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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Observational Fear as a Model of Affective Empathy in Mice
Published on: November 22, 2024
Humans are ultrasocial and emotional
Lisa A Williams1, Eliza Bliss-Moreau2
1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. lwilliams@unsw.edu.au www.williamssocialemotionslab.com
Abstract:
Given the highly social nature of the human emotion system, it is likely that it subserved the evolution of ultrasociality. We review how the experience and functions of human emotions enable social processes that promote ultrasociality (e.g., cooperation). We also point out that emotion may represent one route to redress one of the negative consequences of ultrasociality: ecosystem domination.
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