90-Minute Symposium

090-121

Social Emotion and the Brain

Session Start/End Time:

Sunday, Feb 15, 2009, 8:30 AM -10:00 AM

HRC Columbus CD

From 1831 to 1836, Charles Darwin sailed on the naval survey ship HMS Beagle, invited as company for Robert FitzRoy, the ship’s captain, whose rank precluded his socializing with anyone but another gentleman. The observations and specimens with which Darwin returned led to the realization that all organisms compete for resources, and those that had some advantage in a habitat would be more likely to transmit this advantage to future generations via their offspring. Genes that promote behavior that increases the odds of the genes surviving are perpetuated, and evolution is not as much about competition between species as it is about competition between genes using individuals as their temporary vehicles. Given the long period of abject dependency of human offspring, hunter-gatherers who did not form social connections and did not feel a compulsion to return to share their food or defense with their offspring may have survived to procreate again, but their offspring were less likely to survive to procreate. The result is a selection pressure for formation and maintenance of social connections. The human brain accordingly evolved with inherent capacities for social emotion (e.g., empathy). Uncovering the biological mechanisms underlying social emotions and behaviors is one of the major problems for the neurosciences to address in the 21st century. Three leading social neuroscientists address questions about the neural mechanisms underlying social emotions.

Organized by:

John T Cacioppo, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Presentations:

  Symposium Organizer--John T. Cacioppo, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

  Moderator--John T. Cacioppo, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

  Empathy and Morality: Integrating Social and Neurosciences Approaches--Jean Decety, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

  Neural Basis of Social Emotions--Antonio Damasio, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

  Envy Up and Contempt Down: Neural and Emotional Signatures of Social Hierarchies--Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

  Discussant--John Cacioppo, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL