How to encourage empathy from birth: neurological roots and the importance of responsive practice
French, GeraldineORCID: 0000-0002-7075-038X
(2017)
How to encourage empathy from birth: neurological roots and the importance of responsive practice.
Childlinks, 2017
(2).
pp. 7-11.
ISSN 1649-0975
Studies in social neuroscience and brain imaging that
have investigated the neural basis of human empathy
reveal that the development of empathy is rooted in
early infancy, well before the emergence of verbal
abilities and more complex capacities in in social
understanding (Tousignant, Eugène & Jackson, 2017).
The key focus of this article is to demonstrate how
experiences and interactions in the earliest months of
life impact on neural circuits, overall brain development
and, in particular, the development of empathy and
altruist motivation in children from birth. Guidance
on supporting empathy in early childhood education
and care practice through responsive reciprocal
relationships is also offered.