Page numbers refer to the print edition but are hyperlinked to the appropriate location in the e-book.
accountability, of those in power, 111
action, empathy-induced, 27
adolescents: alcohol use and, 130; brain development during, 161–162; empathy between parents and, 53; social networking use by, 162; technology and, 161–162
affective response, 176; affective mentalizing and, 15, 16; PTSD and, 124; self-other awareness and, 17
African Americans, 173; lynching of, 49, 50, 84, 167, 172, 195; woman student experience, 79–80; women workers at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, 101
Against Empathy (Bloom), 26–27
air conditioning, as empathy process example, 115
Aleppo, Syria, rescue of boy in, 176, 177
Alexander, Michelle, 60–61
American University Student Government, first African American president of, 49
antisocial behavior, psychopathy as, 54
approach (disinhibition form), 96
Artifacts and Allegiances: How Museums Put the Nation and the World on Display (Levitt), 194–195
Assessing Empathy (Gerdex, Lietz, Wagaman, Geiger, Segal), 9–10
Audacity of Hope, The (Obama), 100
baseball blog, trolling on, 168
Baumeister, Roy F., 68–69
Beecher-Stowe, Harriet, 100
behavior: lack of empathy in negative, 54; power causing unethical, 109–110; prosocial, 33, 39–40; psychopathy as antisocial, 54; PTSD impact on, 124; social hierarchy and, 95; unplanned helping, 42–43, 205n23
Better Angels of Our Nature, The (Pinker), 46–48, 66
bias: blue and green team, 58; group, 67–68
Black Lives Matter, 59, 72
blog, trolling on baseball, 168
books, social empathy learning through, 196–197
brain: damage, 116, 118; empathy actions in, 117; limbic system, 115–116; neuroplasticity of, 179–180; number of neurons in, 114; prefrontal cortex, 131; sensory deprivation and, 179–180; temporary changes to, 118
Brain, The (Eagleman), 114
brain activity: information processing, technology and, 169–170, 223n23; in liberals vs. conservatives, 90, 92; media violence and, 162–163; power and, 95–96; of psychopaths, 133–134; social dominance and emotion sharing, 93
brain imaging, 95–96; of ingoups and outgroups, 58; on pain sharing with AIDS victims, 63; tea party study using, 175
Census Bureau, U.S., 75, 76
Center for Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, 179
Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist march in, 84
children: brain development and stress in, 121–122; cooperation skill in, 35–36; empathy between parents and adolescent, 53; maltreatment of, 127–129; 1989 Romanian orphanages, 31–32; percentages of abused and neglected, 121; in poverty, 125–126, 181, 183; preschooler traits linked with adult political stance, 90, 92; PRWORA impact on, 21, 22; qualities to teach, 89–90, 91; sharing preference in, 41; stress in, 127–128; teaching morality to, 37, 39. See also infants
Christianity: Christian Crusades and, 140; extremism and, 144; Judaism and, 148–149
Christophersen, James, 89
civilization, empathy and, 45–51
Clinton, Hillary, 78, 104
cognitive empathic processing, 131–132
cognitive neuroscience, 23; definition of, 6; grief and, 129–130
cognitive training, diversity acceptance through, 82
college, African American woman in white, 80
communal orientation, self-interest compared to, 93–94
community project, students assigned, 98–99
compassion: Bloom on rationality and, 26; empathy distinguished from, 25–26
competition, cooperation and, 9
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE), 63–64
Congress: millionaires in, 21; PRWORA and, 21–22
Congressional Joint Commission on Taxation, 187
Congressional Research Service, 181
Congressional Science Fellow, 86
conservatives: brain activity of liberals vs., 90, 92; fear as precursor to stance of, 92; on important qualities to teach children, 91
Constitution, U. S., 148; tax section of, 50
context, in macro perspective-taking, 19–23, 176
contextual understanding, 117, 176
cooperation: children learning skill of, 35–36; competition and, 9
culture, dominant and nondominant, 80
Dakota Access Pipeline, 59
demographics, changes in U. S., 75–78, 76, 77; fear and, 74
disinhibition (approach as form of), 96
diversity: racial and ethnic, 43–44; urban, 82
economics: civilization and, 47; economic stimulus, 184–185; literacy and, 47–48
EEG brain imaging, power and, 95–96
election campaigns: presidential campaign of 2016, 45, 83; presidential election of 2012, 81–82, 83; trolling and, 166–167; 2018 primary, 168
emotion regulation, 15, 56, 68, 117; in abused children, 128; cyberbullying and, 165; PTSD and, 124; stress and, 123
