L13 Flashcards
what is Social Cognition
How people process, store, and apply information
about other people and social situations
what are the Seven key processes required for
successful human social interaction:
social perception
social inferences, such as mentalizing
social learning
social signalling through verbal and nonverbal cues
social drives (e.g. act to increase one’s status);
ability to determine the social identity of agents, including oneself (gender, age, ect)
minimise uncertainty within the current social context
by integrating sensory signals and inferences.
what is the Simulation theory
it has to do with understanding others
proposes that some aspects of our
ability to understand others is based on our ability to mimic
their experience - to mentalise and empathise
Our brains are set up so they we can observe other propels behaviours and activate regions of the brain that would be active if we were doing than
what are Mirror neurons
first described in ventral premotor cortex, but since discovered in a wide range of brain regions
they provide a link between other peoples actions and your own actions
what is some evidence for the simulation theory
Mirror neurons
when would mirror neurons fire
at rest = nothing
doing a grasping action the mirror neurons would fire
then if you were to watch someone else completing a grasping action the same neurons would fire
when you look at neuron that more more posterior and inferior in the temporal cortex what would you see
in terms of when they fire
you will find neurons that fire when observing an action but not when you are doing said action
what is meant by “mirror neurons encode the intention of an actor”
different neurons will fire when a monkey reaches out to grab something with the intention to eat it compared to if it was reaching out to just inspect it
therefore the neurons are discriminating what you are going to do with the object
what is some evidence that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) interrupts action recognition
(applyed over premotor cortex)
when TMS what applyed over the hand area of the PMC the participant would have trouble recognising a hand in a video
therefore the PMC plays a causal role in action understanding
what is a faux pas test
Jill had just moved into a new flat. Jill went shopping and bought some new curtains for her bedroom. When she had just finished decorating the flat, her best friend, Lisa, came over. Jill gave her a tour of the flat and asked,
“How do you like my
bedroom?”
“Those curtains are horrible,” Lisa said. “I hope you’re going to get some new ones!”
the participants would then be assessed on what elements of the test they picked up on
1) Detecting a faux pas.
Did anyone say something they shouldn’t have said?
2) Understanding the faux pas. Who said something they shouldn’t have?
3) Understanding the recipient’s mental state
Why should they not have said it?
4) Understanding the speaker’s mental state
Why did he or she say it?
5) Details of story (control question)
in terms of the faux pas test, what aspect would you expect participants with PFC lesions to do bad in
4) Understanding the speaker’s mental state
Why did he or she say it?
what are the neural correlates of social connection
self focused
other focused
what area of the brain is activated in self focused neural correlates of social connection
the vmPFC
what area of the brain is activated in other focused neural correlates of social connection
ACC
anterior cingulate cortex
what is the anatomy of social cognition
Social cognition is distributed across a number of different brain areas
what are modifiable risk factors of dementia
low education
midlife hearing loss
obesity and hypertension
late-life depression
smoking
physical inactivity
diabetes
social isolation (reduced social connection)
what is structural social cognition
the existence of and the interconnection among different social relationships and roles
what are some examples of structural social cognition
marital status
social networks
social integration
social isolation
what is functional social cognition
functions provided by or perceived to be available because of social relationships
what are some examples of functional social cognition
received support
perceived social support
perceived loneliness
what is quality social cognition
the positive and negative aspects of social relationships
what are some examples of quality social cognition
marital quality
relationship strain
social inclusion or exclusion
what can be seen when looking at studies of social connection over an 18 year period
The group that were most isolated they have very poor outcomes
At 15 years then 75% have passed away
what is the percentage of individuals developing dementia over a 3 year period for
Living with others
Living alone
Not feeling lonely
Feelings of loneliness
Living with others = 6%
Living alone = 9%
Not feeling lonely = 6%
Feelings of loneliness = 13%
what is the social control hypothesis
Impact of friends and family on health behaviours through
obligations and influences e.g. sleep-diet exercise
what is the evolutionary hypothesis
Social structures and behaviours have evolved
All contribute to survival and reproduction and the underlying mechanisms are instantiated in the brain
We have evolved to be more likely to survive if we live in social groups
The brain works hard to get you into social situations and when you are not then the brain will starts sending out signals that may be detrimental for your health
what are some examples of how the human perceptual system has evolved
to decipher cues across diverse social landscapes.
there’s 7
Detecting Social danger
Detecting kin and group members
Detecting disease and health
Fitness and beauty
Trust and cheaters
Protection and Competence
Status and Dominance
Isolation also activates brain regions to promote short-term preservation. this leads to increased…
(6 examples)
vigilance for social threats
anxiety
hostility
decreased impulse control
attention to negative social stimuli
cortisol release
Isolation promoting short-term preservation is a good thing evolutionary but it is not now. why
evolutionary is you were lonely you were in a dangerous situation
now there is usually no need for these behaviours and will only drive more people away
what is one thing that could lower cortisol levels
marriage
what do increased cortisol levels cause
Disrupts sleep, immune function and cognition
Increased cortisol levels predict Alzheimer’s risk
long term levels of cortisol are bad
how has social interaction changed over time
Now it is more likely that people are living on their own
In every country there is a marked increase
When living alone it is more likely that you are going to be socially isolated
How has social connection changed over time?
In a recent survey of 20,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older,
almost half report feeling alone (40%) or left out (47 %).
One in four (27 %) feel they are not understood.
Two in five (43 %) feel relations are not meaningful and that
they feel isolated (43%).
Despite having a large amount of social media use they still felt as though they had low social interaction
Does connection through the internet substitute
for face-to-face interactions?
Participants in the highest quartile of social media use had twice the odds of perceived social isolation than those in the lowest quartile
explain what is meant by the chicken and the egg issue with social media use and social connection
It’s possible that people who feel socially isolated look to social media to help fill the void.
Or, it may be that spending hours on social media, rather
than on other activities, encourages feelings of isolation and even jealousy.
why do we need to be cautious of a strong evolutionary approach
could be interpreted to mean that behaviour is rigidly determined (lack of free-will).
could be used to justify the status quo, entrench ruling
elites, and legitimize authoritarian political programmes (Social Darwinism – the survival of the fittest).
Some explanations might be unfalsifiable
A modern understanding acknowledges that Nature and Nuture are interwoven
what are epigenetics
When environment changes the genetics
eg the environmental effect of gene expression involved in obesity
A modern understanding acknowledges
that Nature and Nuture are interwoven
what does this mean
The way people select, modify and create environments is
correlated with their genetic disposition.
Biologists have established that many genes cannot
influence development independently of environmental
factors (epigenetics).
Genetic and nongenetic factors
always cooperate to build traits.
As an example, consider the developmental pathway a 10-year-old boy presenting to a mental health professional for high levels of aggressive behavior. He may have inherited a genetically-based temperamental predisposition to being aggressive. As a young child, that tendency to become irritable and angry would then often evoke more negative responses in other people such as parents, who may themselves struggle with controlling their own anger. These interactions begin to snowball, affecting his schoolwork and friendships and, through epigenetic mechanisms, all of these experiences cause this child’s brain to grow differently.
