Traits of empathy and anger: implications for psychopathy and other disorders associated with aggression

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
R J R Blair

Abstract

Empathy and anger are two social emotions that modulate an individual's risk for aggression. Empathy is an emotional reaction to another individual's emotional state. Anger is an emotional reaction to threat, frustration or social provocation. Reduced empathy, seen in psychopathy, increases the risk for goal-directed aggression. Atypically increased anger (i.e. irritability), seen in conditions like disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and borderline personality disorder, increases the risk for reactive aggression. In this paper, I will outline core neurocognitive functions that correspond to empathy and which are compromised in individuals with psychopathic traits. In addition, I will outline neurocognitive functions involved in either the generation or regulation of anger and which are compromised in psychiatric conditions at increased risk for irritability/reactive aggression. It can be hoped that improved understanding of empathy and anger will lead to better assessment tools and improved interventions to reduce aggression risk.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences'.

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Citations

Feb 28, 2018·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·I TrofimovaJ Uher
Feb 28, 2018·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jana UherLouis A Schmidt
Oct 24, 2019·Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology·Rosanna BreauxDaniel A Waschbusch
Apr 8, 2020·Frontiers in Psychiatry·Georg G von PolierMartin Schulte-Rüther
Aug 8, 2020·Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking·Sara VenturaRosa Baños
Nov 13, 2020·Current Psychiatry Reports·Katja BertschSabine C Herpertz
Aug 21, 2020·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Luis Sebastian Contreras-HuertaMatthew A J Apps
Sep 4, 2020·Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology·R James R BlairKarina S Blair
Dec 7, 2018·Physiology & Behavior·Nicholas D ThomsonJames M Bjork
Apr 9, 2021·The Spanish Journal of Psychology·Ana María FernándezNerea Aldunate
Jun 3, 2021·Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology·Soonjo HwangJames Blair
Jul 10, 2021·Nature Reviews. Disease Primers·Stephane A De BritoEssi Viding
Sep 22, 2021·Physiology & Behavior·Nicholas D ThomsonJames M Bjork

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