Chapter 11: Social Cognition Flashcards
savant syndrome
a rare clinical condition characterized by extraordinary talent in a particular ability, such as art or math, often in the face of general physical or mental disability.
self
the subjective sense of existing as an individual
self-reflexive thought
the ability to consider one’s own being as an object of thought.
fugue state
transient states of confusion in which self-relevant knowledge is temporarily unavailable to consciousness.
dissociative identity disorder
a clinical condition characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring personalities that alternately control a person’s behavior.
default mode
brain processes that occur in the absence of active executive control; a pattern of brain activation reflecting a set of cognitive processes that are typically more engaged during passive experience.
interoception
the sense of the internal state of the organism
embodiment
a sense of physical location of the self with one’s own body
temporoparietal junction
a region of the neocortex that includes that posterior portion of the superior temporal gyrus and the angular gyrus of the parietal lobe
fusiform face area
a region of the fusiform gyrus that shows enhances responses to faces relative to other objects
social referencing
the use of emotions expressed by another individual to guide one’s own behavior
joint attention
the sharing of a common focus of attention across at least two individuals
error-related negativity (ERN)
an electrophysical marker that occurs when participants make errors in cognitive tasks
mentalizing
also called theory of mind. the ability to represent the internal mental states of other individuals
intentional stance
the assumption that others are agents motivated to behave in a way that is consistent with their current mental state
mirror neurons
a neuron in the frontal or parietal cortex that shows similar electrophysiological responses to actions executed by oneself or to observation of the same actions being executed by another.
perspective taking
the ability to adopt the viewpoint of another individual
empathy
the ability to share the same feelings expressed by another individual
sympathy
having feelings of pity or concern for another individual’s plight without experiencing the same feelings expressed by that individual
power motivation
an enduring preference for having impact on other people or the world at large
