Written by students who passed Immediately available after payment Read online or as PDF Wrong document? Swap it for free 4.6 TrustPilot
logo-home
Document preview thumbnail
Preview 4 out of 433 pages
Exam (elaborations)

The Student's Guide to Social Neuroscience – Comprehensive Introduction to Social Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Document preview thumbnail
Preview 4 out of 433 pages

The Student's Guide to Social Neuroscience by Jamie Ward is an accessible and academically rigorous introduction to the rapidly evolving field of social neuroscience. Designed for psychology students, neuroscience learners, cognitive science researchers, and healthcare professionals, this book explores how the human brain influences social behavior, emotions, communication, relationships, and interpersonal interactions. The text combines principles from neuroscience, psychology, biology, and cognitive science to explain how neural systems shape social experiences and human behavior. It introduces readers to the biological foundations of social cognition and demonstrates how brain processes contribute to empathy, decision-making, emotional regulation, moral reasoning, social perception, and group dynamics. Key topics covered include brain anatomy related to social functioning, mirror neurons, emotional processing, facial recognition, empathy networks, attachment behavior, social learning, memory, language, attention, and the neural mechanisms underlying communication and relationships. The book also examines how hormones, genetics, and environmental influences interact with brain function to affect behavior and social development. Special attention is given to modern neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI (fMRI), EEG, PET scanning, and brain stimulation technologies used in social neuroscience research. The text explains how scientists study brain activity to understand social interaction, cognition, and psychological disorders. The book further discusses neurological and psychiatric conditions that affect social functioning, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, and brain injuries. Readers gain insight into how abnormalities in neural processing can influence emotional expression, behavior, and interpersonal communication. Written in a clear and student-friendly style, the guide integrates scientific theory with real-world examples, research findings, illustrations, and practical applications. It supports both foundational learning and advanced academic study, making it valuable for undergraduate and postgraduate psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and behavioral science programs. The second edition reflects updated developments in social neuroscience research, emerging technologies, and contemporary theories regarding brain-behavior relationships. It serves as an essential educational resource for understanding the intersection between neuroscience and human social behavior. social neuroscience textbook, student's guide to social neuroscience pdf, cognitive neuroscience book, psychology neuroscience handbook, brain and behavior textbook, social cognition neuroscience, human behavior and brain function, mirror neurons explained, emotional neuroscience guide, neuropsychology textbook, neuroscience for psychology students, social brain research, functional MRI psychology, empathy and the brain, behavioral neuroscience handbook, social interaction neuroscience, cognitive psychology and neuroscience, neuroscience research methods, psychology education resource, neural basis of behavior, social neuroscience second edition, brain imaging techniques psychology, neurobiology of emotions, communication and the brain, psychology and brain science, neuroscience learning guide, psychiatric neuroscience textbook, brain function and relationships, human cognition neuroscience, social behavior brain mechanisms

Content preview

,About this edition:
“Social Neuroscience has vigorously established itself as one of the newest and most
exciting sub-disciplines of psychology. Ward’s pioneering Student’s Guide is now
updated covering new insights in the biological basis of social behaviour and their
relevance to everyday life. Down-to-earth and imaginatively linked with web based
materials, it can’t fail to inspire the next generation of students.”
Chris and Uta Frith, University College London

About the previous edition:
“I stopped using textbooks more than a decade ago, but that’s about to change. Given
that Ward’s is the very first textbook focusing on social neuroscience, I am extremely
impressed. It will be the best around for years to come. It is current, broad, and
precise. The writing style will be accessible to undergraduates, graduates, and even
professors. It is the perfect introduction to this exciting new field.”
Matthew D. Lieberman, University of California, Los Angeles

,
, The Student’s
Guide to Social
Neuroscience
Social neuroscience is an expanding field that, by investigating the neural mech-
anisms that inform our behavior, explains our ability to recognize, understand,
and interact with others. Concepts such as trust, revenge, empathy, prejudice, and
love are now being explored and unraveled by neuroscientists. This engaging and
­cutting-edge text is an accessible introduction to the complex methods and concepts
of social neuroscience, with examples from contemporary research and a blend of
different pedagogical features helping students to engage with the material, including
essay questions, summary and key points, and further reading suggestions.
The second edition of this groundbreaking text is thoroughly revised and
expanded to reflect the growing volume of evidence and theories in the field. Notable
additions include a greater emphasis on genetics and hormones, and the expansion
of topics such as cultural neuroscience, emotion regulation, biological markers of
autism, power and status, social categorization of faces and people, and new accounts
of mirror neuron functioning. The book is supported by a new and updated compan-
ion website, including useful features such as lecture recordings, multiple choice
questions and web links, as well as PowerPoint slides for lecturers.
Richly illustrated in attractive full-color, with figures, boxes, and ‘real-world’
implications of research, this text is the ideal introduction to the subject for under-
graduate and postgraduate students in fields such as psychology and neuroscience.
Jamie Ward is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sussex,
UK, and Co-Director of Sussex Neuroscience. He has published over 100 scientific
papers and several books including the Student’s Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience
(now in its third edition) and The Frog who Croaked Blue: Synesthesia and the Mix-
ing of the Senses (now translated into 3 languages), and was the Founding Editor of
the journal Cognitive Neuroscience.

Document information

Uploaded on
May 20, 2026
Number of pages
433
Written in
2025/2026
Type
Exam (elaborations)
Contains
Questions & answers
$17.99

Wrong document? Swap it for free Within 14 days of purchase and before downloading, you can choose a different document. You can simply spend the amount again.
Written by students who passed
Immediately available after payment
Read online or as PDF

Seller avatar
Reputation scores are based on the amount of documents a seller has sold for a fee and the reviews they have received for those documents. There are three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The better the reputation, the more your can rely on the quality of the sellers work.
TestBanksStuvia
3.9
(327)
Sold
3143
Followers
1209
Items
2123
Last sold
1 day ago


Why students choose Stuvia

Created by fellow students, verified by reviews

Quality you can trust: written by students who passed their tests and reviewed by others who've used these notes.

Didn't get what you expected? Choose another document

No worries! You can instantly pick a different document that better fits what you're looking for.

Pay as you like, start learning right away

No subscription, no commitments. Pay the way you're used to via credit card and download your PDF document instantly.

Student with book image

“Bought, downloaded, and aced it. It really can be that simple.”

Alisha Student

Working on your references?

Create accurate citations in APA, MLA and Harvard with our free citation generator.

Working on your references?

Frequently asked questions