Title

Prospects for direct social perception: a multi-theoretical integration to further the science of social cognition

Authors

Authors

T. J. Wiltshire; E. J. C. Lobato; D. S. McConnell;S. M. Fiore

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

Keywords

social cognition; direct perception; social affordances; embodied; neuroscience; VISUAL EVENT RECOGNITION; TRAJECTORY FORMS; POINT-LIGHT; GROUNDED; COGNITION; EMBODIED COGNITION; SIMULATION-THEORY; MIRROR NEURONS; LIFTED; WEIGHT; JOINT ACTION; LENS MODEL; Neurosciences; Psychology

Abstract

In this paper we suggest that differing approaches to the science of social cognition mirror the arguments between radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognition. We contrast the use in social cognition of theoretical inference and mental simulation mechanisms with approaches emphasizing a direct perception of others' mental states. We build from a recent integrative framework unifying these divergent perspectives through the use of dual process theory and supporting social neuroscience research. Our elaboration considers two complementary notions of direct perception: one primarily stemming from ecological psychology and the other from enactive cognition theory. We use this as the foundation from which to offer an account of the informational basis for social information and assert a set of research propositions to further the science of social cognition. In doing so, we point out how perception of the minds of others can be supported in some cases by lawful information, supporting direct perception of social affordances and perhaps, mental states, and in other cases by cues that support indirect perceptual inference. Our goal is to extend accounts of social cognition by integrating advances across disciplines to provide a multi level and multi theoretic description that can advance this field and offer a means through which to reconcile radical embodied and traditional approaches to cognitive neuroscience.

Journal Title

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Volume

8

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

22

WOS Identifier

WOS:000347518700001

ISSN

1662-5161

Share

COinS