From neuroeconomics to social behaviour: how the utility of smiles shapes real-world interactions

old_uid15211
titleFrom neuroeconomics to social behaviour: how the utility of smiles shapes real-world interactions
start_date2015/03/09
schedule16h
onlineno
detailsHost: Antonia Hamilton
summaryBecause of difficulties in the study of natural social behaviour, face-to-face social interaction has been termed the “dark matter” of psychology/neuroscience. Here, I bring an idea from neuroeconomics to bear on this problem. I hypothesize that the degree to which people subjectively value social cues should explain differences in their use during unconstrained social interaction. Specifically, I examine how people value smiles, as a form of social reward, and how these subsequently shape face-to-face behaviour. I show that altering participants’ social states leads to changes in both smile value and natural social behaviour. These findings are the first demonstration that stimulus-specific changes in cue value, measured in the laboratory, predict real-world social behaviour and social outcomes. I conclude by examining how people with schizophrenia value smiles and suggest a mechanism by which people fine-tune social behaviour.
responsiblesLawrence