Positive and negative empathy measured by facial electromyography

Emotional mimicry signals pain empathy as evidenced by facial electromyography

Facial mimicry has been suggested to be a behavioral index for emotional empathy. The present study is the first to investigate the link between facial muscle activity and empathy for pain by facial electromyographic (EMG) recording while observers watched videos depicting real-life painful events. Three types of visual stimulus were used: an intact painful scene and arm-only (needle injection)...

The Positive (and Negative) Psychology of Empathy

Electromyography and Facial Paralysis

The facial motor system is responsible for functions critical to physical, social and psychological well-being (VanSwearingen & Brach, 1996). Facial nerve paralysis is a lifealtering clinical condition, with functional, aesthetic and communication implications for the individuals who are afflicted (Hadlock, 2008). It differs from most other clinical conditions in that it is the end result of a ...

Empathy for positive and negative emotions in the gustatory cortex.

Anterior insula and adjacent frontal operculum (hereafter referred to as IFO) are active during exposure to tastants/odorants (particularly disgusting ones), and during the viewing of disgusted facial expressions. Together with lesion data, the IFO has thus been proposed to be crucial in processing disgust-related stimuli. Here, we examined IFO involvement in the processing of other people's gu...

Empathy for positive and negative emotions in social anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with elevated negative and diminished positive affective experience. However, little is known about the way in which individuals with SAD perceive and respond emotionally to the naturally-unfolding negative and positive emotions of others, that is, cognitive empathy and affective empathy, respectively. In the present study, participants with generaliz...