A Neglected Topic in Psychological Research

Abstract

Empathy, as defined In this article, is that unique capacity of the human being to feel the experiences, needs, aspirations, frustrations, sorrows, joys, anxieties, hurt, or hunger of others as if they were his or her own. The author speculates that in- dividuals vary in the degree of cortical development necessary to sustain functional empathy. He also sug- gests that the majority of human beings can be trained to that level of empathy necessary to counterbalance the more primitive animalistic determinants of be- havior. He concludes that the blockage of functional empathy by power drives forms the basis of interper- sonal and social tensions, conflicts, violence, terrorism, and war. Control of these destructive forces will re- quire development of techniques to increase functional empathy among human beings. When I chose the title for this address I did in fact believe that empathy was a neglected topic in social science and psychological research. In ex- amining the literature in preparation for this ad- dress, however, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are many, many articles listed in the Psychological Abstracts, Social Sciences Index, So- cial Sciences and Humanities Index, and Sociologi- cal Abstracts that contain the term empathy some- where in their titles. As a matter of fact, since 1970 there were an average of from 15 to 20 items per month under that category. In 1978 there were 86 entries dealing in some way with empathy. The primary emphasis was as follows: