Social Cognition Flashcards
(38 cards)
orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
important for processing reward but also
important in social cognition (see case of Phineas Gage).
important for applying appropriate rules in social setting.
OFC damage
trauma, tumors, stroke, surgery, or neurodegenerative disorders such as parkinson’s, huntington’s, and alzheimer’s diseases
-> blunted affect, impaired autonomic response to emotional pictures and emotional memories, diminished regret, less inhibited, tolerate frustration poorly and anger easily, show increased aggression, immaturity, and impaired goal-directed behavior -> deficits in emotional processing
Patients with orbitofrontal damage tend to have unrealistically positive self-views along with inappropriate social behavior.
OFC patients did not perform well on the test and
exhibit decreased ability to apply their social knowledge to certain scenarios.
OFC patients use unflattering nicknames for the experimenter compared to controls.
* OFC patients were not embarrassed.
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
is important for self-
referential processing.
prefrontal cortex
necessary for cognitive control, impulse control, and decision making
-develops much later and as a result social cognition also develops throughout childhood and adolescence.
mPFC important for reasoning about mental states of other
regions that have been implicated in self-referential processing
Don’t Venture Past My Locus
dlPFC, vmPFC, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and medial and lateral parietal cortex
neurodevelopment disorders associated with deficits in social behaviour
All Socially Awkward
antisocial personality disorder APD, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder ASD
mindblindness
Mindblindness highlights the challenges some people face in developing Theory of Mind, which is the ability to recognize that others have thoughts and feelings that are different from one’s own.
social cognitive neuroscience
My Party Friends Are Making Moves
Definition: A field of study that explores how the brain processes social information, such as understanding others’ emotions, thoughts, and intentions, and how these processes influence behavior.
Focus: Investigates the neural mechanisms underlying social interactions, empathy, theory of mind, moral decision-making, and other social cognitive functions.
Key Brain Regions:
Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC): Involved in thinking about others’ thoughts and intentions (Theory of Mind).
Amygdala: Plays a key role in processing emotions and emotional responses.
Temporoparietal Junction (TPJ): Important for understanding other people’s perspectives and empathy.
Mirror Neuron System: Helps in understanding actions by seeing others perform them, supporting imitation and empathy.
self-referential processing
- MPFC activity increases with self-referential processing
- Greater activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is associated with
self-referential processing when compared to processing words in relation to
another person (“other”) or in relation to the printed format of the words.
self-reference effect
Knowing yourself involves the physical you (“Is this my arm?”) as well as
unobservable essence of you (your traits, memories, experiences, etc.)
* Self-referential processing: people remember information much better when
it relates to themselves compared to others.
* Self-referential effect may be due to the self having a unique mnemonic
organization and also more knowledge about oneself.
hypoxia
Definition: A condition where there is a deficiency of oxygen in the tissues of the body, despite adequate blood flow.
Cause: Can occur due to various factors, such as high altitudes, respiratory diseases, or inadequate oxygen supply.
Symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, confusion, dizziness, and in severe cases, loss of consciousness.
default mode network
Peter Is Taking Red Peppers, Picking Very Delicious Lemons
Combined data from nine positron emission tomography (PET) studies
showing the regions that were most active during passive tasks (in blue),
which is referred to as the default mode network (DMN)
- prefrontal cortex
- inferior parietal lobule
- temporal-parietal junction
- lateral temporal cortex
- retrosplenial cortex
- PCC
- precuneus
- dmPFC (increases during
tasks that involve self-referential
mental activity or self-focused
attention and decreases during tasks
that involve externally focused
attention.)
- vmPFC
sentinel hypothesis
Definition: A theory suggesting that individuals or organisms may develop heightened vigilance or alertness to potential threats or dangers in their environment to protect themselves and others.
Example: In a social context, one person in a group may take on the role of being hyper-aware of the environment, watching for potential dangers or signs of trouble.
Application: This idea is often applied to explain certain behaviors in animals, such as one member of a group staying alert while others feed, or in human groups where one person may take on a leadership or protective role.
