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Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Group Synchronization During Collaborative Drawing Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
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Shared Hearts and Minds: Physiological Synchrony During Empathy.

Jaweria Qaiser1, Nathan D Leonhardt2, Bonnie M Le3

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Affective Science
|December 29, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physiological synchrony, measured by skin conductance and heart rate, emerged during empathetic listening, particularly when women disclosed suffering. This synchrony was not consistently linked to other empathy measures.

Keywords:
EmpathyPhysiological synchronyPhysiologyRomantic relationships

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Neuroscience
  • Physiological Psychology

Background:

  • Empathy involves cognitive, affective, and physiological components.
  • Physiological correlates of empathy are less understood than cognitive and affective aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate physiological synchrony during an empathy-inducing interaction.
  • Examine associations between empathy measures and physiological synchrony.

Main Methods:

  • 111 couples participated in an empathy-inducing activity.
  • Participants disclosed personal suffering while partners listened and responded.
  • Measured physiological synchrony via skin conductance, interbeat interval, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

Main Results:

  • Physiological synchrony observed in skin conductance and interbeat interval reactivity.
  • Synchrony was present only when women were the disclosers.
  • Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity did not show synchrony.
  • Physiological synchrony was not consistently associated with trait or state empathy measures.

Conclusions:

  • Physiological synchrony plays a nuanced role in empathic responses to suffering.
  • Gender differences may influence the manifestation of physiological synchrony in empathy.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the physiological underpinnings of empathy.