Essay On Social Perception

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Perceptions
NOTES… NOT COMPLETE
Social perception is thus conceptualized as part of a larger domain of cognitive skills referred to as theory of mind, mentalizing, social attention and social cognition, which are defined as the processing of information which culminates in the accurate perception of the dispositions and intentions of other individuals (Allison, Puce, & Mccarthy, 2000).
Social perception refers to initial stages in the processing of information that culminates in the accurate analysis of the dispositions and intentions of other individuals. Neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies in humans, reveal that cerebral cortex in and near the superior temporal sulcus (STS) region is an important component of this perceptual system (Allison, Puce, & Mccarthy, 2000).
In humans, the STS region is activated by movements of the eyes, mouth, hands and body, suggesting that it is involved in analysis of …show more content…

The amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), to which the STS region projects, are important components of the system. The role of these structures in social cognition has recently been reviewed and will not be discussed except to note that: (1) the amygdala contains cells responsive to complex body movements; (2) the amygdala is activated during gaze monitoring; (3) perception of gaze direction is impaired following amygdalotomy; and (4) the role of the OFC in analysis of biological motion has not been studied, but it is activated by faces as determined by ERP recordings in humans and PET studies in humans. Faces can convey information important for social reinforcement, a suggested role of the OFC. The three-part system summarized in has been proposed as the basis of social cognition and the mindreading systemin humans (Allison, Puce, & Mccarthy,

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