Chapter 1. Empathy in Adolescence

Synopsis

Human Development Video Activity

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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.

empathy

The experience of understanding someone else’s feelings and desires by imagining oneself in their place.

functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

An imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the volume of blood flow in different areas of the brain. Researchers can use the fMRI to observe where and how the brain responds to different stimuli.

prefrontal cortex

The part of the brain at the front of the frontal lobe just behind the forehead that is responsible for executive functioning, such as decision-making, reasoning, planning, impulse control, and prioritizing tasks.

neuron

A nerve cell that receives and communicates information throughout the body as part of the central nervous system.

Group of teenagers volunteering to help build a house.

Empathy in Adolescence

Author

Victoria Cross, University of California – Davis

Synopsis

This activity focuses on brain development during adolescence. Through video clips, recent findings regarding the processing of emotional expressions are presented along with evidence supporting the conclusion that the prefrontal cortex undergoes a disruptive maturational process during adolescence.

REFERENCES

Ekman, P. (1993). Facial expression and emotion. American Psychologist, 48, 384-392.

Knudsen, E. (2004). Sensitive periods in the development of the brain and behavior. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16(8), Special issue: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 1412-1425.

Lewis, M. & Haviland-Jones, J. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of emotions (2^nd ed.). Guilford Press, NY, NY.

Three Components of Emotion

^{Do you see evidence of any physiological, cognitive, or expressive component of emotion in any of the teenagers in the group?}

No matter what emotion you feel – from the peaks of happiness to the depths of despair and everything in between, the experience of emotion has three distinct components (Lewis & Haviland-Jones, 2000):

a physiological reaction – changes in your body;

a cognitive component – a subjective understanding or labeling of the emotion;

an expressive component – changes in your facial expression, voice, or body language.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

The expressive component of emotion serves the important social role of broadcasting one’s emotional state to other people. In order to operate with an effective communication system, people must be able to recognize emotional expressions in others (Ekman, 1993). This ability to perceive and recognize the emotional state of other humans is referred to as empathy.

On the following screens, match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

Match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

Question 1.1

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Correct.

Incorrect.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

Match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

Question 1.2

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Correct.

Incorrect.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

Match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

Question 1.3

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Correct.

Incorrect.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

Match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

Question 1.4

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Correct.

Incorrect.

The Expressive Component of Emotion and Empathy

Match each photo of an adult with an emotion by selecting the correct label for each photograph.

Question 1.5

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Correct.

Incorrect.

Recognizing Emotions: Brain Activity in Adults and Adolescents

To investigate brain activity during the processing of emotional expressions that appear on others’ faces, researchers at Harvard Medical School showed photographs of emotional expressions to teenagers and adults. While subjects viewed the photographs, they were in a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scanner. The fMRI scans allowed researchers to track areas of the brain where the cells were active while the subjects were viewing the emotional expressions. By comparing the results of the teenagers to the results of the adults, researchers were able to track the effect of maturation on the brain activity involved in the processing of emotional expressions.

Play the video to watch 16-year-old Patrick being shown emotional expressions. Notice how he misidentifies the emotion of fear as do three-quarters of the teenagers involved in this study. What the researchers see in his brain image is a pattern of response that differs from an adult brain responding to the same stimuli.

Recognizing Emotions: An Explanation

Play the next video to listen to what a researcher has to say about teenagers and their recognition of emotional expression. The fMRI images provide evidence that supports the interpretation that the human brain continues to develop through adolescence and into a person’s early twenties. Since the adolescent brain is not fully mature, teenagers are not the most accurate judges of the emotional expressions of others.

Neuronal Development in Adolescence

^{During puberty, the human brain sprouts a vast number of of new connections among neurons.}

What does it mean when we say that the prefrontal cortex continues to develop through adolescence?

Are new neurons growing? Is there evidence of significant neuron proliferation? No. The majority of our neurons are already formed at birth, so we are not adding significantly more neurons (Knudson, 2004).

Are neurons moving? Is there evidence that neurons are migrating significant distances? No. The majority of the neurons have already migrated to appropriate locations (Knudson, 2004).

Are neurons forming new connections? Are they differentiating as they send out new branches? Yes. The evidence suggests that the primary change occurring in the adolescent brain is an increase in the complexity of the branches and the number of connections between neurons.

Neuronal Development in Adolescence (continued)

Play the video to observe an animation of neuron development in the adolescent brain.

Question 1.6

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During adolescence, neuronal development includes a period during which neurons are branching out and forming many new connections. These new branches and new connections result in inefficient communication as messages can get disrupted and confused.

Impulse Control: Violent Video Games and the Prefrontal Cortex

There are many implications of incomplete or inaccurate processing by the prefrontal cortex. For one thing, it is impossible to react to another’s emotion in a sensitive way if you are unable to first correctly identify the emotion. Research has shown that adolescents are less capable of feeling empathy for others since they are unable to accurately identify emotional expressions. How might this immaturity of the prefrontal cortex and teenagers’ difficulty in correctly identifying emotional expression come into play with the violent video games that adolescents play?

Play the video to listen to an expert discuss the impact that violent video games might have on an adolescent especially since the adolescent physiologically has less ability to inhibit or control impulses.

Question 1.7

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This temporary handicap to empathy in conjunction with immature impulse control and inhibition would almost certainly leave adolescents particularly vulnerable to exposure to violence.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Question 1.8

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Correct! This is NOT one of the functions of the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for inhibition, insight, judgment, and reasoning.

Sorry. This is one of the functions of the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for inhibition, insight, judgment, and reasoning.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Question 1.9

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Correct! Neurons in the prefrontal cortex undergo significant differentiation during adolescence.

Sorry. Neurons in the prefrontal cortex undergo significant differentiation during adolescence.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Question 1.10

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Correct! Adolescents do not commonly misinterpret the fear face as signifying joy.

Sorry. Adolescents commonly misinterpret the fear face as signifying joy.

Assessment: Check Your Understanding

Question 1.11

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Correct! Being able to understand other people’s emotional expressions allows you to understand vital communications.

Sorry. Emotional expressions are universal across our species and not unique to individuals. You do not need to know someone or come from the same culture in order to identify his or her emotional expression.

Congratulations! You have completed this activity.Total Score: x out of x points (x%) You have received a provisional score for your essay answers, which have been submitted to your instructor.