共情对亲社会行为的影响及神经基础

Neural Basis and Effects of Empathy on Prosocial Behaviors

亲社会行为是指那些使他人获益的行为,这类行为具有重要的进化意义和现实意义。作为影响亲社会行为的重要因素,共情在认知神经科学领域得到了广泛研究。脑岛等脑区的激活与消极情绪体验有关,是情绪共情的神经基础,利于产生亲社会行为动机;颞顶联合区等脑区参与对他人意图的理解,是认知共情的神经基础,利于个体选择有效方式帮助别人。女性在共情时激活额下回等与情绪有关的脑区,而男性在共情时激活颞顶联合区等与认知有关的脑区,这为男女个体在亲社会行为表现上的差异提供了新证据。未来研究应完善与亲社会行为有关的脑区功能的解释,综合多种影响因素,结合病理学研究考察共情对亲社会行为的影响及神经基础。

The behaviors that benefit others, refered to as prosocial behaviors, are significant to evolution and reality. As one of the most important influential factors of prosocial behaviors, sympathy has been widely studied in the field of cognitive neuroscience. The activation of the insula is related to negatively emotional experience. The insula is the neural basis of emotional empathy which is beneficial for the generation of motivation of prosocial behaviors. In addition, the temporoparietal junction involves in understanding other people＇s intention, and it is the neural basis of cognitive empathy which is favorable for choosing efficacious way to help others. The gender differences in empathy-related neural basis provide new evidence for the different prosocial behavioral performance between males and females. Future research need to clarify the functional significance of the brain regions related to prosocial behaviors, to consider multiple factors simultaneously, and to combine with pathological studies.