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VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:UW-Madison-Physics-Events
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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2322
DTSTART:20111108T180500Z
DURATION:PT1H0M0S
DTSTAMP:20260313T103944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20111024T165304Z
LOCATION:4274 Chamberlin
SUMMARY:The early development of empathy\, Chaos & Complex Systems Sem
 inar\, Carolyn Zahn-Wexler\, UW Departments of Psychology & Psychiatry
DESCRIPTION:Compassion\, cooperation and concern for others are essent
 ial for individuals in all societies to survive and thrive. Yet many c
 ompeting factors can inhibit their expression. It is essential then to
  understand processes that contribute to empathy\, both those that enh
 ance and hinder its development. Empathy makes it possible for people 
 to connect with others' experiences\; moreover\, it motivates individu
 als to help and comfort others\, share resources\, and provide protect
 ion when needed. Empathy has both cognitive and affective components\,
  i.e. the ability to understand the perspective of the other and to re
 sonate emotionally to another's distress. It has neural and physiologi
 cal correlates\; neuroimaging studies support the notion that we are b
 iologically wired to respond to the suffering of others. Emotional con
 tagion is present in the first days of life\, seen in infants' reflexi
 ve cries when they hear the cries of other infants. This shared emotio
 nal response is commonly viewed as a precursor to empathic concern for
  someone in distress. It quickly becomes more regulated and transforme
 d\; between the ages of one and two years children show both cognitive
  and affective empathy and prosocial efforts to help others in distres
 s. I will focus on longitudinal studies of the early developmental cou
 rse (0-5 years) of young children's concern for others\, providing exa
 mples of empathic concern and caring behaviors. These findings\, when 
 first reported\, ran counter to prevailing theories of early social-em
 otional development. Early empathy shows moderate consistency over tim
 e which means some children change whereas others do not\; moreover\, 
 change can manifest itself in different ways. While the potential for 
 empathy may be innate and universal\, there are clear individual diffe
 rences. Other biological (e.g. genes\, temperament) and environmental 
 (e.g. parenting practices\, parental psychopathology\, culture) proces
 ses can alter its expression and developmental trajectory. I will revi
 ew some of these factors and consider future directions which include 
 the study of gene-environment interactions.
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2322
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