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Abstract
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Human beings are not isolated entities but are embedded in a network of social relationships that influence them and by which they are influenced. A fundamental characteristic of the human being is the ability to cooperate, which has been a crucial step in the evolution of complex social interactions (Tomasello, 2009; Morese et al., 2016; Lo Gerfo et al., 2019).
According to Frith (2008), social cognition concerns the psychological processes that allow individuals to live in different social contexts, to benefit from belonging to social groups. It makes possible various aspects of daily life that are based on empathic processes, such as the perception and recognition of the emotions of the other and the consequent appropriate behavior. The discoveries of recent decades on the mirror neuron system offer an important contribution to the development of knowledge about the neurophysiological correlates underlying social cognition. This progress can be considered an important step in understanding people's actions, emotions, and beliefs.
This new trend has opened a new interdisciplinary field, called "social neuroscience," dedicated to the understanding of the relationship between social psychology and neuroscience. The aim is to investigate the links between mind, body, and behavior by analyzing how social interactions affect cognitive abilities, brain, and physiological functioning (Cacioppo, 2002). This branch of neuroscience aims to analyze phenomena at three levels of analysis: the social level, which concerns the motivations and social factors that influence behavior; the cognitive level, as a mechanism of information processing; and the neural level, which concerns the brain mechanisms underlying the cognitive processes involved.
The Research Topic here presented aims to provide knowledge on the (neuro)psychological models and the neuro-functional architecture of social and affective processes to foster the understanding of the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of individuals with specific disorders. Some cognitive processes such as metacognition, perspective-taking, empathy, self-awareness, executive functions and social cognition are not just a matter of debate of neuroscience, but they have raised increasingly attention as they have clinical effects on patients' quality of life, compliance with treatment, and prognosis. Moreover, these cognitive higher-order cognitive processes are crucial for interpersonal relationships and effective communication. This is even more true in the case of clinical settings: deficits in these domains have a deleterious impact on the doctor-patient relationship and, subsequently, on therapeutic interventions. There is also more. The neurocognitive approach has formerly emphasized the association among brain pathology, metacognitive-executive dysfunctions, and self-awareness reduction.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together theoretical models and experimental research pertaining to all these aspects in neurodegenerative disorders, cerebral abnormalities, and acquired brain injuries. The intention is to provide the reader with the most up-to-date perspective on...
Language: en |