Social Cognition

Chandler, J., Konrath, S., & Schwarz, N. (2009). Online and on my mind: Temporary and chronic accessibility influence the assimilation of online characters. Media Psychology, 12, 210-226.

by Jesse Chandler

Self-reported empathy deficits are uniquely associated with poor functioning in schizophrenia

by Derin Cobia

Beyond Folk Psychology? Toward an Enriched Account of Social Understanding

by Mitchell Herschbach

Ph.D. Dissertation, Philosophy & Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, 2010

Krpic, T. 2007. Cognitive Body Agency. International Journal of the Humanities 5 (10): 141-148.

by Tomaž Krpič

The author’s prime aim is to introduce the concept of cognitive body agency into cognitive sociology. This is going to... more The author’s prime aim is to introduce the concept of cognitive body agency into cognitive sociology. This is going to be obtained in three steps. First, a brief review of cognitive sociology will be given with regards to the absence of the concept of carnal body, due to a complete preoccupation of the discipline with ‘the body from the neck up’. Secondly, several reasons will be given for the absence of the concept of the carnal body in sociology in general. Thirdly, the author will give the arguments for the concept of cognitive body agency by referring to communication theory and by accepting the body as a material force in its own right.

Video: Enactively extended intentionality

by Shaun Gallagher

This is a video based on the paper: Gallagher, S. and Miyahara, K. (in press). Neo-pragmatism and enactive intentionality. In J. Schulkin (ed.), Action, Perception and the Brain. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave-Macmillan.

This lecture was presented at the eSMCs SummerSchool on the Future of the Embodied Mind in San Sebastian, Spain in... more This lecture was presented at the eSMCs SummerSchool on the Future of the Embodied Mind in San Sebastian, Spain in September 2011.

Slepian, M.L., Young, S.G., Rule, N.O., Weisbuch, M. & Ambady, N. (in press). Embodied impression formation: Social judgments and motor cues to approach and avoidance. Social Cognition.

by Michael Slepian

Motor movements that embody approach and avoidance shape individuals’ affective and evaluative responses to objects.... more Motor movements that embody approach and avoidance shape individuals’ affective and evaluative responses to objects. In two studies we investigate how approach and avoidance impact participants’ judgments of ecologically valid targets: other humans. One trait relevant to the approach or avoidance of other humans is trustworthiness. Trustworthy people can be safely approached, and untrustworthy people should be avoided. We
examined whether arm contractions of approach and avoidance enhanced or diminished trust toward others, respectively. Perceived trustworthiness, relative to untrustworthiness, potentiated arm flexion (approach; Study 1). conversely, arm flexion relative to extension led to increased perceptions of trust (Study 2). Thus, beyond motivational, cognitive, and emotional processes, embodied cues impact impression formation.

El contextualismo radical de Jean-Claude Passeron

by Fernando Aguiar

Published in "Revista Española de Sociología" 14 (2010).

VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS COGNITION: A COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH TO SELF-UNDERSTANDING IN THREE MONOTHEIST CONTEXTS

by Kevin Reimer

2009, « Habitus, Freedom and Reflexivity », in Theory and Psychology Volume 19, no. 6, pp. 728-755.

by Mathieu Hilgers

The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is... more The question of freedom is recurrent in the theory of habitus. In this paper I propose that the notion of freedom is an essential and necessary component for the coherence of the analyses which mobilize habitus both in terms of their theoretical articulation and in terms of their grounding in empirical reality. This argument can seem surprising considering that the theory of habitus has often been accused of being deterministic. Yet I show that, from an epistemological point of view, habitus theory is not deterministic. Bourdieu’s treatment of this concept implies at least three principles that exclude determinism: (1) the production of an infinite number of behaviors from a limited number of principles, (2) permanent mutation, and (3) the intensive and extensive limits of sociological understanding. After identifying and describing these principles, I show the reason for their incompatibility with a deterministic perspective and consider their implications for the corresponding model of action. I illustrate this analysis by a discussion of Loïc Wacquant’s carnal sociology of the pugilistic universe which reveals why it is essential to understand and explain the relation between habitus and freedom.

Cold-blooded loneliness: Social exclusion leads to lower skin temperatures

by Hans IJzerman

Co-authored with Marcello Gallucci, Wim Pouw, Sophia Weiβgerber, Niels van Doesum, & Kip Williams. This paper has been accepted in Acta Psychologica. This paper not yet been published; this copy may thus not reflect the final published copy of the article.

Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental needs. Recent work... more Being ostracized or excluded, even briefly and by strangers, is painful and threatens fundamental needs. Recent work by Zhong and Leonardelli (2008) found that excluded individuals perceive the room as cooler and that they desire warmer drinks. A perspective that many rely on in embodiment is the theoretical idea that people use metaphorical associations to understand social exclusion (see Landau, Meier, & Keefer, 2010). We suggest that people feel colder because they are colder. The results strongly support the idea that more complex metaphorical understandings of social relations are scaffolded onto literal changes in bodily temperature: Being excluded in an online ball tossing game leads to lower finger temperatures (Study 1), while negative affect typically experienced after such social exclusion is alleviated after holding a cup of warm tea (Study 2). The authors discuss further implications for the interaction between body and social relations specifically, and for basic and cognitive systems in general.

The Busy Social Brain: Evidence for Automaticity and Control in the Neural Systems Supporting Social Cognition and Action Understanding

by Robert Spunt

In press at Psychological Science; co-authored with Matthew D. Lieberman

Much of social cognitive processing is believed to occur automatically, however, the relative automaticity of the... more Much of social cognitive processing is believed to occur automatically, however, the relative automaticity of the brain systems underlying social cognition remains largely untested. We used fMRI to test for automaticity in the function of two brain systems that extant research indicates are important for understanding others’ behavior: the mirror neuron system (MNS) and mentalizing system (MZS). Participants remembered either easy (low cognitive load) or difficult (high cognitive load) phone numbers while observing actions with mirroring- or mentalizing-relevant comprehension goals. For each goal, MNS activation showed relatively little evidence of modulation by load; in contrast, association of the MZS with the goal to infer the actor’s mental state was extinguished by increasing cognitive load. These results support a dual-process model of the brain systems underlying action understanding and social cognition more generally, where the MNS supports automatic behavior identification while the MZS supports relatively controlled social causal attribution.

Empathy and Epistemology: A Quinean Perspective

by Antti Keskinen

Submitted to Mind & Language (in April 2012)

According to W.V. Quine, linguistic expressions he calls observation sentences constitute the link between language... more According to W.V. Quine, linguistic expressions he calls observation sentences constitute the link between language and world. Quine argues that the use and the ostensive learning of observation sentences depends on empathy, the ability to understand what another subject is perceiving. In this paper, Quine’s attribution of empathy to prelinguistic children and his view of the role of their empathy in early language acquisition is discussed in the light of recent psychological research. Quine also gives a theoretical analysis of empathizing in terms of perception attributions. Quine’s analysis of empathizing is shown to involve serious problems. An alternative account of empathizing is proposed.

Caring for sharing: How attachment styles modulate communal cues of physical warmth

by Hans IJzerman

Co-authored with Johan Karremans, Lotte Thomsen, and Thomas Schubert. This article has been accepted for publication in Social Psychology, Special Issue on the Fundamental Dimensions of Social Perception. This paper has not yet been published; this copy may thus not reflect the final published copy of the article.

Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold... more Does physical warmth lead to caring and sharing? Research suggests that it does; physically warm versus cold conditions induce pro-social behaviors and cognitions. Importantly, earlier research has not traced the developmental origins of the association between physical warmth and affection. The association between physical warmth and sharing may be captured in specific cognitive models of close social relations, often referred to as attachment styles. In line with this notion and using a dictator game set-up, the current study demonstrates that children who relate to their friends in the manner of a secure attachment style are more generous toward their peers in warm as compared to cold conditions. This effect was absent for children who relate to friends in the manner of an insecure attachment style, but, notably, these children not just always shared less: They allocated more stickers to a friend than to a stranger. These findings provide an important first step to understand how fundamental embodied relations develop early in life. We discuss broader implications for grounded cognition and person perception.

A claw is like my hand: Comparison supports goal analysis in infants

by Sarah Gerson

The goal trumps the means: Alignment of goals is more beneficial than alignment of means in means-end training

by Sarah Gerson

The domestication hypothesis for dogs’ skills with human communication: a response to Udell et al. (2008) and Wynne et al. (2008)

by Alexandra Rosati

Hare, B., Rosati, A.G., Kaminski, J., Braeuer, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2010) Animal Behaviour

