Social Neuroscience: Exploring Human Sociality and Well-Being
Social Neuroscience Of
Subjective Well- Being And
Life Satisfaction
Evidences
•
Social neuroscience seeks to explain how the
brain computes and facilitates social
interactions and processes
.
•
A key assumption of this field is
that humans
are fundamentally a social species; as such,
sociality and well- being
are closely linked.
•
Humans have a fundamental need to belong
such that social connections are as important
to survival as food and
water.
Evidences
•
Accordingly, much of the research in social
neuroscience has examined
how people think
about themselves and others in social contexts as
well as how
such thoughts influence well- being
.
•
Supporting human social nature is the
neocortex—the outermost and most
evolutionarily recent layer of our brain.
•
Broadly speaking, the neocortex is crucial
to a
wide variety of complex cognitive functions,
including
language, conscious
thought, social
cognition, emotion regulation, and sensory
perception.
Evidences
•
Evolutionary theory proposes that
pair bonding
,
a strong affinity between partners of a
species
potentially leading to offspring or lifelong
bonding, and paternal nurturing drove the
development of this higher- order, specialized
brain tissue
.
•
Researchers have proposed that the mechanisms
supporting pair bonding also generalize and
extend to the formation of larger social groups
.
Evidences
•
S
pecifically, neocortex volume increases in a
linear fashion with social group size
in
primates.
•
However, what truly sets humans apart from
other
primates is not brain size but rather
brain connectivity
; specifically, the complex
and intricate
(karmaşık)
connections of a
specialized part of neocortex,
the prefrontal
cortex
.
Evidences
•
Humans are endowed
(verilmek)
with a brain
that facilitates social interaction, in other
words, a
“social brain”.
•
This social brain
allows us to navigate the
complex communal world in which we live
and to
obtain positive, meaningful
social
interaction and acceptance.
The Methods of Social Neuroscience
•
EEG
measures electrical activity in the brain and
is most often used because of its excellent
temporal
resolution.
•
EEG has provided insights into how different
activation patterns
and frequency bands relate to
internalized attention, positivity, and well- being
.
•
Unfortunately, EEG has poor
spatial resolution
and therefore is less useful for understanding
localization of brain
function.
The Methods of Social Neuroscience
•
To assess localization of brain function, most
research has used
fMR
I, which
measures brain
activity by detecting changes associated with
blood flow.
•
When a
neural region activates in response to a
stimulus, blood flow to the region increases
as
nutrients and oxygen are delivered.
•
Essentially, fMRI
is able to identify brain
regions whose activity is correlated with
mental states
or behavior.
Identifying the Networks
•
T
he
default network
plays an especially
prominent role in well- being
.
•
The default network
is maximally active at
rest. That is, when a person is lying in the
scanner without
an external task, activity
within this network is very high.
•
Several theorists believe
that the default
network is involved in various aspects of self-
reflection
.
Identifying the Networks
•
Whenever a person is asked to perform a
task,
irrespective of task type, the default networks
shows a reduction in activity.
•
Dysfunction within this network is associated
with a wide range of psychological disorders
including
: depressive disorders, anxiety
disorders, other types of psychopathology such
as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and autism
spectrum disorders, abnormalities in aging.
The Social Brain and Well- Being
•
W
ell- being requires a functioning social brain.
But, what does the brain need to
do to allow it
to be social?
•
Given the fundamental need to belong, a
social brain
system needs to monitor signs of
social inclusion or exclusion and alter behavior
to
forestall
(önüne geçmek)
rejection or
resolve other social problems
.
The Social Brain and Well- Being
•
Such a system requires four components, each
of which is
likely to have a discrete neural
signature.
•
First, people need self- knowledge
—to be
aware of their behavior so as to gauge
(ölçmek)
it against societal or group norms.
•
Thus,
having a self serves an adaptive function
for group living.
The Social Brain and Well- Being
•
Second, people need to
understand how
others are reacting to their behavior so as to
predict how others
will respond to them
. In
other words they need “ theory of mind,” the
capacity to
attribute mental states to others.
•
This implies the need for
a third mechanism,
one that detects threat
, especially in complex
situations.
The Social Brain and Well- Being
•
Finally, there needs to be a
self- regulatory
mechanism
for resolving discrepancies
between self- knowledge and
social
expectations or norms, thereby motivating
behavior to resolve any conflict
that exists.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and
Social Belonging
•
Given the importance of creating and
maintaining relationships for well- being,
people ought to possess some sort of neural
mechanism to monitor their status within
their group.
•
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),
traditionally associated
with detecting threats
of social exclusion, is one such region
.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and
Social Belonging
•
Failure to form social relationships with others
threatens health and well- being
and leads to
feelings of loneliness.
•
Loneliness
refers to
feeling distressed about the
quantity or, more perhaps more importantly, the
quality of one’s social
.
•
Loneliness is associated
with a host of
psychological difficulties, cognitive deficiencies,
sleeping problems,
abnormal physiological
function, irregularities in the neuroendocrine
system, and
improper immune functioning
.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and
Social Belonging
•
A
defining mark of loneliness is deriving little
pleasure from social interactions. By
contrast,
in most instances, those who are not lonely
find social interaction rewarding.
