Going (into the) wild: using neuroscience to understand social behaviour in the lab and real world

Semester

Semester 1, 2024-2025

Type of course

Methodological and Practical Courses

Date

November 20, 2024

Location

Utrecht University

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Duration

1 day

Maximum number of participants

30

ECTS

0.5 EC will be appointed for participation in the complete course

Staff

Ruud Hortensius (UU), Félice van Nunspeet (UU)

Content, learning goals, preparation 

In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to and asked to think about why and how to incorporate different neuroscientific and psychophysiological research methods in (their own) social psychological research. The aims of the workshop are three-fold: participants will (a) be informed about a range of neuroscientific and psychophysiological research methods that can be used in social psychological research, either in lab- and/or in field studies; (b) learn more about why and how to extend one’s research methods beyond the more ‘traditional’ instruments used in social psychological research (e.g., self-report questionnaires); and (c) actively think about and discuss such methods and techniques and their potential use in social psychological research in collaboration with other attendees during a small group assignment. 

The first part of the workshop will consist of a lecture by which the attendees will be informed about a range of neuroscientific and psychophysiological measures and techniques that can be used in social psychological research. We will focus on a broad range of methods that can be applied in lab as well as in field studies. That is, we will cover both static neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and EEG, as well as more mobile methods such as fNIRS and wearable devices to measure electrodermal activity and cardiovascular measures. After the lecture, students will be invited to think about and discuss what techniques and/or measures might be used to expand (their own) social psychological research, and to advance its implications. Attendees will work on this in subgroups during the small group assignment, after which they will pitch their ideas to the group. Additionally, they will be asked to share their (new) take on the use of neuroscientific and psychophysiological research methods in social psychology during a plenary discussion which will have the form of a debate with proponents and opponents. 

Proposed program

12.30 – 13.00 Walk in 

13. 00 – 14.00 Keynote / lecture

14.00 – 15.00 Small group assignment 

15.00 – 15.15 Break

15.15 – 16.15 Pitches of small group assignment

16.15 – 16.30 Break

16.30 – 17.00 Debate / plenary discussion of small group assignment

17.00 – 18.00 Drinks

Literature

The following literature is required reading:

• Amodio, D. M. (2010). Can neuroscience advance social psychological theory? Social neuroscience for the behavioral social psychologist. Social Cognition, 28(6), 695. 
• Cacioppo, J. T., Berntson, G. G., & Decety, J. (2010). Social neuroscience and its relationship to social psychology. Social cognition, 28(6), 675.
• Fan, S., Dal Monte, O., & Chang, S. W. (2021). Levels of naturalism in social neuroscience research. IScience, 24(7).
• McCabe, D. P., & Castel, A. D. (2008). Seeing is believing: The effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning. Cognition, 107(1), 343-352.
• Moran, J. M., & Zaki, J. (2013). Functional neuroimaging and psychology: What have you done for me lately? Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 25(6), 834-842.
• Parkinson, C. (2021). Computational methods in social neuroscience: recent advances, new tools and future directions. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 16(8), 739-744.