The Rich Experience Of Human Empathy

After reading through chapter six, I began reading chapter seven of our psychology text titled, Learning. Learning is something we do everyday even we don’t realize it. While reading chapter seven, I learned that there are three different types of learning, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and cognitive learning. Classical conditioning stands for two types of stimuli linking providing us the tools to have a reaction; this is the type of learning that involves automatic behaviors. Operant conditioning is the type of learning that causes a change in behavior, in reaction to consequences; this is the behavior that involves choosing of choices. Lastly, cognitive learning is the obtaining of new skills, behaviors, and information through

From birth throughout adulthood, our behavior changes as we learn new things. For example, I am going 65 mph on the I-95 towards Philadelphia and a car in the right lane cuts short in front of me, I am able use my fast reflexes to step on the brakes just in time so that I do not hit the back of the car. There are three different types of learning: associative, non-associative, and observational. Associative learning is when we form connections between stimuli, and behaviors. This type of learning helps us to predict the future based on past history. Associative learning is broken down into two subcategories: conditioning and operant conditioning. In classical conditioning, connections are made between pairs of stimuli that happen sequentially in time. For example, if someone sees a bee of the first time and then gets stung, a connection is made between seeing the bee and the pain of the sting. In order to understand the method of classical conditioning, you must know the difference between conditioned and unconditioned stimulus. A conditioned stimulus deals with an important environmental event that is

The existence of the associative learning is used to contend that there may be no evidence that the process does indeed undergo change.

Mirror neurons have a significant influence on empathy. Empathy has seen a societal increase in interest in recent years. Many people have seen and/or participated in what is called “Random Acts of Kindness.” This is where you do something nice for someone and they are supposed to pay it forward. This causes the mirror neurons in your brain to fire off and make you feel as though you have an obligation to pay it forward when there is no actual obligation at all.

In the presented review, I aim to critically discuss this paper. I start with criticising Mackintosh’s approach of treating cognitive and associative processes as two distinct. Then, I examine Mackintosh’s point of view on animal learning. I conclude that Machintosh’s (1997) main claim about the importance of the associative learning is supported by subsequent research. Nevertheless, it is important not to neglect either associative, or cognitive approach, because they are not fundamentally different, and, at least in humans, both of them play a significant role.

In an RSA video, Brené Brown on Empathy, Brené explains that “Empathy fuels connection, sympathy drives disconnection.”

If action understanding in humans is predominantly reliant on mirror neurons, then these neurons should respond preferentially to the ends of an action rather than the means; however, this is not the case. Hesse and

Have you ever sat down and thought about the true definition of Empathy. Have you ever looked it up? Do you care what empathy means. Merriam webster dictionary states that the definition of empathy is “the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings.” Though that's a good definition of the word empathy personally I believe that Empathy is a human instinct that allows people to feel and have the same emotions as someone or something. The ability to feel empathy is an important trait that we are born with and lose and gain as we age. As babies we don't fully understand the concept of other people and ourselves so if you observe an infant you can see that they feel emotions for everyone and thing around, for example if 2 babies are next to each other and one begins to cry you can see that the other one will get sad or even start crying as well.

I often hear the phrase, “humans learn through observing and imitating,” and after reading about mirror neurons, it makes sense. As babies, we learn our first words by imitating the sounds our parents make. Growing up, we observe our environments; we learn what is acceptable and what is not. In turn, what we learn about our society allows us to conform and have a sense of belongingness to our community—we start to socialize. Socialization then translates to empathy. We discover feelings and we start to relate to other people’s conditions and situations enabling us to facilitate connections and develop relationships. Of course, more research is needed to validate the correlation of these mirror neurons to learning, language, social behaviors

On one hand, the genetic theory provides a greater reasoning for a link between origin and social function of mirror neuron, while on the other hand, the associative learning account does not necessitate this evolutionary presumption. Natural selection is an integral factor in the evolutionary theory, but it maintains a supplementary role in the associative learning theory in which the individual environment and sensory input throughout a lifespan is indispensable in understanding of the development of mirror neurons (Cook et al., 2014).

Dr. Giacomo Rizzolatti, a Neurophysiologist, during a video interview began to inform viewers of his knowledge about mirror neurons. After watching this video, there were three questions listed on Blackboard to answer. The first question asked, “What does Rizzolatti say the functions of mirror neurons are?” During the video Rizzolatti informs viewers that imitation was the most practicable function, however, he then stresses how monkeys weren’t the best at imitating. Later, he researched actions understanding as the function of mirror neurons.

Excitement quickly built over this never before seen phenomenon which brought a boom in mirror neuron research with controversy over the implications of such neurons naturally following. Before this discovery of what were later termed mirror neurons, the study of empathy had predominantly consisted of explorations in application of empathy through social psychology or implications of empathy through the study of philosophy. Prior to the rapid increase in investigations brought on by the findings of Rizzolatti’s studies into single neuron mirroring behaviors, there was no detailed and comprehensive explanation of a neural basis for empathy. Some today warn that conclusions regarding the expansive and spectacular implications of this mirroring

The recent discovery of mirror neurons was accidently noticed by Italian neuroscientists who were working with monkeys to study certain areas of the brain that operated cognitive movements. Upon this discovery, it was determined that there is an abundance of previously unknown cells within the brain that work to consciously or unconsciously detect emotions of others through their actions and behaviours, which we in turn mirror by mimicking those exact emotions. It is believed that this

For a number of years empathy was difficult to measure, as there was limited basis of empirical data. This changed with the progression of technology, as the biological approach could then using brain imaging techniques to visually represent the activity going on in the brain and biological psychologists could then research links between the activity and behavioural traits like empathy. One way in which biological psychology has helped us understand empathy as a complex trait is through exploration of mirror neurons.

Psychology is a broad subject filled with many different theories, several theories of which that were particularly interesting fall under the topic “The Learning Perspective”. In fact, Learning is described as the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught. This paper takes a leap further into the psychology and true meaning behind the Learning Perspective, as well as its Biological Importance in our everyday lives. The ideology behind his perspective basically revolves around the idea that behavior is trained, conditioned, reinforced and essentially reflexive. Two of the main theories are listed as follows; The Behaviorism theory and The Cognitive theory. Each theory draws a clear distinction about its differences and similarities with its connection to stimuli. For example, in both sub theories, such as Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning, an action is done and a specific response is given. What sets both theories apart are the positivity or negativity of the reward for the action. From this paper, the importance of Learning is discussed as well as the effectiveness of the different theories and its principles that define and set each other apart.