PSY 443 Social Neuroscience
The abilities to navigate social interactions and cultivate social bonds are central to understanding the human species. The human brain has evolved to give rise to and support processes that are integral to dealing with social others - the capacity to deceive or empathize with others, whether to compete or cooperate, and how to understand or sometimes misjudge those we interact with. In this course, we will review core principles of social neuroscience including prominent theories and research methods. Students will utilize the knowledge gained from research examining the brain basis of social processes to understand more deeply how the human brain gives rise to theory of mind; empathy; emotion; reading faces, bodies, and voices; morality; among others. Overall, the goal of this course is to introduce students to the field of social neuroscience and its multi-level approach to understanding the brain in its social context.