Simulation Theory of Empathy
Updated 2026-08-02
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Simulation theory holds that we attribute mental states to others by using our own cognitive and emotional systems to model what we would experience in their situation, rather than by applying a stored folk-psychological rulebook. The discovery of mirror neurons in macaque monkeys in the 1990s gave the view a physiological anchor, since cells that fire during one's own action also fire when observing another's action. Key qualification: simulation is a heuristic that works best for similar others and must be corrected with explicit information about their circumstances and dispositions.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Run the model: reconstruct the other person's situation and notice what you would feel in it. - Suspend your frame: set aside your own goals so the simulation is not contaminated. - Check the output: compare your simulated reaction against what the other person actually reports.
Anchor fast decisions
Observing another's state automatically activates overlapping representations in the observer's own emotional and motor systems. That shared activation produces a felt sense of what the other is experiencing, which can then be labeled and used to guide a response. Because the process reuses one's own machinery, its accuracy depends on how similar the other person's situation and dispositions are to one's own.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A8%A1%E6%93%AC%E7%90%86%E8%AB%96verified
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