Empathy means to feel into another person’s biological processes, perceptions, emotional states, and their kinds and forms of consciousness in order to assess their feelings. Further, empathy means not only assessing another’s affective communication, but using one’s assessments in order to be eventually helpful to another person’s communication development. Empathy also means having a purpose to help others with their struggles, their problems, their goals, and so forth. The purpose of practicing empathy is to improve communication between people. Empathy is natural and basic to decent and respectful human communication altogether. Empathy is central to improving human communication in that it helps to develop trust, predictability, and friendlier and more open communication between people. The nature of empathic sharing, a brief history of the study of empathy, and empathic processes will be the focus of this entry.

Littlejohn, Stephen W and Karen A.Floss. (2009). Encyclopedia of Communication Theory.USA:SAGE.405

Penanggungjawab naskah :

Gayes Mahestu
Edwina Ayu Kustiawan