Interpersonal Sensitivity: Entering Others’ Worlds

Interpersonal sensitivity refers to our ability to perceive and respond with care to the internal states of other people, understand the antecedents of those states, and predict the subsequent events that will result. Guest editors neuroscientist Jean Decety and social psychologist Dan Batson bring together in this special issue of Social Neuroscience 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, this special issue of Social Neuroscience sheds new light on the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of interpersonal sensitivity, including empathy and sympathy.