Empathy gap

Empathy gap is a psychological phenomenon that refers to the difficulty people have in understanding the emotional states of others, or even their own emotional states, when they are not currently experiencing them. This can lead to a lack of understanding or miscommunication between individuals, and can impact decision-making processes.

Definition

The term empathy gap was coined by psychologists to describe the difficulty in understanding the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors of others when we are not currently experiencing them ourselves. This can occur in both positive and negative emotional states, and can affect our ability to make accurate predictions about our future emotional states.

Types of Empathy Gaps

There are two main types of empathy gaps: hot-cold empathy gaps and cold-hot empathy gaps.

• Hot-cold empathy gaps occur when individuals in a calm, rational state underestimate the influence of visceral drives on their own behavior or the behavior of others. For example, when someone is not hungry, they may underestimate the impact of hunger on their future decision-making.

• Cold-hot empathy gaps occur when individuals in a heightened emotional state underestimate the influence of calm, rational thinking on their own behavior or the behavior of others. For example, when someone is angry, they may underestimate the impact of calm reasoning on their future decision-making.

Implications

Empathy gaps can have significant implications in a variety of contexts, including interpersonal relationships, decision-making, and policy-making. For example, empathy gaps can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts in relationships, poor decision-making in high-stakes situations, and policies that fail to account for the emotional states of those they affect.

See Also

• Emotion
• Psychology
• Decision-making
• Interpersonal relationships
• Policy-making