08/05/2020
Affective or Emotional Empathy
If we see someone hit their thumb with a hammer, we wince and cringe as if we experienced the pain, too. If we see someone crying at the loss of a loved one, we feel the weight in our chest, too. A process of emotional contagion allows their emotions to influence our own.
This form of empathy is referred to as affective or emotional empathy. We mirror the emotions of another.