Phylogeny of the Empathetic Systems

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Empathic system
• Project/Area Number: 25118002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Complex systems
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE Shigeru 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 名誉教授 (30051907)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 伊澤 栄一 慶應義塾大学, 文学部(三田), 准教授 (10433731) ; 藤田 和生 京都大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (80183101)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 共感 / 情動 / シャーレンフロイデ / 協力 / 第三者評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research investigated phylogeny of the empathetic systems from three aspects. First, we classified empathy into four cases based on the self-other correspondence of emotional state and tested them in mice. We found that mice showed all cases of empathy. Second, socio-ecological factors relevant to prosociality was examined in birds and primates. We found two factors: cooperative breeding and pair-bond. Third, cognitive basis for empathy was investigated. We found that primates and dogs were able to evaluate a third-party by observing his/her cooperative interaction. These results suggest (1)that empathy is evolved in non-human animals and (2) that some component could be driven by socio-ecological factors such as cooperative breeding but(3) that cognitive component could be independent of cooperative behavior.

Free Research Field

比較認知科学