Course Description

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"Social psychology is the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings" (Allport, 1954, p. 5)

Far from being an oxymoron, social neuroscience is the study of the genetic, cellular, neural, and hormonal mechanisms underlying those things defined as social psychological. These various levels of analysis are not simply complimentary but give us new information not available through behavioral study alone that can serve to inform theories in social psychology (not to mention help us treat social deficits and disorders).

In this course we will examine how the nervous system has adapted to the complex computational demands of social systems in primates and other social species. We will focus on how the brain implements social behavior, and how social processes, in turn, affect biological systems. See the Schedule for covered topics.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the evolutionary pressures on the brain that contributed to the development of social behavior and vice versa
• Discuss and critically evaluate important social neuroscience principles, models, and theories
• Discuss how the methods of neuroscience can be adapted to study social psychology and the limitations of doing so
• Discuss and critically evaluate social neuroscience research
• Understand the structure and function of brain and body systems supporting social behavior

In acquiring these learning objectives you will broaden your understanding of human brain function beyond basic motor, perceptual, and cognitive processes. Furthermore, you will have learned a set of analytic skills that can be applied to your thinking about psychology and neuroscience research (and its presence in the popular media) more generally.