Salivary Cortisol Levels: A Psychological Analysis

170 Words1 Pages
psychological terms, this may comprise sharing another’s perspective or affective experience as the other person feels or as one would feel in her place. Physiological components are involved too: empathizers often experience an increase in skin conductance responses (SCRs) while observing the distress of others—a sign of distress similar to that elicited by personal suffering. The measured level of SCRs correlates with later willingness to help the victim. Empathizers and those they observe in distress also show synchronized salivary cortisol levels—a key indicator of stress. Empathizers have also been found to respond to facial expressions of pain with comparable expressive behavior. Using electromyograph (EMG) recordings from three

More about Salivary Cortisol Levels: A Psychological Analysis