Domestic dogs have special skills in comprehending human communicative behaviours. Dogs across a range of breeds use... more Domestic dogs have special skills in comprehending human communicative behaviours. Dogs across a range of breeds use human communicative cues such as pointing or physical markers to find food that is hidden in one of two hiding places. Wolves, in contrast, do not readily exhibit this ability, suggesting that domestication may have shaped the expression of these skills in dogs. Recently, two papers challenge the ideas (1) that dogs outperform wolves in using human communicative gestures (Udell et al. 2008) and (2) that dogs require very limited human exposure to show initial skill in using such communicative cues (Wynne et al. 2008). To evaluate the evidence presented in these studies, we first discuss several methodological concerns that we have about the approach of Udell et al. (2008), then we reanalyse their data based on these methodological concerns. We also present a test of shelter dogs naıve to cognitive testing to examine whether it is the case that shelter dogs are less skilled at using human communicative cues than other groups of dogs. Finally, we directly rebut the critique of Wynne et al. (2008) and argue that there remains no evidence of significant differences in performance between dogs of different ages in their use of human communicative cues. We conclude that the domestication hypothesis remains the best explanation for dogs’ special skills for communicating with humans.

Primate social cognition: Thirty years after Premack and Woodruff

by Alexandra Rosati

Rosati, A.G., Santos, L.R. & Hare, B. (2010) In: Primate Neuroethology (M.L. Platt & A.A. Ghazanfar, eds.)

Since Darwin declared the mind as the province of biology as well as psychology, the human intellect has been a major... more Since Darwin declared the mind as the province of biology as well as psychology, the human intellect has been a major challenge for evolutionary biologists, with some researchers emphasizing the continuity between humans and other animals, and others emphasizing seemingly unique aspects of our psychological makeup. Research over the past ten years has revealed that at least some primates have some capability to assess the psychological states of others—while simultaneously showing striking differences between the social-cognitive capacities of humans and other primates. Here we address two aspects of primate social cognition—understanding of intentional, goal-directed action, and understanding perceptions, knowledge, and beliefs—focusing on newest comparative research since the last major reviews were written on the topic over a decade ago. We first review evidence suggesting that diverse species of primates understand the actions of others in terms of goals and intentions, and furthermore can reason about some, but probably not all, kinds of psychological states. We then examine the hypothesis that primates show their most complex social skills in competitive contexts, and suggest that inquiry into other aspects of primate social life, such as during cooperative interactions, may prove to be the next important step for experimental inquiries into primate social-cognitive skills. Finally, we examine primate social cognition in a broader evolutionary context that may allow us to better understand both primate and human cognitive skills.

Social cognition: From behavior-reading to mind-reading

by Alexandra Rosati

Rosati, A.G. & Hare, B. (2010). In: The Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience (G. Koob, R. F. Thompson, and M. Le Moal, eds.)

The social world has long been thought to be a major force shaping primate cognition: the social lives of primates are... more The social world has long been thought to be a major force shaping primate cognition: the social lives of primates are thought to be sufficiently complex to have acted
as a driving force in primate cognitive evolution. This basic thesis – that the sophisticated cognitive abilities of primates have evolved for a social function – has spurred experimental and theoretical investigations for over 40 years. In this article, we highlight a selection of complex behaviors that primates exhibit when interacting with others, with special attention to the cognitive mechanisms supporting those behaviors. Fundamental to the study of comparative cognition is the idea that many species may exhibit behaviors that appear similar, even though the psychology underlying those behaviors may differ across taxa. This distinction highlights the importance of thinking about primate social interactions not only in the context of behavioral evolution – the special things that primates (and humans) do – but also in terms of cognitive evolution – the special ways that primates think. We use this framework to analyze primate social behavior, and the differing psychologies underlying this behavior, in three areas: gaze-following, food competition, and mutualistic cooperation. The ultimate challenge of such analyses will be to understand why such different cognitive mechanisms have evolved across species.

Looking past the model species: Diversity in gaze-following skills across primates

by Alexandra Rosati

Rosati, A.G., & Hare, B. (2009). Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Primates must navigate complex social landscapes in their daily lives: gathering information from and about others,... more Primates must navigate complex social landscapes in their daily lives: gathering information from and about others, competing with others for food and mates, and cooperating to obtain rewards as well. Gaze-following often provides important clues as to what others see, know, or will do; using information about social attention is thus crucial for primates to be competent social actors. However, the cognitive bases of the gaze-following behaviors that primates exhibit appear to vary widely across species. The ultimate challenge of such analyses will therefore be to understand why such different cognitive mechanisms have evolved across species.

Preschooler’s understanding of the role of mental states and action in pretense.

by Patricia Ganea

Journal of Cognition and Development (2004)