Examining the Relationships between Empathy, Mood, and Facial

ABSTRACT Facial mimicry is an automatic process that may occur as we see facial expression and respond congruently with a similar expression (van Baaren, Fockenberg, Holland, Janssen, & van Knippenberg, 2006). Empathy is the capacity to take on and understand another’s emotions (Hojat et al., 2002). While positive relationships between mimicry and empathy have been previously established, less is known regarding the interrelations among state affect, empathy, and facial mimicry. The present study examined these relationships in a single sample. While positive relationships were found between empathy and state affect, empathy and state affect did not have an effect on facial mimicry