Tania Singer and her collaborators (2004) assessed brain activity while volunteers experienced a painful electric shock and compared it to that elicited when they observed a signal indicating that their loved one - present in the same room - was receiving a similar shock. Singer et al. found that when a participant felt pain ____________ whereas when a participant was signaled that their loved one experienced pain ____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Singer et al.'s study found that both the somatosensory cortex and parts of the anterior cingulate cortex were activated when participants themselves felt pain, but only parts of the anterior cingulate cortex were activated when they were signaled that their loved one was experiencing pain. This suggests empathy-related processing in the brain involves the anterior cingulate cortex.

Tania Singer and Her Collaborators (2004) Assessed Brain Activity While