Empathy

The concept of empathy continues to intrigue researchers and psychologists because it remains a common, cross-cultural thread that connects humanity. Edward B. Titchener, a British psychologist who studied under Wilhelm Wundt, is credited [Page 528]with having coined the term empathy from a German translation in 1909. Sometimes we feel emotions because something has directly happened to us. Other times, we experience emotions because something happens to someone else. The term empathy is commonly used to refer to a different phenomenon that is related to emotion sharing. Empathy is a vicarious response of emotions. In some situations, people may feel the same emotion that the other person feels. In addition to feeling the same emotion, someone may understand another person’s condition and perspective. Having empathy is ...