Which statement best describes empathy?

• A. Empathy is the act of imitating another person's behavior.
• B. Empathy is the tendency to experience intense emotions without regard for others.
• C. Empathy is the process of suppressing one's own emotions to avoid distress.
• D. Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of empathy in psychology. Empathy refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and share the feelings and emotions of another person.
2. Step 2: Review each statement carefully and compare it to the definition of empathy. For example, imitating behavior is related to mimicry, not empathy.
3. Step 3: Identify that experiencing intense emotions without regard for others describes emotional reactivity or possibly narcissism, not empathy.
4. Step 4: Recognize that suppressing one's own emotions to avoid distress is more related to emotional regulation or avoidance, which is different from empathy.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement 'Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person's feelings' best matches the psychological definition of empathy.