Neural Indices of Compassion

Brian Knutson Judson Brewer

Joan Chiao Cade McCall

Jamil Zaki Bill Harbaugh

Telluride, CO, USA / July 22, 2012

Components of compassion

• Cultivate a sense of concern for a person

• Appreciate their suffering

• Wish for them to be free of suffering

cultivate a sense of concern / identify

wish for them to be free of suffering

appreciate their suffering

cultivate a sense of concern / identify

MPFC NAcc

cultivate a sense of concern / identify appreciate their suffering

MPFC NAcc

Amy Amy

cultivate a sense of concern / identify

wish for them to be free of suffering

appreciate their suffering

MPFC NAcc

Amy Amy

SMA

Knutson B, Jinpa T, Merritt B, Genevsky A (2011) In Prep

Extend compassion vs. neutrality; n = 20; orange = p<.001, uncorrected

cultivate a sense of concern / identify

wish for them to be free of suffering

appreciate their suffering

MPFC NAcc

Amy Amy

SMA

Neural Indices of Compassion

Brian Knutson Judson Brewer

Joan Chiao Cade McCall

Jamil Zaki Bill Harbaugh

Telluride, CO, USA / July 22, 2012