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Mission of the Lab
The Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory investigates how the brain processes socio-emotional information in the service of adaptive behavior.
Our research examines the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying affective interpersonal processes. Specifically, we study the role of empathy, perspective-taking, moral evaluations, and emotion in social interaction. We also look at the neuro-development of these processes in typically developing children and adolescents using the latest brain imaging and electrophysiological techniques. Because various psychopathologies are characterized by deficits in interpersonal sensitivity, we further explore dysfunctions in the biopsychological mechanisms underpinning social information processing in children and adults with developmental and personality disorders including aggressive conduct disorder, antisocial behavior, and psychopathy.
This multi-disciplinary social neuroscience approach, bridging affective neuroscience, neurobiology, developmental science, social and personality psychology, has the unique potential for generating new hypotheses concerning social cognitive disorders and aids our understanding and treatment of abnormal human social behavior.
Dr. Jean Decety, Head of the Lab
