Table 2.
What We Knew all along (but Sometimes Forgot) | What We Have Learned | What We Still Need to Know |
---|---|---|
All animals show social behavior. Thus, we should study not only humans. |
Social processes cannot be localized to one brain region. There are distributed systems. |
Are social processes different from nonsocial processes? If so, why and how? |
All behavior depends on the brain. Thus, neurobiology can inform social psychology. |
fMRI results cannot be interpreted easily. You need an expert community for advice. |
How far down can we translate social concepts? What vocabulary can we apply across all levels? |
The brain interacts with the body. Thus, body and immune system also matter. |
A single discipline is inadequate to understand social behavior. You need collaboration. |
What is unique about human social cognition? And how is any uniqueness represented at the neural level? |
There are individual differences. Thus, we have to study individuals as well as groups. |
Our concepts for social processes need revision. Not all good old theories will survive. |
What are the changes in social cognition across the lifespan? How does it emerge in infancy, childhood, adolescence; how does it change in aging? |