Neurobiology of Social Influence

1 Course Unit

Considerable resources are devoted to constructing mass media campaigns that persuade individuals to change their behavior, and individuals exert powerful influence on one another without even knowing it. Still, our ability to design and select optimal messages and interventions is far from perfect. This course will review investigations in social and cognitive psychology and communication sciences that attempt to circumvent the limits of introspection by using biological and implicit measures, with particular focus on neuroimaging studies of social influence and media effects. There are no formal course prerequisites, but the ability to read primary research articles in cognitive neuroscience is recommended. Students with less background may need to do supplemental work at the front end. 1 Course Unit