Social Cognition

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC)

Important for self-referential processing.

Orbitofrontal Cortex

Important for both reward processing but also social cognition.

Development of PFC

Through childhood and adolescence, along with social cognition.

Social deprivation = anxiety, aggression, and fear (in rats).

Interaction with non-playful and atypical rats = also above symptoms.

Self Referential Processing

People remember information much better when it relates to themself.

Medial Prefrontal Cortex (MPFC)

Greater activity of the MPFC is associated with self referential processing.

Self Descriptions vs Memories?

Research has shown that self descriptions are not linked to past memories/events.

Active Brain Networks during Resting State

There is activity in dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC) during self referential tasks or self-focused tasks.

However, there is decreased activity here for externally focused tasks.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

Showed less deactivation of activity when rating themself positively.

Ventral ACC (vACC) shows importance for distinguishing positive and negative self-relevant information.

Orbitofrontal Cortex Lesions

Results in unrealistic positive views about oneself along with inappropriate social behaviour.

OFC is important for spontaneous, accurate descriptions, making them unaware at the time.

Patients still can realise after watching that it was inappropriate.

Embodiment

A feeling of spatial unity between the “self” and the body.

Out-of-Body (OBE) Experience

Seems to be awake, yet the body experiences/sees a view different and outside from the physical body.

Autoscopic Phenomena (AP)

Illusory/Hallucinatory experiences. Includes:

1. OBEs (right temporoparietal)

2. Autoscopic Hallucination (right temporo-occipital or parieto-occipito) - seeing a double of themself in extra-personal space.

3. Heautoscopy (left temporoparietal) - Seeing double but unsure whether one feels disembodied or not.

Associated with temporoparietal regions.

Xenomelia

Individuals that have all their working limbs, but they desire for them to be amputated because they do not feel apart of their body.

SPL (Superior Parietal Lobule) which is involved in body ownership is silent when stimulated for the undesired limbs.

Experience Sharing Theory

We see someone doing something, we simulate that action, we then predict the mental states of others based on our own mental states from that simulation.

Says we make inferences about others’ actions based on our own experiences.

Theory of Mind

The ability to assign mental states to yourself and others.

Others and Self Perceivement

The more similar we perceive another, the more activity in the medial PFC and overlap in the activity.

(Researchers, however, say this could be to just familiarity as romantic partners have this too but don’t see each other as similar).

Mirror Neurons

Aid in understanding others. There are body part specific mirror neurons.

Findings demonstrate the somatotopic regions in the PFC play a role in understanding actions along with action performance.

Empathy

Capacity to understand and respond to unique affective experiences of others.

Related to the insular and ACC.

When we see others in pain, those with greater empathy show higher activation of the insular and ACC!

Self-Others Distinction

Anterior Insular = Active for both self and close others.

Ventral & Dorsal ACC = Active only for self.

Modulation of Mirror Neurons

Can be controlled by goal directed processes (voluntarily).

Acupuncturists have greater activity in mPFC and TPJ (involved in self-regulation).

Empathy in Sports

Ventral Striatum = Pleasure when subjective positive plays (fav team wins, disliked team loses).

ACC & Insular = Pain/Anger when subjective negative plays.

Mitchel et al Study

Two tasks:

1. Make a mental impression based on the description.

2. Remember the sequence of the words.

The mPFC showed more activity in task 1, demonstrating it is used to understand the state of others.

Temporoparietal Junction & Mental States

Temporoparietal Junction (TPJ) was active when participants needed to infer mental state information of others.

Superior Temporal Sulcus

Aids in integrating non-verbal cues and mental states.

Prolonged activity here when animated girl was not looking at the checkerboard…

Participants were surprised and had to reformulate their impression of the girl’s mental states.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Those with ASD have many differing neurological structures.

They also have abnormal activity in the DMN.

MPFC is not as active for those with ASD compared to controls.

Findings suggest the social deficits are partly due to the fact that the brain is not prepared for social thoughts that are involved in social cognition.

Mirror Neuron Networks in ASD

They only activate when doing the action, not while observing. This indicates that there is a lack of comprehension of the intention of others.

Orbitofrontal Cortex & Social Knowledge

The OFC is important for applying rules in social settings.

Decisions & Brain Activity

Impersonal Decisions: Lateral PFC & Bilateral Parietal Lobe

Personal Decisions: mPFC, PCC & Amygdala.

Demonstrates the differences in our moral decisions are based on how much we allow emotions to influence us.

Brain Structures (8) Summary

• mPFC & TPJ: mental state attribution (theory of mind)

• ACC: self-monitoring, conflict & error detection

• lPFC: cognitive control and goal maintenance

• Anterior insula: personal relevance, empathy

• OFC: insight into social behaviour

• Mirror neuron system (PMC): understanding actions

• Parietal cortex (SPL/IPL): body ownership and embodiment