emotions: Bloom on empathy and, 26–27; brain activity associated with, 93; emotional attachment, 12; emotional contagion, 17; empathy as confused with, 3; understanding vs. experiencing others, 164
Empathic Civilization, The (Rifkin), 45–46
empathy: as advanced ability, 29–30, 172; attachment and, 12, 30–32; as barrier to change, 98; Bloom perspective on, 26–27; brain activity, 117; brain biology of, 113–119, 117; civilization and, 45–51; compassion distinguished from, 25–26; decision making and, 27; defining what is not, 23–26; definition of, 3–5; doing good without, 39–40; drive to survive as blocking, 56–57; as einfühlung, 5–6; emotions confused with, 3; evolution of, 8–12; examples of politicians with, 100–103; gaining mastery in, 23; government and, 89; within and between groups, 67–68; high levels of, 52–53; intercultural, 79, 80–81; interpersonal and social terminology and, 5; in lower-class people, 126–127; measuring process influence on, 160–161; mirroring as first step in, 11; neurobiology of, 13–14; neuroscience of, 3–4, 199n3; 1980s and 1990s research and, 6; origins of, 5–8; as otherness antidote, 71–72; overcoming physiological barriers to, 134–135; between parents and adolescent children, 53; party affiliation and, 106; path to, 178; perspective-taking without, 103–104; physical demands of, 53; physical resemblance and, 173; physiological connection to, 112–113; power influence on, 94–96; race and, 61–62; religious references to, 6–7; religious rituals as barriers to, 150–151; research on technology and, 158–161; resilience linked to, 52; side benefits of, 40–42; social hierarchy and, 92–94; spread of, 190; with strangers, 35; survival and, 29–30; as teachable, 178–179; as totality of components comprising, 27–28; virtual, 158. See also interpersonal empathy; social empathy; specific topics
empathy-induced action, 27
End of Faith, The: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason (Harris), 143–144
End of White Christian America, The (Jones), 75
evolution: of empathic civilization, 45–51; of empathy, 8–12; tribal, 57
exhibit, lynching photograph, 49, 195
face-to-face communication, 156, 157; social networking and, 162
Fair Labor Standards Act, 101
father, in World War II Germany, 64–66
fear: conservatives and, 92; demographic change and, 74; disregard of, 54; picking up on others, 29; survival trigger of, 55, 74
fire, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, 101
foreign-born population, 76, 77
fraternity members, involuntary manslaughter charge to, 38–39
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), 13
Germany, 67; father in World War II, 64–66
Google, stories of helping on, 39
government: abuse of religion through, 147; social empathy and, 149
Greensboro, North Carolina, 197–198
gross domestic product, 42
groups: characteristics of, 62; cooperation example in college, 36; extended contact and, 82; micro novel, 81; political creation of divisiveness between, 72; stereotyping, 20, 67, 82
guest lecture, introduction incident during, 108
happiness: annual report on, 41–42, 44–45; lack of social empathy as diminishing, 42–45
Health and Human Services, Department of, 181
Hiroshima, Peace Museum in, 195
Hispanics, population distribution, 76
hospital patients: personal assistance study on, 39–40; socially-desirable, 39–40
hunter-gatherer tribes, 62
Hurricane Katrina, 1–3; Bush, B., comments on, 25, 203n37; social empathy and, 4–5
ideological scapegoating, 67
ideology: Kimball on fundamentalism and, 143; political, 106; rise of, 48
Indian Removal Act of 1830, 50
infants: connection with caregivers, 31; dependency of, 8–9; sharing study of toddlers, 41
ingroups / outgroups: brain imaging and, 58–59; connections between, 64–66; demonizing outgroups, 73; recognition of humanity and, 71; safety of ingroup dominance, 79–80; wall between U. S. and Mexico example of, 72–73, 73
Internet, brain development and, 161–162
interpersonal empathy: components of social and, 14–16; definition of, 3; overlapping abilities characterizing, 14–16, 15; party affiliation and, 106; social empathy linked to, 173–177; student survey on social and, 160–161; term use, 5
Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), 24
introductions, political correctness and, 107–108
involuntary manslaughter, Penn State fraternity members charged with, 38–39
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), 48, 141–142
Jewish civilians, Nazi soldiers shooting of, 68–69
Jewish Israelis, Palestinians and, 71
Judicial Action Group, 89
killing: distress associated with, 69; of doctors, 147; of nonbelievers, 144–145; resistance to, 69
Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research, 26
labor force: reforms, 101; women in, 78
Latino population, 75, 76
letters, study on returning, 42–43
LGBTQ people, trolling and, 167
liberals: brain activity of conservatives vs., 90; on qualities most important to teach children, 91
macro perspective-taking, 15, 117; context and, 19–23, 176; stereotyping and, 20
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, 2
Mexico, wall between U. S. and, 72–73, 73
millionaires, in Congress, 21
mirroring, 3, 178; in empathy, 11; field experiment on, 11; Iacoboni on neuroscience and, 10, 200n14; killing and, 70; neurons associated with, 113, 117; of pain, 131, 176; unconscious, 58
multiple empathizing, 37, 38
National Achievers Conference, 88
National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 123
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 121–122
neural development, delayed socialization and, 31–32
neurobiology, of empathy, 13–14
neurons: mirror, 113, 117; number and definition of, 114
neuroscience, of empathy, 3–4, 199n3
New Jim Crow, The (Alexander), 60
novel groups, 62; micro, 81
obligation, to do good deeds, 39
orphanages, in Romania, 31–32
otherness, 34, 57–58; empathy as antidote to, 71–72; group, 62; need for bridging, 84–85; race and, 59–61; social construction of, 70; tactic of invoking, 73
pain: mirroring, 131, 176; observing likable people’s, 68; sharing, AIDS stigma and, 63
Palestinians, Jewish Israelis and, 71
parents, empathy between adolescent children and, 53
Pascual-Leone, Alvaro, 179
patients: online communities of, 159; in personal assistance study, 39–40
Peace Museum, in Hiroshima, 195
Penn State University, 38
personal assistance study, of hospital patients, 40
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), 20–23, 202n33; TANF and, 181–183
perspective-taking, 14, 15, 18, 105, 117; adversity as developing, 51; communication technologies allowing for, 47–48; cyberbullying and, 165; without empathy, 103–104; power as impediment to, 95–96; religion and, 137–138, 142; social-interpersonal link and, 176. See also macro perspective-taking
photographs, lynching exhibit, 49, 195
physiological barriers, overcoming, 134–135
political correctness, 106–109; definition of, 107
political party affiliation, 106
politicians: with empathy, 100–103; perspective-taking in, 104
politics: divisiveness and, 72; genetics and, 90, 92; political attitudes, 91; political ideology, 106; power in, 87–92; preschooler traits and adult political stance study, 90, 92
population: distribution from 1940-2010, 76; foreign-born, 76, 77; 1940-2010 U.S., 76; white, 75
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 123–124, 132
power: characteristics associated with, 106; communal vs. self-interest orientation and, 93–94; dehumanization and, 104–105; as disinhibiting, 95, 96, 109; empathy affected by, 94–96; empathy in people with, 100–103; information processing and, 95–96; perspective-taking diminished by, 95–96; plus side of, 96–99; in politics, 87–92; promoting empathy while in, 109–110; public law making, 87; pyramid shape of, 88; Senate and state office rankings, 87–88; skills missing in people with, 99–100
powerlessness: executive functioning in, 96; information processing in, 96; nature of, 106; upside of, 110–111
preschoolers, traits and adult political stance in study of, 90, 92
prosocial behavior, 33; doing good without empathy, 39–40
psychology,: empathy origins and use in, 6; prosocial behavior and, 33
public assistance: children and, 21, 22; Food Stamp Program, 103; interviewed recipients of, 21, 22; reform legislation and, 20–23; student response to subject of, 18; terminology and, 201n25
public laws, power involved in making, 87
Public Religion Research Institute, 75
race: empathy and, 61–62; inequality, 151–152; otherness based on, 59–61; Pew Research Center poll on, 59; racial diversity, 44; racial divide, in U. S., 44; segregation by social class and, 75
racism, shared sadness and, 61
rationality, compassionate, 26
religion: atrocities in name of, 136, 140–142; empathy references in, 6–7; exclusivity and inclusivity in, 142; history and, 137–142; perspective-taking in, 137–138; racial inequality and, 151–152; reason for abuses by members of, 142–144; research on empathy and, 150–152; separation of state and, 147–149; subtle uses of, 145–147; symbolic versus literal interpretation of content in, 150
Romania, orphanages in, 31–32
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 100, 101
sadness, racism scale on shared, 61
