In a world grappling with deep-seated division and social upheaval, empathy has become more critical than ever.

But science suggests when it comes to evoking empathy, our imagination is more powerful than we previously thought. A new study, led by McGill researchers, reveals how the different ways to experience empathy affect our willingness to help others.

Classified as: Signy Sheldon, empathy, Department of Psychology
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Published on: 28 Nov 2023

Why is it that some people have richly detailed recollection of past experiences (episodic memory), while others tend to remember just the facts without details (semantic memory)?

A research team from the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences has shown for the first time that these different ways of experiencing the past are associated with distinct brain connectivity patterns that may be inherent to the individual and suggest a life-long “memory trait”.  

The study was recently published online in the journal Cortex.

Classified as: brain, memory, cortex, health and lifestyle, Signy Sheldon, brain patterns, Baycrest Health Sciences, Survey of Autobiographical Memory, medial temporal lobes, Brian Levine
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Published on: 15 Dec 2015
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