Lecture 10 - Social Cognition Flashcards
What is the ecological hypothesis of the large primate brain?
Large brains are a bi-product of the cognitive demands of certain types of behaviours e.g. foraging. Instrumental skills that give direct advantage to the individual to survive.
What is the social (learning) hypothesis of the large primate brain?
Large brains reflect enhanced social skills developed through social competition. Social skills that give direct advantage to the individual to survive.
What is the social brain hypothesis (sensu strictu) of the large primate brain?
Large brains reflect enhanced social skills but these influence an individual only indirectly
What are the four requisites for empathy?
Affective state in self. Isomorphism between affective state of self and other. Own affective state elicited by the other person’s affective state. Self-other distinction
What is mentalizing?
Drawing inferences about other’s mental states, does not entail an affective involvement
What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?
Sympathy refers to an emotional response congruent with the other person’s feelings, but not necessarily isomorphic
What is the difference between empathy and emotion contagion?
There is no self-other distinction in emotion contagion
What is the simulation theory of empathy?
We come to understand others’ actions, sensations and emotions by means of the activation of the neural representations corresponding to those states in ourselves
What is the pain matrix?
Insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - for affective dimension of pain
What is theory of mind?
The ability to attribute mental states to others
What age does theory of mind appear in children?
5 years old
Lesions to what brain region impair theory of mind?
Temporal-Parietal Junction
What is the egocentricity bias?
The tendency to project affective states on to others
What is an example of third-order intentionality?
“I think that John thinks that Sally doesn’t know where the dog is”
What is a crucial brain area for social cognition and possibly theory of mind?
Medial Prefrontal Cortex
