The neural basis of emotional generalization in empathy
Jiayang Xiao, Anusha B. Allawala, Joshua A. Adkinson, Xiaoxu Fan, Melissa C. Franch, Victoria Gates, Raissa K. Mathura, Madaline M. Mocchi, John Myers, Bailey Pascuzzi, Suhruthaa Pulapaka, Garrett P. Banks, Eleonora Bartoli, Wayne K. Goodman, Sanjay J. Mathew, , Benjamin Y. Hayden
This study investigates how the brain generalizes emotions across individuals, finding that the insula encodes emotions and persons separately, enabling cross-person generalization.
bioRxiv · Oct 18, 2025 · PreprintNeuroscience