The Human Social Brain and Empathy (Modules 15-16)

Why is the human brain highly sensitive to social information?

Humans evolved for group survival, so detecting social cues quickly improves survival and caregiving

What is the Fusiform Face Area (FFA)?

Specialized visual cortex region for face recognition/processing

Humans can detect faces even when…?

Even subconsciously / subliminally

Subliminal face exposure activates which regions?

• FFA

• Amygdala

• Hippocampus

Two main dimensions of face evaluation?

• Trustworthiness

• Dominance

Why does the brain judge trustworthiness so quickly?

Fast threat detection helps assess danger/intentions

How fast can trustworthiness judgements form?

About 100 ms (extremely fast)

Which brain region is central for threat detection in faces?

Amygdala

Why does rejection “hurt”?

Social rejection activates some of the same pain circuits as physical pain

Key brain region involved in social pain?

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC / dACC)

Social brain trade-off?

Connection gives bonding, but also vulnerability to social pain

Humans are social by…?

Design — we are biologically wired to connect

Social Brain Hypothesis?

Larger social group size is associated with larger neocortex size in primates

Social needs contributed to evolution of what?

Human neocortex and advanced cognition

What is empathy?

Ability to feel and/or understand another person’s emotional state

Two major components of empathy?

• Affective empathy

• Cognitive empathy

Affective empathy = ?

“I feel your pain,” Emotional sharing

Cognitive empathy = ?

“I understand your pain,” Perspective-taking

Affective empathy is more…

Bottom-up / emotional

Cognitive empathy is more…

Top-down / cognitive

Which develops first: affective or cognitive empathy?

Affective empathy develops earlier; cognitive takes longer because PFC matures later

When we empathize with pain, do we feel full physical pain?

No — empathy activates affective pain circuits, not full sensory pain circuits

Mirror neurons do what?

Fire during both action execution and observation. Help understand others’ actions

What is interpersonal synchrony?

Alignment of physiology, behaviour, and neural activity between people

Interpersonal synchrony supports what?

• Emotional attunement

• Empathy

• Social bonding

Integrated empathy means…

Affective + cognitive empathy work together → prosocial behaviour

Integrated empathy promotes what?

• Compassion

• Altruism

• Helping behaviour

High affective + low cognitive empathy leads to?

• Personal distress

• Burnout

• Emotional overwhelm

High cognitive + low affective empathy leads to?

Detached understanding; can become cold manipulation

What is the empathy gap?

We don’t empathize equally with everyone (especially ingroup > outgroup)

Which brain region specializes in face recognition?

FFA

Social rejection activates regions associated with:

Physical pain

Which statement is TRUE?

Affective empathy develops earlier

“I understand your pain but don’t feel it” describes:

High cognitive empathy only

Empathy bias usually favors:

Ingroup

Mirror neurons are important for:

Understanding actions