Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T19:28:57.984Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Emotional and cognitive processing in empathy and moral behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2003

Paul J. Eslinger
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine (Neurology), Behavioral Science, and Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033 peslinger@psu.edu
Jorge Moll
Affiliation:
Neuroimaging and Behavioral Neurology Group (GNNC), Hospitais D'Or and LABS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Braziljmoll@neuroimage.comneuropsychiatry@hotmail.com
Ricardo de Oliveira-Souza
Affiliation:
Neuroimaging and Behavioral Neurology Group (GNNC), Hospitais D'Or and LABS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Braziljmoll@neuroimage.comneuropsychiatry@hotmail.com

Abstract

Within the perception-action framework, the underlying mechanisms of empathy and its related processes of moral behavior need to be investigated. fMRI studies have shown different frontal cortex activation patterns during automatic processing and judgment tasks when stimuli have moral content. Clinical neuropsychological studies reveal different patterns of empathic alterations after dorsolateral versus orbital frontal cortex damage, related to deficient cognitive and emotional processing. These processing streams represent different neural levels and mechanisms underlying empathy.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)