Introductory Psychology part B – H11 Social Cognition
Social cognition
- Cognition about the self and others
- Specialized brain areas for processing of social stimuli strongly suggest humans are social
animals!
- Involves thinking about oneself and thinking about others
- Do note that ants and honey bees, for example, are social animals too
So being social doesn't mean thinking social thoughts
- Also note that magnets interact with each other
So reacting to another of the same kind doesn’t automatically mean thinking is involved
- Brain processes specialized for social behaviour do indicate we are social
The self
The human being can see himself as an object (entity) separate from the rest of the world and look
at his own behaviour as an Observer
Self-reflexive thought
Many animals have the capacity of some self awareness
– Egocentric (self-to-object)
o e.g., Where is an object relative to me? Where is food/a mate/a predator?
– Allocentric (object-to-object)
o Where is an object relative to other objects?
o E.g. feet are at the bottom of a standing animal
– Some species also recognise themselves in a mirror so maybe share our capacity for self
reflexive thought
Disruption of self-image
Extremes
- Fugue state
o temporary/permanent loss of autobiographical memory
- Dissociative identity disorder
o FKA multiple personality disorder
o Behaviour may be controlled by separate identities
Self-reflection
Which brain areas are involved in self-image, self-reflection and feelings about yourself?
Two networks
1. Default mode network (attention to yourself, see Chapter 7)
2. Limbic/paralimbic system involved in interoception (especially the insula, see Chapter 10)
1. Default mode network
- Default mode network in warm colours: medial and lateral parietal cortex, dorsal and ventromedial
prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)
, Default mode network: some features
- If you think about yourself there’s more activity in default mode network
- When retrieving autobiographical memory the default mode network is active
- TMS on the medial parietal cortex sometimes blocks the retrieval of selfknowledge
Making trait judgements about oneself, a friend or about letter case
Medial prefrontal cortex is not deactivated when one thinks about oneself
Activity of medial prefrontal cortex
- Or when viewing pictures taken by oneself vs viewing pictures taken by others
Social cognition
- Cognition about the self and others
- Specialized brain areas for processing of social stimuli strongly suggest humans are social
animals!
- Involves thinking about oneself and thinking about others
- Do note that ants and honey bees, for example, are social animals too
So being social doesn't mean thinking social thoughts
- Also note that magnets interact with each other
So reacting to another of the same kind doesn’t automatically mean thinking is involved
- Brain processes specialized for social behaviour do indicate we are social
The self
The human being can see himself as an object (entity) separate from the rest of the world and look
at his own behaviour as an Observer
Self-reflexive thought
Many animals have the capacity of some self awareness
– Egocentric (self-to-object)
o e.g., Where is an object relative to me? Where is food/a mate/a predator?
– Allocentric (object-to-object)
o Where is an object relative to other objects?
o E.g. feet are at the bottom of a standing animal
– Some species also recognise themselves in a mirror so maybe share our capacity for self
reflexive thought
Disruption of self-image
Extremes
- Fugue state
o temporary/permanent loss of autobiographical memory
- Dissociative identity disorder
o FKA multiple personality disorder
o Behaviour may be controlled by separate identities
Self-reflection
Which brain areas are involved in self-image, self-reflection and feelings about yourself?
Two networks
1. Default mode network (attention to yourself, see Chapter 7)
2. Limbic/paralimbic system involved in interoception (especially the insula, see Chapter 10)
1. Default mode network
- Default mode network in warm colours: medial and lateral parietal cortex, dorsal and ventromedial
prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)
, Default mode network: some features
- If you think about yourself there’s more activity in default mode network
- When retrieving autobiographical memory the default mode network is active
- TMS on the medial parietal cortex sometimes blocks the retrieval of selfknowledge
Making trait judgements about oneself, a friend or about letter case
Medial prefrontal cortex is not deactivated when one thinks about oneself
Activity of medial prefrontal cortex
- Or when viewing pictures taken by oneself vs viewing pictures taken by others