•
Some of the first work examining the neural
mechanisms associated with
loneliness
examined the reward system.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and
Social Belonging
•
https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_
on_the_state_of_psychology/transcript?langu
age=tr
•
Happy place exercise
Social neuroscience delves into how the brain processes social interactions and their impact on human well-being. It focuses on the interconnectedness between social connections and overall life satisfaction, suggesting that humans are inherently social beings with a strong need for social belonging. Research in this field often examines the role of the neocortex in complex cognitive functions related to social cognition, emotion regulation, and sensory perception. Evolutionary theory supports the idea that brain connectivity, particularly within the prefrontal cortex, is crucial for human social behavior. Ultimately, our social brain allows us to navigate the intricate social world, fostering positive and meaningful interactions.
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Presentation Transcript
Social Neuroscience Of Subjective Well- Being And Life Satisfaction
Evidences Social neuroscience seeks to explain how the brain computes and facilitates social interactions and processes. A key assumption of this field is that humans are fundamentally a social species; as such, sociality and well- being are closely linked. Humans have a fundamental need to belong such that social connections are as important to survival as food and water.
Evidences Accordingly, much of the research in social neuroscience has examined how people think about themselves and others in social contexts as well as how such thoughts influence well- being. Supporting human social nature is the neocortex the outermost and most evolutionarily recent layer of our brain. Broadly speaking, the neocortex is crucial to a wide variety of complex cognitive functions, including language, conscious thought, social cognition, emotion regulation, and sensory perception.
Evidences Evolutionary theory proposes that pair bonding, a strong affinity between partners of a species potentially leading to offspring or lifelong bonding, and paternal nurturing drove the development of this higher- order, specialized brain tissue. Researchers have proposed that the mechanisms supporting pair bonding also generalize and extend to the formation of larger social groups.
Evidences Specifically, neocortex volume increases in a linear fashion with social group size in primates. However, what truly sets humans apart from other primates is not brain size but rather brain connectivity; specifically, the complex and intricate (karma k) connections of a specialized part of neocortex, the prefrontal cortex.
Evidences Humans are endowed (verilmek) with a brain that facilitates social interaction, in other words, a social brain . This social brain allows us to navigate the complex communal world in which we live and to obtain positive, meaningful social interaction and acceptance.
The Methods of Social Neuroscience EEG measures electrical activity in the brain and is most often used because of its excellent temporal resolution. EEG has provided insights into how different activation patterns and frequency bands relate to internalized attention, positivity, and well- being. Unfortunately, EEG has poor spatial resolution and therefore is less useful for understanding localization of brain function.
The Methods of Social Neuroscience To assess localization of brain function, most research has used fMRI, which measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. When a neural region activates in response to a stimulus, blood flow to the region increases as nutrients and oxygen are delivered. Essentially, fMRI is able to identify brain regions whose activity is correlated with mental states or behavior.
Identifying the Networks The default network plays an especially prominent role in well- being. The default network is maximally active at rest. That is, when a person is lying in the scanner without an external task, activity within this network is very high. Several theorists believe that the default network is involved in various aspects of self- reflection.
Identifying the Networks Whenever a person is asked to perform a task, irrespective of task type, the default networks shows a reduction in activity. Dysfunction within this network is associated with a wide range of psychological disorders including: depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, other types of psychopathology such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorders, abnormalities in aging.
The Social Brain and Well- Being Well- being requires a functioning social brain. But, what does the brain need to do to allow it to be social? Given the fundamental need to belong, a social brain system needs to monitor signs of social inclusion or exclusion and alter behavior to forestall ( n ne ge mek) rejection or resolve other social problems.
The Social Brain and Well- Being Such a system requires four components, each of which is likely to have a discrete neural signature. First, people need self- knowledge to be aware of their behavior so as to gauge ( l mek) it against societal or group norms. Thus, having a self serves an adaptive function for group living.
The Social Brain and Well- Being Second, people need to understand how others are reacting to their behavior so as to predict how others will respond to them. In other words they need theory of mind, the capacity to attribute mental states to others. This implies the need for a third mechanism, one that detects threat, especially in complex situations.
The Social Brain and Well- Being Finally, there needs to be a self- regulatory mechanism for resolving discrepancies between self- knowledge and social expectations or norms, thereby motivating behavior to resolve any conflict that exists.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and Social Belonging Given the importance of creating and maintaining relationships for well- being, people ought to possess some sort of neural mechanism to monitor their status within their group. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), traditionally associated with detecting threats of social exclusion, is one such region.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and Social Belonging Failure to form social relationships with others threatens health and well- being and leads to feelings of loneliness. Loneliness refers to feeling distressed about the quantity or, more perhaps more importantly, the quality of one s social. Loneliness is associated with a host of psychological difficulties, cognitive deficiencies, sleeping problems, abnormal physiological function, irregularities in the neuroendocrine system, and improper immune functioning.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and Social Belonging A defining mark of loneliness is deriving little pleasure from social interactions. By contrast, in most instances, those who are not lonely find social interaction rewarding. Some of the first work examining the neural mechanisms associated with loneliness examined the reward system.
Neuroscience of Threat Detection and Social Belonging https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_ on_the_state_of_psychology/transcript?langu age=tr Happy place exercise
