PS/NS 363 Abnormal Psychology: Social Cognition and Clinical Disorders

In this course, students will have the opportunity to study the novel and emerging area of research in social cognition in intact functioning as well as in different disorders where social cognition is impaired, such as schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, paranoia, substance abuse, etc. We will
deepen our understanding of specific psychological processes involved in core facets of social behavior in these disorders, such as social and emotional information processing, theory of mind, attributional style, and social perception. Healthy social functioning relies on the effective processing of social information. We will, therefore, also look at how social cognitive interventions target these core facets of social behavior to improve the social functioning and well-being of individuals. Much of this course is hands-on. We will learn to apply different tools that measure social cognition using different clinical cases. We will also learn about interactive social neuroscience by discussing research that employs cutting-edge neuroimaging equipment.