Purpose: The sentinel’s role is to ensure the safety of the group by detecting and responding to risks early.
embodiment
feeling of spatial
unity between the “self” and the
body.
out-of-body experience
During an OBE, a person seems
to be awake yet sees his body
and the world from a location
outside his physical body.
autoscopic phenomena (two disintegrations)
OBE is one of three visual body illusions
- OBE: damage to right temporopareital cortex
- autoscopic hallucination: damage to right parieto-occipital or right temporo-occipital cortex
- heautoscopy: damage to left temporoparietal cortex
xenomelia
a rare condition in which able-bodied
individuals report experiencing a lifelong
desire for amputation of one or several
limbs because they feel their limb(s) do
not belong to their body.
body integrity identity disorder (BIID)
Definition: A rare condition where individuals feel that one or more of their limbs (or part of their body) does not belong to them, or that they should not be part of their body.
Symptoms: A strong desire to amputate or disable a healthy limb or body part because it feels “alien” or not part of their identity.
Cause: The exact cause is unclear, but it may involve a mismatch between the brain’s body map and the actual physical body.
Treatment: Often involves psychological therapy, though some people may seek surgical interventions (which are controversial and not widely supported by medical professionals).
emphatic accuracy
Definition: The ability to accurately perceive and understand the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of others.
Example: Being able to tell that a friend is feeling anxious even if they haven’t explicitly said so, based on their body language and tone of voice.
Importance: It helps in building strong relationships, effective communication, and social understanding.
Measurement: Often assessed by comparing a person’s perception of another’s emotions with the other person’s actual reported feelings.
Related to: Empathy, emotional intelligence, and social cognition.
mental state attribution theory (theory theory)
Definition: The theory that people can infer and attribute mental states (like beliefs, intentions, desires, and emotions) to themselves and others to understand and predict behavior.
Example: If someone looks sad, you might attribute their mental state to feeling upset about something, even if you don’t know exactly why.
Key Idea: This theory suggests that we constantly interpret and make assumptions about others’ mental states to understand their actions and react appropriately.
Related to: Theory of Mind (ToM), which involves understanding that others have thoughts and feelings that are separate from our own.
Development: This ability develops in early childhood and is crucial for social interactions and empathy.
theory of mind
the ability to assign mental states to oneself and to other people.
* Lots of work done in children to study
development of ToM.
* Salle-Anne task has been developed to
asses ToM. 4 years old pass this test.
* Yet, later experiments with different ToM
task revealed that younger children also
already have ToM abilities.
imitative behaviour
Definition: The act of copying or mimicking the actions, gestures, or behaviors of others.
Example: A child watches an adult clap their hands and then claps their hands in the same way.
Purpose: Important for learning, social bonding, and development of skills.
Key in: Early childhood development, teaching new behaviors, and empathy.
Brain Involvement: The mirror neuron system plays a major role in facilitating imitation by allowing the brain to “mirror” the actions of others.
false belief task
Definition: A test used to measure Theory of Mind (ToM), specifically understanding that others can have beliefs that are different from reality and from one’s own beliefs.
Example: In the classic Sally-Anne task, Sally places a ball in a basket and leaves. Anne moves the ball to a box while Sally is gone. The child is then asked, “Where will Sally look for the ball?”
A child with developed Theory of Mind will answer, “In the basket,” because they understand that Sally has a false belief about the ball’s location.
Purpose: Assesses a child’s ability to recognize that others can hold beliefs that are not based on reality or their own perspective.
Development: Typically passed around age 4 or 5 in typical development.
joint attention
Definition: The shared focus of two individuals on an object or event, where both are aware of each other’s attention and intentionally engage with the same thing.
Example: A parent and child both look at a picture book, and the parent points at an image while the child looks at the parent and the picture.
Purpose: Important for language development, social learning, and communication.
Key in: Early childhood development, especially for building social bonds and understanding others’ perspectives.
