State of the art research on social behavior

In Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 2015, 3, a really useful open access collection of review papers on state of the art research on social behavior edited by Molly Crockett and Amy Cuddy. From their introduction:

“Social interactions shape and reflect who we are, influence what we do, and profoundly affect our wellbeing. The past decade has seen dramatic advances in our understanding of the neural underpinnings and real-world outcomes of social behavior. Here, we bring together a stellar collection of papers addressing current and pressing issues in the study of social behavior. We invited contributions from outstanding scholars investigating social behavior through the lenses of psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, anthropology, animal behavior, and evolutionary biology (and often many of these simultaneously!).

By gathering the perspectives of a diverse range of experts, we achieve several distinct goals. First, we provide concise background reading on a wide array of timely topics in social behavior, from low-level perceptual processes such as imitation and nonverbal communication to more complex group processes such as social influence and intergroup conflict. Second, we identify the latest questions occupying the minds of experts at the forefront of research on social behavior. Finally, by inviting contributions from scientists who examine the same topic from very different methodological and theoretical perspectives, we highlight both commonalities and contrasts in how various disciplines approach the study of social life.”

Table of content:

Social behavior Edited by Molly J Crockett and Amy Cuddy 1

Jean Decety. The neural pathways, development and functions of empathy 7

Eli J Finkel and Paul W Eastwick. Attachment and pairbonding 12

Mina Cikara. Intergroup Schadenfreude: motivating participation in collective violence 18

Paul AM Van Lange and Niels J Van Doesum. Social mindfulness and social hostility 25 Jessica L Tracy, Daniel Randles and Conor M Steckler The nonverbal communication of emotions 31

Redouan Bshary and Rui F Oliveira. Cooperation in animals: toward a game theory within the framework of social competence 38

Zachary V Johnson and Larry J Young. Neurobiological mechanisms of social attachment and pair bonding 45

Susan T Fiske. Intergroup biases: a focus on stereotype content 51

Christopher N Cascio, Christin Scholz and Emily B Falk. Social influence and the brain: persuasion, susceptibility to influence and retransmission 58

Fiery Cushman. From moral concern to moral constraint 63

Antonia F de C Hamilton. The neurocognitive mechanisms of imitation 68

Shihui Han. Understanding cultural differences in human behavior: a cultural neuroscience approach 73

Thibaud Griessinger and Giorgio Coricelli. The neuroeconomics of strategic interaction 80

David DeSteno. Compassion and altruism: how our minds determine who is worthy of help 84

Joseph Henrich. Culture and social behavior 90

Klaus A Miczek, Aki Takahashi, Kyle L Gobrogge, Lara S Hwa and Rosa MM de Almeida. Escalated aggression in animal models: shedding new light on mesocorticolimbic circuits 96

Gordon Kraft-Todd, Erez Yoeli, Syon Bhanot and David Rand. Promoting cooperation in the field 102

P Read Montague, Terry Lohrenz and Peter Dayan. The three R’s of trust 107

Francesca Gino. Understanding ordinary unethical behavior: why people who value morality act immorally 112

Korrina A Duffy and Tanya L Chartrand. Mimicry: causes and consequences 117

Mirre Stallen and Alan G Sanfey. Cooperation in the brain: neuroscientific contributions to theory and policy 122

Joshua W Buckholtz. Social norms, self-control, and the value of antisocial behavior 130

Leonhard Schilbach. Eye to eye, face to face and brain to brain: novel approaches to study the behavioral dynamics and neural mechanisms of social interactions 136

Thomas F Denson. Four promising psychological interventions for reducing reactive aggression 142

Naomi Ellemers and Manuela Barreto. Modern discrimination: how perpetrators and targets interactively perpetuate social disadvantage 147

Rachel I McDonald and Christian S Crandall. Social norms and social influence 152

Pamela K Smith and Joe C Magee. The interpersonal nature of power and status 157

Colin F Camerer, Teck-Hua Ho and Juin Kuan Chong. A psychological approach to strategic thinking in games 163

Pranjal H Mehta and Smrithi Prasad. The dual-hormone hypothesis: a brief review and future research agenda