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American scientists have studied how lack of sleep affects empathy. Talking about the research
What’s going on
- A group of researchers from the University of California at Berkeley found that lack of sleep negatively affects the desire to help and the ability to empathize with other people.
- The researchers used MRI to analyze the brain activity of the participants in the experiment after an eight-hour sleep and after a sleepless night. It turned out that the prefrontal cortex, the middle and superior temporal lobes, and the temporoparietal ganglion became less active after a night without sleep. It is these areas, scientists note, that are responsible for social interaction.
- Moreover, social activity is affected not only by the amount of sleep, but also by its quality. The researchers asked 100 respondents about the quality of their sleep and how many times they woke up during the night. And then they experimentally checked whether the participants in the experiment were ready to hold the elevator door for a stranger.
- The experiment showed that 78% of respondents, after bad sleep or lack thereof, did not begin to help other people.
- The researchers also noted that charitable donations dropped by 10% in areas of the US where daylight savings time was not applied. Psychologists have linked this to the loss of an hour of sleep.
What does it mean
Empathy is the ability to recognize and understand how other people feel and respond appropriately. This skill involves, firstly, a sincere desire to understand another person and empathize without labeling him. Secondly, to accept that all people have their own views and beliefs, which must be treated with respect.
There are several types of empathy – cognitive, emotional and behavioral. In the first case, a person understands what the other feels and thinks on the basis of comparisons and analogies. In the second – emotionally involved in the problem of another. In the third – not only understands the feelings of another, but also tries to help.
Empathy is needed to predict the behavior of others and navigate the social environment: avoid aggression from another or help a person who needs empathy. Studies show that in teams where leaders show empathy for employees, people feel more involved, more likely to come up with innovative ideas and stay in the company, and also experience less mental problems.