Chapter 12: The Socioemotional Brain and Social Dynamics

Social Brain Hypothesis

The idea that the human brain evolved primarily to form and maintain social groups.

Brain size and group size

Brain size is related to group size—bigger brains can handle bigger social networks.

Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Region involved in thinking about other people, yourself, and understanding social information.

Theory of mind

Supports understanding what others are thinking/feeling.

Schemas

Organized knowledge about social concepts.

Amygdala

Responsible for threat detection and activating the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).

Reappraisal/Distancing Arousal

The brain's ability to regulate emotional responses by rethinking or distancing oneself from emotional triggers.

Ingroup

A group you belong to (e.g., your sports team, college).

Outgroup

A group you do not belong to.

Social Identity Theory

We derive part of our self-esteem from the groups we belong to.

Minimal Group Paradigm

Even arbitrary groupings (like flipping a coin) are enough for people to favor their ingroup and horde resources.

Reciprocity

Treating others how they treat us.

Transitivity

Group members feel the same way about others (friends of friends are friends; enemies of friends are enemies).

Ingroup Favoritism

Treating ingroup members better than outgroup members.

Wage Gaps Example

One mechanism contributing to gender-based wage gaps (though systemic factors also play a major role).

Preferential Theory of Mind

Increased prefrontal cortex activity when thinking about ingroup members.

Actor/Observer Discrepancy

You make situational attributions for your own behavior but personal attributions for others' behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overemphasizing personal traits and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

Tendency to view outgroup members as more similar to one another than ingroup members.

Dehumanization

Seeing outgroup members as less human or less complex, leading to lower theory of mind and less inhibition of threat responses.

Asch Conformity Experiment

Participants conformed to incorrect group answers on simple tasks 75% of the time.

Normative Influence

Going along with the group to avoid standing out or looking foolish.

Informational Influence

Using the group's behavior as information to resolve uncertainty.

Group Size Effect

Conformity peaks at a group of about 7.

Group Polarization

Group opinions shift toward extremes after discussion.

Groupthink

Suppressing personal doubts to maintain group harmony, especially under time pressure or power dynamics.

Bystander Intervention Effect

Failure to help when responsibility is spread across many people.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and personal responsibility in groups, which can lead to risky or unethical behavior.

Milgram's Obedience Study

Participants delivered fake electric shocks to a learner because an authority figure told them to.

Aggression

Behavior intended to harm another person.

Testosterone

Increases aggression, activates the amygdala, and reduces prefrontal control.

Culture of Honor

Cultural norm where reputation is protected through aggression, common in southern U.S. men.

Altruism

Helping others without expecting a reward.

Inclusive Fitness

Helping relatives to ensure genetic survival.

Reciprocal Altruism

Helping someone with the expectation they'll help you later.

Explicit Attitudes

Conscious beliefs you're aware of.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious biases that influence behavior.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Measures implicit biases, such as racial bias.

Controversy About IAT

Debate about whether the IAT predicts behavior or reflects contextual exposure.

Secure Attachment

Comfortable with intimacy and independence.

Avoidant Attachment

Withdraws from emotional closeness.

Ambivalent Attachment

Clingy, needs constant validation.

Bad Conflict Patterns

Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling (withdrawing).

Healthy Conflict Patterns

Understanding, physical touch, quality time, thoughtful gestures.