Musical Training in the Development of Empathy and Prosocial Behaviors

Abstract

Music not only regulates mood but also promotes the development and maintenance of empathy and social understanding. Since empathy is crucial for well-being and indispensable in social life, it is necessary to develop strategies to improve empathy and prosocial behaviors. To fulfill this aim, researchers have extensively investigated the effect of intensive musical training on the development of empathy. Here, we first summarize evidence showing the powerful influence of musical training on the development of empathy and then discuss psychological mechanisms responsible for those observations. The conclusions drawn from most previous studies were mainly based on behavioral measurements, while the neural basis of musical training in the development of the empathic brain is still unclear. Fortunately, brain imaging research has contributed greatly to our understanding of the neural underpinnings associated with musical training and its possible connection to the development of the empathic brain. One of the most distinctive signatures of musical training is structural and functional changes of multiple brain regions, and such changes might be related to some of the empathic behaviors observed in musically trained children. Therefore, intensive musical training in childhood may increase levels of empathy, and applied research is required to optimize the training strategy before implementing music education in empathy regulation. Moreover, future longitudinal studies are needed to better understand neural mechanisms underlying the causal effect of musical training on empathy development. These findings have important implications for understanding the development of the empathic brain and for improving prosocial behaviors.

Validation of the Music Empathizing inventory in China

“…In addition, Zhao et al (2020) found that ordinary school education may lift Chinese college students’ cognitive empathy and personal distress tandemly. The current results, in contrast, suggest that optional music training may help youths enhance cognitive empathy and dampen personal distress (also see Wu & Lu, 2021). This observation is fascinating as people can enjoy sad music without being distressed (Garrido & Schubert, 2011).…”

The Positive Feedback Loop of Empathy and Interpersonal Synchronisation: Discussing a Theoretical Model and its Implications for Musical and Social Development

“…Investigating empathy in children's musical interaction would also complement developmental research in rhythmic perception and production (e.g., Drake et al, 2000), highlighting the possible interplay between musical training, social skills, and the motivation to synchronize with others (Kirschner & Tomasello, 2009). A suggested approach (also proposed by Wu and Lu (2021)) would be to collect comparable data over a range of ages that correspond to key milestones in the development of empathy and synchronisation, such as: (a) age five or six, when social interactions increase by attending school; (b) age ten, when the ability to synchronize with a rhythmic sequence reaches similar levels to adults (Drake et al, 2000); and (c) adolescence, when the brain regions involved in social cognition undergo dramatic changes (Blakemore, 2008). It is hypothesized that early engagement in synchronous interactions positively affects the development of empathy (Cho, 2019; Levy & Feldman, 2019), which subsequently enhances the development of cognitive-motor skills required for attaining interpersonal synchronisation.…”

The association between ballroom dance training and empathic concern: Behavioral and brain evidence

“…The experience of motor mimicry and emotional contagion is highly associated with the mirror neuron system (Iacoboni, 2009 ), through which induces a similar emotional state in the observer as in the observee. Although empathy emerges and develops early in life, it is flexible and amenable over the lifespan (Decety, 2015 ), and can be affected by both intraindividual contributors and social factors (McDonald and Messinger, 2011 ; Wu & Lu, 2021 ). Since the mirror neurons come from sensorimotor experience, and much of this experience is obtained through interaction with others (Heyes, 2010 ), it is reasonable to assume physical activities involving imitation and interaction could facilitate the development of empathy.…”