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Author de Waal, F.B.M. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Putting the Altruism Back into Altruism: The Evolution of Empathy Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Annual Review of Psychology Abbreviated Journal Annu Rev Psychol  
  Volume 59 Issue 1 Pages (down) 279-300  
  Keywords  
  Abstract Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be experienced by the organism. Motivational analyses should restrict themselves, therefore, to the altruistic impulse and its knowable consequences. Empathy is an ideal candidate mechanism to underlie so-called directed altruism, i.e., altruism in response to anothers's pain, need, or distress. Evidence is accumulating that this mechanism is phylogenetically ancient, probably as old as mammals and birds. Perception of the emotional state of another automatically activates shared representations causing a matching emotional state in the observer. With increasing cognition, state-matching evolved into more complex forms, including concern for the other and perspective-taking. Empathy-induced altruism derives its strength from the emotional stake it offers the self in the other's welfare. The dynamics of the empathy mechanism agree with predictions from kin selection and reciprocal altruism theory.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Annual Reviews Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0066-4308 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093625 Approved no  
  Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5058  
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Author Seyfarth, R.M.; Cheney, D.L. doi  openurl
  Title Signalers and receivers in animal communication Type Journal Article
  Year 2003 Publication Annual review of psychology Abbreviated Journal Annu Rev Psychol  
  Volume 54 Issue Pages (down) 145-173  
  Keywords Affect; *Animal Communication; Animals; Arousal; Auditory Perception; Motivation; *Social Behavior; Social Environment; Species Specificity; *Vocalization, Animal  
  Abstract In animal communication natural selection favors callers who vocalize to affect the behavior of listeners and listeners who acquire information from vocalizations, using this information to represent their environment. The acquisition of information in the wild is similar to the learning that occurs in laboratory conditioning experiments. It also has some parallels with language. The dichotomous view that animal signals must be either referential or emotional is false, because they can easily be both: The mechanisms that cause a signaler to vocalize do not limit a listener's ability to extract information from the call. The inability of most animals to recognize the mental states of others distinguishes animal communication most clearly from human language. Whereas signalers may vocalize to change a listener's behavior, they do not call to inform others. Listeners acquire information from signalers who do not, in the human sense, intend to provide it.  
  Address Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. seyfarth@psych.upenn.edu  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0066-4308 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes PMID:12359915 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 690  
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