Which of the following is true about empathy?

• A. Empathy is the same as sympathy and does not require perspective-taking.
• B. Empathy only refers to recognizing one's own emotions.
• C. Empathy is unrelated to social interactions or relationships.
• D. Empathy involves understanding and sharing another person's emotional experience.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, which involves perspective-taking and emotional resonance.
2. Step 2: Differentiate empathy from sympathy. Sympathy involves feeling concern or sorrow for someone else's situation, but does not necessarily require understanding their emotional experience from their perspective.
3. Step 3: Recognize that empathy requires perspective-taking, meaning putting oneself in another person's shoes to grasp their emotional state.
4. Step 4: Note that empathy is not limited to recognizing one's own emotions; it specifically involves recognizing and sharing the emotions of others.
5. Step 5: Understand that empathy plays a crucial role in social interactions and relationships by fostering connection and understanding between individuals.