1. Jenn Hoy, Taylor Biegler, and Nicole Wong
Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution
Jenn Hoy, Taylor Biegler, and Nicole Wong
Dr. Mills
PSYC 452
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

2. What is Empathy? CE EE Empathy
Sensitivity to and understanding of the mental states of others
Evolutionary Function:
Refers to two related human abilities:
Cognitive Empathy (CE) and Emotional Empathy (EE)
According to Smith, empathy refers to the sensitivity to and understanding of the mental states of others.
True empathy integrates CE and EE and functions through the interaction and regulation of the two abilities
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

3. Cognitive Empathy (CE) Mental perspective taking
Important for social functioning
Predict behaviors
Communicate effectively
Better nurturing of kin
Manipulate behavior
Detect lies
Cognitive empathy (CE) is important for social functioning. With CE we are able to predict the behaviors of those around us, communicate effectively with others and parents are better able to nurture their children. CE also enables us to manipulate the behavior of others in order to gain advantage and to recognize when others are lying to us
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

4. Emotional Empathy (EE) Vicarious sharing of emotion
Altruistic behavior and moral development
Early development
Emotional empathy (EE) underpins altruistic behavior. The selection of EE may be found in kin selection, sexual selection and having friends who are reliable reciprocators (Smith, 2006). Developmentally, infants are shown to exhibit EE as early as one day old.
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

5. Empathy Imbalances CE EE Emotional empathy deficit disorder (EEDD)
General empathy surfeit disorder (GESD)
General empathy deficit disorder (GEDD)
Cognitive empathy deficit disorder (CEDD) EE
Cognitive empathy deficit disorder (CEDD), consisting of low CE ability but high EE sensitivity
Person would have EE dominated cognitive imbalance making them susceptible to duplicity
Emotional empathy deficit disorder (EEDD), consisting of low EE sensitivity but high CE ability
Strong cognitive appreciation of the emotional state of those around him
General empathy deficit disorder (GEDD), consisting of low CE ability and low EE sensitivity
Impaired ability to understand the emotional states of others
General Empathy Surfeit disorder (GESD), consisting of high CE ability and high EE sensitivity
Very socially adept and sensitive person with excellent communication skills
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

6. Empathy Imbalances Applied to Psychopathology
APD
Williams Syndrome EE
Autism and CEDD
Hypothesized that CEDD tends to be a part of autism
They experience the will to connect with others but lack the understanding of how. Their world thus becomes chaotic and they seek either to withdraw or develop stereotypical behaviors in order to avoid the motivational conflict.
APD and EEDD
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is characterized by lying and emotional cruelty in a person who seeks to rationalize his or her behavior and appear to be charming
Previous research underestimates the level of CE in APD
Those with APD and high CE may likely better monitor their behavior and not commit criminal behavior or get caught or they may be likely to please the experimenter due to their heightened EE
Schizoid Personality Disorder and GEDD
Marked by strong preference for being alone
Deficit in CE and Lack of EE sensitivity would lead to withdrawal
Williams Syndrome and GESD
The relationship between the two is seen in the high level of compassion, concern with justice and preoccupation with the welfare of others, including strangers
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Autism
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

7. Critical Comments Interesting Points
The popular opinion: autistic individuals lack empathy
Reality: Lacking cognitive empathy but have an abundance of emotional empathy
The prevalence of autism, schizoid, and antisocial personality disorder is more common among men than women.
Due to discrepancy
The observation of reactions to the emotional states of others
Personal gains or for prosocial efforts
The popular opinion is that autistic individuals lack empathy, which is responsible for their lack of interest in social contact. According to Smith, it is rather a deficit in cognitive empathy with an abundance of emotional empathy that is responsible. It is the imbalance that creates an inability to process social situations correctly as these individuals become overwhelmed by the emotional cues that they cannot cognitively process.
The prevalence of autism, schizoid, and antisocial personality disorder is more common among men than women. The reason for this disparity has evolutionary roots as men developed a greater sense of cognitive empathy and less emotional empathy. This discrepancy is what leads to these pathologies.
The concept of empathy is divisible into two largely distinct elements: emotional empathy and cognitive empathy. With this framework in mind, the observation of reactions to the emotional states of others can be viewed as being for personal gains or for prosocial efforts.
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

8. Critical Comments Points of Disagreement
Argument on how empathy evolved lacks detail
The argument is cited but does not provide enough concrete information for the theory to be completely understood
Weak case that females tend to be more emotionally empathetic than males
Lacking evidence of sex difference in empathic ability and sensitivity
Contradicting data collected and not enough evidence to create a hypothesis
Hardly any mention of the possibility for empathy to be learned
Antisocial Personality Disorder – not addressed that individuals with this disorder can increase “permanently low EE sensitivity”
Questionable – Smith disregards information found in existing research suggesting that emotional empathy can be changed
One aspect that could of used more elaboration in the article is the argument of how empathy evolved. The first argument, that cognitive empathy was selected because it enhances social functioning, states the beneficial aspects of empathy throughout evolutionary history; however, it lacks detail, explanation, or elaboration. The argument is cited but does not provide enough concrete information for the theory to be completely understood. The evolutionary development of empathy plays an important role in the article and acts as a basis to draw from and because of this we believe that the argument would benefit from more clarity and articulation of the way in which empathy developed.
Additionally, when addressing variation in the seperability of the two empathetic systems between genders, Smith makes a very weak case that females tend to be more emotionally empathetic than males. He begins to approach this argument by saying there are a multitude of different arguments regarding this topic. One argument goes as far as to say there is “little or no evidence of sex difference in empathic ability and sensitivity.” He proceeds to present varying contradicting data collected using iffy phrases such as “most studies” and “some evidence” illuminating that there is evidently not enough data to declare one side of the argument more likely. This faulty data creates a rocky basis from which to proceed to hypothesis that CE and EE systems of males increase seperability relative to females and that females are more empathetic.
A third and final argument presented by Smith that we found disagreeable was the lack of mention of the possibility for empathy to be learned. When addressing Antisocial Personality Disorder in particular, we found it interesting that this point was not addressed, as there is a variation of previous research that suggests that individuals with this disorder can increase what is referred to by Smith as “permanently low EE sensitivity.” We found this questionable as it disregards information found in existing research that disagrees with the aspect of the permanency of level of the Emotional Empathy in individuals with this disorder
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.

9. Q & A
Smith, Adam. (2006). Cognitive Empathy and Emotional Empathy in Human Behavior and Evolution. The Psychological Record,, 56.1, 3-21.