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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
Published on: July 6, 2011
Neural activity during social signal perception correlates with self-reported empathy
Christine I Hooker1, Sara C Verosky, Laura T Germine
1Harvard University, Psychology Department, Cambridge, MA, USA. chooker@wjh.harvard.edu
Brain Research
|October 20, 2009
Summary
Neural networks involved in empathy are complex. Both simulation and mentalizing networks are linked to cognitive empathy, while the precentral gyrus is associated with affective empathy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for human relationships but its neural underpinnings are not fully understood.
- Empathy comprises cognitive (mentalizing) and affective (simulation/mirroring) components.
- Mentalizing tasks activate temporoparietal junction, superior temporal sulcus, and medial prefrontal cortex.
- Simulation tasks activate the fronto-parietal mirror neuron system (MNS), including inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and somatosensory related cortex (SRC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between neural activity in mentalizing and MNS networks and self-reported empathy.
- To determine how these neural networks contribute to cognitive and affective empathy in daily life.
Main Methods:
- Participants viewed social scenes depicting shifts in character attention and their impact on mental/emotional states.
- Neural activity was measured during the task.
- Self-report measures of cognitive and affective empathy were collected.
Main Results:
- The task successfully activated both mentalizing and MNS networks.
- Neural activity in both networks correlated with cognitive empathy.
- Specifically, activity in the IFG, SRC, and STS was linked to cognitive empathy.
- Activity in the precentral gyrus was associated with affective empathy.
Conclusions:
- Both simulation and mentalizing neural networks contribute to different facets of empathy.
- Findings highlight the integrated neural basis of cognitive and affective empathy.
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