TY - JOUR T1 - Putting the altruism back into altruism: the evolution of empathy JF - Annu Rev PsycholAnnual Review of PsychologyAnnual Review of Psychology Y1 - 2008 A1 - de Waal, F. B. KW - *Altruism KW - *Biological Evolution KW - *Empathy KW - Affect KW - Cooperative Behavior KW - Humans KW - Intention KW - Social Behavior AB - Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be experienced by the organism. Motivational analyses should restrict themselves, therefore, to the altruistic impulse and its knowable consequences. Empathy is an ideal candidate mechanism to underlie so-called directed altruism, i.e., altruism in response to anothers's pain, need, or distress. Evidence is accumulating that this mechanism is phylogenetically ancient, probably as old as mammals and birds. Perception of the emotional state of another automatically activates shared representations causing a matching emotional state in the observer. With increasing cognition, state-matching evolved into more complex forms, including concern for the other and perspective-taking. Empathy-induced altruism derives its strength from the emotional stake it offers the self in the other's welfare. The dynamics of the empathy mechanism agree with predictions from kin selection and reciprocal altruism theory. VL - 59 SN - 0066-4308 (Print)
0066-4308 UR - https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093625 N1 - de Waal, Frans B M
Journal Article
Review
United States
Annu Rev Psychol. 2008;59:279-300. JO - Annu Rev PsycholAnnu Rev Psychol ER -