The science of understanding others
Our understanding of other people is a complex process. It involves understanding the beliefs, desires and hopes of others through observing their behaviour. Thus, social perception and cognition as well as the practice of empathy make up the core aspects of achieving a better understanding of others. The EU-funded 'Embodied approaches to social cognition: Empathy and perception' (EASCEP)(opens in new window) project examined the core role of perception for social understanding. It began with the hypothesis of the existence of an immediate form of understanding the minds of others and their intentionality by drawing on one's own interactions. Two themes provided the focus. One involved empathy and the other the role of perception-based cognition. Both philosophical analyses and empirical studies from psychology and neuroscience were used. Empathy was viewed as an immediate means of accessing the minds of other people through the understanding of intentionality. The perceptual knowledge of another person was also seen as a significant means for understanding the actions and intentions of others. Dissemination of the research has taken place through publications, international conferences and presentations. The information will be useful for researchers in social and behavioural sciences as well as for the general public.
