THE LANGUAGE OF EMPATHY: CULTURAL EVOLUTION AND HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS FROM A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Neurobiology investigates the modulation of behavioral patterns as a function of the cellular and structural organization of the brain. From the perspective of the cultural evolution of any human society, empathy is a multifactorial phenotype addressed within the field of sociobiology. Some neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can reveal constructions of emotional and rational processing that involve empathy, neurofunctional bases, and social behavior. Objective: To understand empathy within a biopsychosocial model through languages, codes, and neurobiological aspects. Methodology: This is an exploratory literature review conducted in February 2025. Data collection was performed in databases such as PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), SciELO, and Frontiers; the guiding question used was: What do bibliographic studies discuss about empathy in its biopsychosocial aspect? To better support the research objective. Boolean operators (AND and OR) were used; inclusion criteria were materials from the last 10 years, relevant to the theme and objective, and in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Results: In a biopsychosocial analysis of empathy with 11 included studies, the divergences between affective and cognitive empathy are a frequently observed and discussed phenomenon within the autistic spectrum condition; on the other hand, the coexistence between positive and negative empathy can, when unbalanced, cause psychological suffering. The languages ​​of empathy can be revealed in: social communications, self-behavior, reaction to others, reaction of others, social affiliation, social power, and behavioral disorders. Final considerations: Most studies affirm that cognitive and affective empathy have divergent neurobiological mechanisms but are complementary. Thus, these aspects show the importance of empathy for a biopsychosocial behavioral model.