This paper is based on the premise that one concept in social psychology which lacks conceptual clarification is "empathy" or "empathic understanding". The purpose of this paper is conceptually to clarify the term, and to discuss the implications of this clarification for research and theory in sociology and social psychology. This, hopefully, will stimulate the development of reliable and consistent measures of empathy, and alleviate the lack of correspondence which presently exists between the nominal and operational definitions of the concept. The author submits the idea that empathy is affectively neutral. The paper suggests that empathy occurs as an independent cognitive process, and whether or not this process results in affectively-neutral behavior is a function of additional variables. The paper goes on to define other concepts such as sympathy and effective communication. (Author/WSK)