Social Cognition BEAUCHAMP 2020

Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol.
173 (3rd series)

Neurocognitive Development: Normative Development
A. Gallagher, C. Bulteau, D. Cohen and J.L. Michaud, Editors
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-64150-2.00022-8
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Chapter 21
Social cognition
CINDY BEAUDOIN AND MIRIAM H. BEAUCHAMP*
Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Department of Psychology, Universite de Montreal,
Montreal, QC, Canada
Abstract
Social cognition refers to a complex set of mental abilities underlying social stimulus perception, proces-
sing, interpretation, and response. Together, these abilities support the development of adequate social
competence and adaptation. Social cognition has a protracted development through infancy to adulthood.
Given the preponderance of social dysfunctions across neurologic conditions, social cognition is now
recognized as a core domain of functioning that warrants clinical attention. This chapter provides an over-
view of the construct of social cognition, defines some of the most clinically significant sociocognitive
abilities (face processing, facial expression processing, joint attention, theory of mind, empathy, and moral
processing), and introduces the neural networks and frameworks associated with these abilities. Broad
principles for understanding the development of social cognition are presented, and a summary of norma-
tive developmental milestones of clinically relevant sociocognitive abilities is proposed. General guide-
lines for sound social cognition assessment in children and adolescents are summarized.
Smooth and adaptative social interactions depend on

INTRODUCTION
the recruitment of virtually all core cognitive functions
Most of human behavior involves social interaction, and (e.g., perception, attention, language, memory, executive
social behavior and communication begin as early as life functions) as well as more specific mental abilities
itself, through manifestations such as the first social referred to as “social cognition.”. Social cognition is
smile (Murray et al., 2016), imitation (Meltzoff and an umbrella term defined as “the ability to recognize,
Moore, 1989), parent–infant synchrony (Feldman, manipulate and behave with respect to socially relevant
2007), interactional turn-taking (Bourvis et al., 2018), information (… and) requires neural systems that process
and joint attention (Kristen et al., 2011), to name a perception of social signals and that connect such percep-
few. Among all social animals, humans develop the most tion to motivation, emotion, and adaptive behavior.”
intricate social abilities and, compared to most objects, (Adolphs, 2001, p. 231). Social cognition includes rela-
humans and social environments comprise stimuli that tively basic abilities, such as face processing and joint
are more complex to process. Social stimuli require attention, and more complex ones, such as theory of
individuals to acquire and fine-tune a large range of abil- mind, moral reasoning, and social decision-making
ities over the course of development allowing them to (Kilford et al., 2016). Some conceptualizations of social
perceive, recognize, process, interpret, and respond to cognition further distinguish between abilities involved
often subtle, multiple, contradictory, and changing social in affective (“hot”; e.g., facial expression processing)
cues. Together, the refinement of these diverse abilities vs cognitive (“cold”; e.g., understanding cognitive men-
contributes to an individual’s social competence across tal states such as beliefs and intentions) processing
the lifespan. (Etchepare and Prouteau, 2017). Table 21.1 provides
*Correspondence to: Miriam H. Beauchamp, Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville,
Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada. Tel: +1-514-343-6111x35171, Fax: +1-514-343-2285, E-mail: [email protected]
Neurocognitive Development: Normative Development, 1, (2020) 255-264. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64150-2.00022-8

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Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol.

173 (3rd series)

Smooth and adaptative social interactions depend on

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