Empathy and Collective Action

Abstract

This essay introduces a neurologically-informed formal model of collective action that reveals the role for empathy and distress in motivating costly helping behaviors. This model is based on a brain circuit that our lab has recently characterized called HOME (Human Oxytocin Mediated Empathy) System. We review how our studies have identified HOME and use this to draw implications for how collective action can be initiated, sustained, and revived.