Social cognition

Question 1

describe a typical self reference test

Answer 1

Asked to produce words in relation to the self, and in relation to someone else e.g. the president
Then asked which of the trait words they can remember

Question 2

which brain area a re involved in self reference and how do we know

Answer 2

medial prefrontal cortex
shows less deactivation during self referential tasks than other areas

Question 3

what do self reference tests show us

Answer 3

how we process and store information about ourselves in comparison to others

Question 4

what is the resting state network

Answer 4

active when people are at rest, daydreaming and idling

Question 5

which brain areas make up the resting state network

Answer 5

posterior lateral cortices
ventral medial cortex
posterior medial cortex

Question 6

how do we know about the brain areas associated with the resting state network

Answer 6

tend to have high levels of activity when not engaged in any particular task
deactivate from resting level of activity when asked to focus on a particular task

Question 7

why is the resting state network associated with self reference

Answer 7

during self referential processing, the resting state network does not deactivate (other areas tend to)

Question 8

how do measure self judgment

Answer 8

ppts asked to rate self-descriptiveness of personality traits
also asked to associate the traits as positive or negative

Question 9

what is found about rating traits

Answer 9

Less activation in the anterior cingulate was associated when rating positive personality traits in comparison to negative

Question 10

what brain region is associated with utilisation behaviour

Answer 10

the orbitofrontal cortex

Question 11

how may lesions in the orbitofrontal cortex be displayed

Answer 11

patients may lack insight into the appropriate behaviour at the right moment

Question 12

how is self insight measured in orbitofrontal cortex damage patients

Answer 12

asked to perform task and make conversation with an experimenter
then asked to rate conversation before and after seeing video

Question 13

what are the results of the self insight tasks

Answer 13

Patients with orbitofrontal cortex lesions tended to be more embarrassed after viewing their social mistakes

Question 14

what happened to Phineas Gage

Answer 14

prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex damage as a result of metal rod through head

Question 15

what were the results of phineas Gage’s brain damage

Answer 15

became inconsiderate, anti-social and unable to plan his own future

Question 16

what was a pre frontal lobotomy for

Answer 16

performed to attempt to cure psychiatric patients

Question 17

what were the outcomes of pre frontal lobotomies

Answer 17

generally catastrophic and irreversible, and usually did not cure patient

Question 18

which brain area has been associated with perception of other people

Answer 18

medial prefrontal cortex

Question 19

how was perception of other people studied (study breakdown)

Answer 19

-ppts viewed series of pictures that paired faces with personality statements
-instructed to either make an inference about personality or pay attention to order of the statements
-medial prefrontal cortex activity associated with forming impressions

Question 20

what is theory of mind

Answer 20

How we understand how other people think, and our perception of their thoughts

Question 21

describe the Sally Anne false belief task

Answer 21

Task is used with children to determine if they can interpret what sally is thinking about the location of a hidden marble
As sally does not see Anne move the marble, she should check the location that she left it in

Question 22

which brain area is associated with theory of mind processing

Answer 22

the temporo-parietal junction

Question 23

when is the temporo-parietal junction active

Answer 23

-judging other people’s intentions from their actions
-inferring others plans or actions

Question 24

how do we study other people’s projected thoughts

Answer 24

-complete false belief tasks about either people or photos
-specific brain region reacts more strongly to false beliefs over photos
this brain region can be assessed for differential activity
-

Question 25

how are non verbal cues measured

Answer 25

ppts viewed virtual reality character who moved eye gaze either in a congruent manner or incongruent to a checkerboard

Question 26

what brain areas was found to track the intentions of eye movements

Answer 26

the superior temporal sulcus

Question 27

how was simulation theory and mirror neurons assessed

Answer 27

-computer morphing methods used to generate a range of disgusted methods
-as expressions of disgust became more intense, the BOLD response in the insula increased

Question 28

how was empathy of pain assessed

Answer 28

-ppts watched partner receive electric shocks through electrodes and also received
-brain activity was very similar for a person’s own pain and watching their partner in pain

Question 29

how was lust for revenge measured

Answer 29

variant of prisoner’s dilemma
-can transfer points to another player at beginning, knowing these points can be reciprocated
-first player plays with fair and unfair players, and then placed inside scanner where hands could be painfully stimulated

Question 30

which brain areas are associated with empathetic responses

Answer 30

anterior insula

Question 31

what brain area was associated with revenge (and why)

Answer 31

the nucleus accumbens - a reward centre (watching others suffer)