• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to previous page

Neural mechanisms underlying prosocial behaviors caused by empathy

Research Project

Project/Area Number 23700505
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Research Field Fusional social brain science
Research InstitutionNational Institute for Physiological Sciences

Principal Investigator

KAWAMICHI Hiroaki  生理学研究所, 大脳皮質機能研究系, 特任助教 (30596391)

Project Period (FY) 2011 – 2012
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2012)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥3,380,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥780,000)
Keywords脳・神経 / 動機付け / 共感 / 向社会行動 / 共感的喜び / fMRI / 動因 / 温情効果
Research Abstract

Prosocial behaviors and empathy play essential roles for constructing human modern society. We conducted two experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity in terms of relationship between empathy and prosocial behaviors. As a result of the first experiment, we found activity in reward system (dorsal striatum) during prosocial behaviors with being enhanced by empathic traits. Thus, we concluded that empathizing with others’ future pleasantness caused by receiving prosocial behaviors, i.e., empathic joy, might invoke prosocial behaviors (Kawamichi et al., 2013). As a result of the second experiment, we found that striatal activation during viewing painful picture was caused by joining hands with familiar person. This result suggested that joining hands with familiar person might be perceived as reward and might modulate empathic pain. With these two experiments, empathy might act as motivation of prosocial behaviors and might be modulated by affiliative behaviors.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2012 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2011 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (15 results)

All 2013 2012 2011 Other

All Journal Article (1 results) (of which Peer Reviewed: 1 results) Presentation (14 results)

  • [Journal Article] Activation of the reward system during sympathetic concern is mediated by two types of empathy in a familiarity-dependent manner2013

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Tanabe HC, Takahashi HK, Sadato N
    • Journal Title

      Social Neuroscience

      Volume: Vol. 8 Pages: 90-100

    • Related Report
      2012 Annual Research Report 2012 Final Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Presentation] 援助行動時の報酬系の賦活と共感特性の影響2013

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東,田邊宏樹,高橋陽香,吉原一文, 松永昌宏,菅原翔,牧田快,定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第2回社会神経科学研究会
    • Place of Presentation
      岡崎
    • Year and Date
      2013-01-31
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] Study implication related to sense of acceptance: Key factor of social learning2012

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Yoshihara K, Kitada R, Matsunaga M, Sasaki A, Yoshida Y, Takahashi H, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      International Conference on Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans: Testing Evolutionary Models of Learning
    • Place of Presentation
      東京
    • Year and Date
      2012-11-24
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] Empathy for social positive emotion activates cognitive empathy network2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Sasaki AT, Takahashi HK, Tanabe HC, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      The 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
    • Place of Presentation
      Washignton (USA)
    • Year and Date
      2011-11-16
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] fMRI を用いた手つなぎ時の脳活動計測2011

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東,北田亮,吉原一文,佐々木章宏,高橋 陽香,定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第16回認知神経科学会学術集会
    • Place of Presentation
      北九州
    • Year and Date
      2011-10-22
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] 温情効果を介して向社会行動の動因となる共感に親密さが与える影響2011

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東, 田邊宏樹, 高橋陽香, 定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第34回日本神経科学大会
    • Place of Presentation
      横浜
    • Year and Date
      2011-09-17
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] Activation of the reward system by joining hands with familiar person: an fMRI study2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Kitada R, Yoshihara K, Takahashi, HK, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      8th IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience
    • Place of Presentation
      Italy
    • Year and Date
      2011-07-17
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] Directed altruism induced by "warm-glow" through empathy: an fMRI study2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Tanabe HC, Takahashi HK, Shimada K, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      17th Annual Meeting of the Organization on Human Brain Mapping
    • Place of Presentation
      Quebec (Canada)
    • Year and Date
      2011-06-27
    • Related Report
      2012 Final Research Report
  • [Presentation] Directed altruism induced by "warm-glow" through empathy: an fMRI study.2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Tanabe HC, Takahashi HK, Shimada K, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      17th Annual Meeting of the Organization on Human Brain Mapping
    • Place of Presentation
      Centre des Congres de Quebec (Quebec, Canada)
    • Related Report
      2011 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Activation of the reward system by joining hands with familiar person: an fMRI study.2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Kitada R, Yoshihara K, Takahashi, HK, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      8th IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience
    • Place of Presentation
      Fortezza da Basso (Florence, Italy)
    • Related Report
      2011 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Empathy for social positive emotion activates cognitive empathy network.2011

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Sasaki AT, Takahashi HK, Tanabe HC, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      The 41th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
    • Place of Presentation
      Walter E. Washington Convention Center (Washington DC, USA)
    • Related Report
      2011 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] 温情効果を介して向社会行動の動因となる共感に親密さが与える影響2011

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東, 田邊宏樹, 高橋陽香, 定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第34回日本神経科学大会
    • Place of Presentation
      パシフィコ横浜(神奈川県)
    • Related Report
      2011 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] fMRIを用いた手つなぎ時の脳活動計測2011

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東,北田亮,吉原一文,佐々木章宏,高橋陽香,定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第16回認知神経科学会学術集会
    • Place of Presentation
      産業医科大学ラマツィーニホール(福岡県)
    • Related Report
      2011 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] 援助行動時の報酬系の賦活と共感特性の影響

    • Author(s)
      川道拓東,田邊宏樹,高橋陽香,吉原一文,松永 昌宏,菅原翔,牧田快,定藤規弘
    • Organizer
      第2回社会神経科学研究会
    • Place of Presentation
      岡崎カンファレンスセンター (岡崎)
    • Related Report
      2012 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Study implication related to sense of acceptance: Key factor of social learning

    • Author(s)
      Kawamichi H, Yoshihara K, Kitada R, Matsunaga M, Sasaki A, Yoshida Y, Takahashi H, Sadato N
    • Organizer
      Interantional Conference on Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans: Testing Evolutionary Models of Learning
    • Place of Presentation
      National Center of Sciences Building (Tokyo)
    • Related Report
      2012 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2011-08-05   Modified: 2019-07-29  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi