LEC 15: Social Cognition

Question 1

social brain hypothesis

Answer 1

• primate brains inc in relative size and complexity bc they live in social groups;
  these complex social interactions recquire a large brain to manage

Question 2

**neocortex/medulla ratio

Answer 2

• may have to do w “social brain hypothesis”
• social group sizes correlated to mean group size

Question 3

we are _____ animals

Answer 3

• social
• highly influenced by others

Question 4

social conformity

Answer 4

the tendency for ppl to shift their own opinions beliefs and actions such that they are in agreement w other ppl

Question 5

The Asch experiment

Answer 5

tendency for ppl to shift their own opinions beliefs and actions such that they are in agreement w other ppl

Question 6

2 types of conformity

Answer 6

informational and normative

Question 7

information conformity

Answer 7

in uncertain situaitons, we rely on other ppls opinions as helpful source of info

Question 8

normative conformity

Answer 8

ppl may conform in order to be liked better by others

Question 9

when could ocnformity reduce in asch experiment

Answer 9

when there was a partner or when there was animosity

Question 10

results of who started the fight asch (green or yellow shirt)

Answer 10

• increased unanimous misinfo inc conformity
• however, w partners or disagreements the effect size dec
• (group size affects blame attribution)

Question 11

results of asch experiment on rates of attractiveness

Answer 11

• presented w “group ratings” that in 3 conditions: similar
• (no conflcit), below, or above individual’s ratings
• change our rating based on group rating

Question 12

fMRI results of asch attractive experiment

Answer 12

• conflict zone: rostral cingulate zone (RZ)
• reward center: nucleus accumbens (Nac) activation

Question 13

Simulation Theory

Answer 13

• the theory that we come to understand others (their emotions, actions, mental states) by vicariously producing their current state in ourselves

Question 14

theory of mind (ToM)

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

imitation can contribute to…

Answer 15

• social cohesion
• (why we are likely to mimic friends and likeable ppl more than strangers or unlikeable ppl)

Question 16

is imitation conscious?

Answer 16

No, imitation is conscious and usually consists of facial expressions and conversational features
(pronunciation patterns, speech rate, intonation, regional accent and speech style)

Question 17

imitation experiment w helping behavior

Answer 17

mimicking behavior when given directions led to more subjects willing to walk the confederate to a place (helping behavior)

Question 18

mentalizing

Answer 18

process of inferring or attributing mental states to others (social animation of triangles and ball)

Question 19

false belief experiment

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

social animation (heider-simmel)

Answer 20

inferior frontal cortex and temporoparietal junction activated (triangle and ball mentalizing task)

Question 21

social features of autism may originate from…

Answer 21

differences in perceiving and recognizing emotional expression in others
(ex: fixate on geometric shapes more and for longer durations than children and adults dancing)

Question 22

ppl w autism may struggle w

Answer 22

mentalizing
- why characters in animations act the way they do
- performing false belief tasks
- making cognitive inference required to represent feeling states of others

Question 23

N170 ERP

Answer 23

• early ERP component (peaks around 170 ms)
• associated w face perception and processing
• (Earlier peak for faces than cars)