current use, the term empathy has acquired a series of meanings and characteristics:
- In general psychology, Empathy is the ability to understand the emotional situation of another person Immediately.
- Empathy refers to putting yourself in the other’s shoes to see them from their internal frame of reference.
- Empathy involves the ability to tolerate anxiety and open up to another person’s experience.
- Empathy is born within the framework of an interaction between two people.
- Empathy is “feeling within the other” and is different from sympathy which is “feeling with the other.”
- In empathy, affective and cognitive processes coexist, influencing each other.
- Empathic accuracy is the ability to understand the real feelings or thoughts of another.
Furthermore, it must be said that empathy has a biological basis, that process of spontaneous communication that is fundamental for all living organisms and that includes innate mechanisms for receiving and transmitting sensory, visual, auditory, and chemical messages. In the process of empathy, in fact, the amygdala and its associative areas in the visual cortex are involved.
In the following article you will find the , two terms that are often confused.
Why is the development of empathy important? Empathy can be considered a true personal and communicative competence, which allows you to get in tune with whoever you relate to. This is a very important communication tool: with an empathetic attitude it is possible to capture the deepest meaning of what the other says or shows non-verbally. Empathic availability thus allows us to create an intimate and reciprocal relationship that is unique in its kind.
When and how empathy develops
Empathy in development is a complex phenomenon that involves different aspects of cognitive, affective and behavioral development. In its most evolved form, it is the result of a learning process, socialization experiences and social interaction.
- To experience empathy, the child must know differentiate yourself from others. But from our first breath, we begin to know empathy, which matures along with brain development.
- Nowadays, it is believed that a child, when he reaches his first year of life, is aware that others have feelings like yoursalthough he usually does not have the maturity to react appropriately.
- At the age of two, two and a half years, the child begins to understand that the pain of others is similar to yours and yet it is different (empathic patterns begin to emerge around age two).
- A phase of cognitive development important for empathy appears to occur around age eight: cognitive skills such as perspective taking and children develop They begin to understand more deeply the living conditions of others.
- Between preadolescence and adolescence, the empathic patterns that will be maintained throughout life become more consolidated and it is possible to see what type of compassionate person the child will become.
At each phase of development, parents shape a child’s ability to give and receive empathy: early role models, such as parents and educators, communicate the elementary components of empathy; But as preteens approach early adulthood, it is peers, teachers, books, television, the Internet, and other influences that leave their mark on how, why, and when they will try and express empathy.
Activities for the development of empathy
Highly empathetic people have something in common: they commit to cultivating six habits, a series of attitudes and daily practices that turn on the empathic circuit in their brain, making them able to understand how others see the world.
- Turn on your empathetic brain. Change our mental structures to recognize that empathy is the basis of human nature and can be developed throughout our lives.
- Take a leap of imagination. Make the conscious effort to put yourself in the shoes of others – including our “enemies” – to recognize their humanity, their individuality, and their perspectives.
- Go in search of hopeful adventures. Explore lives and cultures different from our own through direct immersion, empathetic journeys and social cooperation.
- Practice the art of conversation. Encourage curiosity towards strangers and deep listening to others, putting aside our emotional masks.
- Travel in a chair. Lose yourself in other people’s minds with the help of art, literature, movies and social media.
- Inspire a revolution. Generate empathy on a large scale to produce social change and expand our empathic abilities to involve the natural world.
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This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Giusti, E., Locatelli, M. (2000). L’empatia integrata. Humanistic analysis of motivational behavior in clinic and training. Rome: Sovera Editore.
- Krznaric, R. (2018). Empathy. Perché is important and comes into practice. Rome: Armando Editore.
- Riess, E. (2020). Empathy effect. Le 7 chiavi delle neuroscienze to transform our way of loving, working and communicating. Trent: Erickson.