Objective
Social neuroscientists study the neural mechanisms underlying our capacity to understand our own and other people’s feelings. Despite neuroscientists’ advances in plasticity research and empathy research, little is known about cortical and behavioural plasticity in emotion understanding and empathy. Clearly, in today’s world, acquiring the capacity to effectively enhance empathy and prosocial behaviour is of the utmost importance. In the present project, we will investigate the malleability of empathy via training. We will adopt a multimethod and interdisciplinary approach, combining techniques and paradigms from the fields of neuroscience, (bio-)psychology, and economics. Studies 1-3 will provide a cross-sectional look at structural and functional differences in the brains of individuals scoring high vs. low on empathy, of those with pathological deficits in empathy (psychopaths, alexithymics), and of individuals starting vs. finishing a three-year training program in Carl Rogers’ person-centred therapy, which aims to increase emotional capacity and empathy. Study 4 will examine brain plasticity using real-time fMRI: Participants will learn to self-regulate brain activity through the use of immediate feedback from emotion-related brain areas while practicing certain mental techniques. In Study 5, a small-scale longitudinal study, healthy individuals will receive extensive training by professional instructors in either empathy- or memory-enhancing techniques previously developed in the East and the West. We will measure training-related changes in brain structure and functioning, in hormone levels, and in behaviour. Evidence for emotional brain plasticity in adults and children would not only have important implications for the implementation of scientifically validated, effective training programs for schools and for economic and political organizations, but also for the treatment of the marked social deficits in autistic and psychopathic populations.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- social sciences economics and business economics
- social sciences psychology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2007-StG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.