LEC 15: Social Cognition Flashcards
social brain hypothesis
- primate brains inc in relative size and complexity bc they live in social groups;
these complex social interactions recquire a large brain to manage
**neocortex/medulla ratio
- may have to do w “social brain hypothesis”
- social group sizes correlated to mean group size
we are _____ animals
- social
- highly influenced by others
social conformity
the tendency for ppl to shift their own opinions beliefs and actions such that they are in agreement w other ppl
The Asch experiment
tendency for ppl to shift their own opinions beliefs and actions such that they are in agreement w other ppl
2 types of conformity
informational and normative
information conformity
in uncertain situaitons, we rely on other ppls opinions as helpful source of info
normative conformity
ppl may conform in order to be liked better by others
when could ocnformity reduce in asch experiment
when there was a partner or when there was animosity
results of who started the fight asch (green or yellow shirt)
- increased unanimous misinfo inc conformity
- however, w partners or disagreements the effect size dec
- (group size affects blame attribution)
results of asch experiment on rates of attractiveness
- presented w “group ratings” that in 3 conditions: similar
- (no conflcit), below, or above individual’s ratings
- change our rating based on group rating
fMRI results of asch attractive experiment
- conflict zone: rostral cingulate zone (RZ)
- reward center: nucleus accumbens (Nac) activation
Simulation Theory
- the theory that we come to understand others (their emotions, actions, mental states) by vicariously producing their current state in ourselves
theory of mind (ToM)
- the capacity to cognitively represent another persons mental states and to understand that they may be diff than ones own
- (attributing mental states to other ppl
- develops around 4 y/o
imitation can contribute to…
- social cohesion
- (why we are likely to mimic friends and likeable ppl more than strangers or unlikeable ppl)
is imitation conscious?
No, imitation is conscious and usually consists of facial expressions and conversational features
(pronunciation patterns, speech rate, intonation, regional accent and speech style)
imitation experiment w helping behavior
mimicking behavior when given directions led to more subjects willing to walk the confederate to a place (helping behavior)
mentalizing
process of inferring or attributing mental states to others (social animation of triangles and ball)
false belief experiment
- classic test for theory of mind
- child is asked where other child will look for ball
- if theory of mind is developed then child will be able to understand other child’s perceptive and not assume everything they know the other child also knows
- activates medial frontal and temporoparietal junction
social animation (heider-simmel)
inferior frontal cortex and temporoparietal junction activated (triangle and ball mentalizing task)
social features of autism may originate from…
differences in perceiving and recognizing emotional expression in others
(ex: fixate on geometric shapes more and for longer durations than children and adults dancing)
ppl w autism may struggle w
mentalizing
- why characters in animations act the way they do
- performing false belief tasks
- making cognitive inference required to represent feeling states of others
N170 ERP
- early ERP component (peaks around 170 ms)
- associated w face perception and processing
- (Earlier peak for faces than cars)
