Jake is sympathetic and considerate of his friends' moods. Which psychological concept best describes Jake's ability to understand and share the feelings of others?

• A. Empathy
• B. Cognitive dissonance
• C. Self-actualization
• D. Classical conditioning

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Identify the key behavior described in the problem, which is Jake's ability to understand and share the feelings of his friends.
2. Step 2: Recall the psychological concepts related to understanding and sharing others' emotions. Empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the feelings of another person.
3. Step 3: Review the other options: Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs; Self-actualization is about realizing one's full potential; Classical conditioning involves learning through association.
4. Step 4: Compare each option to Jake's behavior and determine which concept best fits the description of being sympathetic and considerate of others' moods.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the concept best describing Jake's ability is Empathy, as it directly relates to understanding and sharing others' emotional experiences.