A resource for compassion, kindness, and love

Positive Empathy

« Back to Definitions Index

An expression of happiness or joy that results from comprehending another person’s positive emotional
state or condition.

References

Sallquist, J., Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., Eggum, N. D., & Gaertner, B. M. (2009). Assessment of preschoolers’ positive empathy: Concurrent and longitudinal relations with positive emotion, social competence, and sympathy. The journal of positive psychology4(3), 223-233.

Spinrad, T. L., & Eisenberg, N. (2017). Compassion in children. The Oxford handbook of compassion science, 53-63.

Synonyms:
sympathetic joy