segregation, by race and class, 75
self-interest orientation: communal compared to, 93–94; psychopathy and, 133
separation of state and religion, 147–149
sharing: affective, 26; brain activity in emotion, 93; children preference for, 41; pain, 63; racism scale in sadness, 61
slavery, 66, 140; macro perspective-taking and, 19–20; otherness and, 59
social construction, of otherness, 70
social desirability, altruism and, 39–40
social empathy: broad focus resulting from, 184–188; components of interpersonal and, 14–16; definition of, 4–5; diminished happiness from lack of, 42–45; as emerging research field, 4–5; government and, 149; Hurricane Katrina and, 4–5; interpersonal empathy link to, 173–177; large-scale teaching of, 197–198; overlapping abilities in, 15, 15–16; political party affiliation and, 106; poverty as testing, 180–184; religion and, 145; skill of, 191; small-scale teaching of, 192–197; social movements arising from, 188–189; student survey on, 160–161; term use, 5; three-tiered framework for learning, 192; as way of thinking, 177–178
Social Empathy Index, 160, 174
social experiment, in Romanian orphanages, 31–32
social hierarchy, 126–127; empathy and, 92–94; segregation by race and, 75; unethical behavior in higher class, 95
socialization, delayed neural development and, 31–32
Social Security Act, 66, 101
social stigma, AIDS and, 63–64
social survival of the fittest, 10
social welfare policy course, vii
soldiers, 105; overcoming resistance to killing in, 69; shooting of Jewish civilians by German, 68–69
state office, power rankings and, 87–88
stereotyping, 110–111; group, 20, 67, 82; ideological, 67; macro perspective-taking and, 20; as shortcut to understanding, 94
Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy (Bazelon), 165–166
storytelling, witnessing and, 197–198
strangers, empathy with, 35
students: African American woman, 79–80; community project assignment and, 98–99; party affiliation and empathy in, 106; power study on, 93–94; results of empathy survey of, 79–80; two types of, viii
subjectivity, morality and, 37
subway train, micro novel group example of, 81
supervisors, experiments on reading people skill in, 103
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 147, 183, 184, 185
supply-side economics, 188
survival: empathy as blocked by drive for, 56–57; empathy importance beyond, 29–30; as fear trigger, 55, 74; self-other awareness and, 65–66; threats, 119, 120; World War II story of prisoner of war, 65–66
survival of the fittest, 9–10
sympathy, 40; instinctive, 10
Syria, rescue of boy in Aleppo, 176, 177
taxes: Congress list of tax breaks, 187–188; Constitution section on, 50; expenditures, 187; policy debates, 187–188; rebates, 184–185; Ryan comment on tax reform, 25, 203n38
tea party, brain imaging study of, 175
technology: adolescence and, 161–162; communication and, 155–156; cyberbullying and, 164–166; first generation to grow up with, 161; information processing, brain and, 169–170, 223n23; Internet and brain development, 161–162; positive and negative influences of, 171; research on empathy and, 158–161; trolling and, 166–169
telephone, first call on, 156
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship Between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture (Phillips), 166–167
threats, physical and emotional, 55–56
three-tiered framework, for learning social empathy, 192
thriving, beyond survival to, 30
trauma, families undergoing, 52
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, 101
tribes, hunter-gatherer, 62
Trump, Donald, 72, 73, 75; getting even mindset of, 88–89; political correctness viewed by, 107; promises made by, 104; response to “life is better or worse question” of supporters of, 78; Twitter use by, 170, 223n24
truth and reconciliation commissions, 197–198
United States (U. S.): costs of poverty in, 180; happiness scale in, 41–42; lost letters study in Canada and, 42–43, 205n23; number of foreign-born people in, 76; racial divide in, 44; recent demographic changes in, 75–78, 76, 77; slavery and segregation in, 44; wall between Mexico and, 72–73, 73
university, leadership change and department move, 96–97
urban life, empathy broadened by, 46
video, of young injured Syrian boy, 176
wall, between U. S. and Mexico, 72–73, 73
warning sign, high security zone, 74
Washington, D.C., year working in, 86–88
White House National Economic Council, 104
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (Sapolsky), 119–121
women: in labor force, 78; on public assistance, 21; in Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, 101