News From the Field
Race and Empathy Matter on Neural Level

April 26, 2010

Race matters on a neurological level when it comes to empathy for African-Americans in distress, according to a new Northwestern University study. In a rare neuroscience look at racial minorities, the study, "Neural Basis of Extraordinary Empathy and Altruistic Motivation," which was published in the journal NeuroImage, shows that African-Americans showed greater empathy for African-Americans facing adversity--in this case for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Full Story

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Northwestern University

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