Social neuroscience approaches to interpersonal sensitivity

Abstract

Interpersonal sensitivity refers to our ability to perceive and respond with care to the internal states (e.g., cognitive, affective, motivational) of another, understand the antecedents of those states, and predict the subsequent events that will result. This special issue brings together new research findings from empirical studies, including work with adults and children, genetics, functional neuroimaging, individual differences, and behavioral measures, which examine how we process and respond to information about our fellow individuals. By combining biological and psychological approaches, social neuroscience sheds new light on the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of interpersonal sensitivity, including empathy. One should, however, be aware of the challenges and limits of such an approach.