Social Neuroscience

Seminar series organized by Jean Decety, neuroscientist, University of Chicago, and 2021-2022 Paris IAS Fellow.

Human beings are intensely social creatures. Our lives are intertwined with other people, and our health and well-being depend on others. Social neuroscience examines how the brain mediates social cognition and behavior. It spans diverse species, disciplines (evolutionary biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, and political science), and levels of analyses (from genes to cultures). Social neuroscience provides an overarching paradigm to investigate social cognition and behavior, and to determine where we as a species fit within a broader biological context. This seminar will examine a wide range of topics, including friendship, cooperation, social decision-making, empathy, morality, group affiliations and identity, social influence, etc. It will serve as a showcase on how an interdisciplinary perspective, by integrating approaches from social sciences and biological sciences, significantly expands our knowledge, and has the potential to improve our social and living conditions.

Seminar description and objectives

The capacity and motivation to be social are fundamental aspects of the human adaptive behavioral repertoire. Social neuroscience provides an overarching paradigm to investigate social cognition and behavior across multiple levels of analysis.

The ultimate goals of the seminar are:
> Provide the current knowledge from social neuroscience to a non-specialist audience.
> Discuss the added theoretical value of causal integration across organizational levels.
> Identify synergies that emerge from interdisciplinary research.
> Promote and facilitate the communication between the biological sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
> Learn relevant things that can be applied in our everyday lives.

Program

April 14, 2022: Seminar 1 | Introduction to social neuroscience: an evolutionary perspective
Detailed program and registration

April 21, 2022: Seminar 2 | The importance of social connection
Detailed program and registration

April 28, 2022: Seminar 3 | Social hierarchies, dominance, and status
Detailed program and registration

May 5, 2022: Seminar 4 | Social influence on decision-making
Detailed program and registration

May 12, 2022: Seminar 5 | Environmental contingencies
Detailed program and registration

May 19, 2022: Seminar 6 | Empathy and caring
Detailed program and registration

June 2, 2022: Seminar 7 | Social networks
Detailed program and registration

June 9, 2022: Seminar 8 | Cooperation and social preferences
Detailed program and registration

June 16, 2022: Seminar 9 | Group dynamics
Detailed program and registration