The Neural Substrate of Human Empathy: Effects of Perspective-taking and Cognitive Appraisal

@article{Lamm2007TheNS,
  title={The Neural Substrate of Human Empathy: Effects of Perspective-taking and Cognitive Appraisal},
  author={Claus Lamm and C. Daniel Batson and Jean Decety},
  journal={Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience},
  year={2007},
  volume={19},
  pages={42-58}
}
Whether observation of distress in others leads to empathic concern and altruistic motivation, or to personal distress and egoistic motivation, seems to depend upon the capacity for self-other differentiation and cognitive appraisal. In this experiment, behavioral measures and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging were used to investigate the effects of perspective-taking and cognitive appraisal while participants observed the facial expression of pain resulting from medical… 
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