Social cognition : Normal and psychopathological functioning

Alexandre Pascual (MCF-HDR), Alice Follenfant (MCF), Antoinette Prouteau (PR), Antonin Carrier (MCF), Baptiste Subra (MCF), François Ric (PR), Theodore Alexopoulos (PR) 

Presentation

The objective of this research team is the understanding of human cognition in its social context, as well as its behavioral consequences. It focuses on the study of basic cognitive processes, as well as on socially elaborated behaviors. More precisely, we study the role of cognitive processes in everyday life behaviors but also how these processes and their expression are modulated by situational, social and institutional aspects of human encounters. This team brings together researchers in social psychology and clinical neuropsychology. The research work of this team aims to provide insights to address pressing social issues (e.g., inequality, stigmatization, social exclusion, radicalization) and focuses on two main research themes:

Theme 1: Socio-cognitive underpinnings of behavioral involvement

The aim is to study the (socio-)cognitive processes underlying the adoption of targeted behaviors in order to better understand behavioral change in contexts where socially significant issues arise (as well as to devise interventions). Ultimately, the aim is to identify potential levers that facilitate desirable behaviors, such as environmentally-friendly or health-promoting behaviors in the context of a pandemic crisis, or to limit undesirable behaviors (e.g., antisocial behaviors). By examining the factors determining the onset of specific behaviors and the processes underlying them, we hope to better grasp the motivational bases driving the interaction between affect, cognition and behavior.

Theme 2: Discrimination, exclusion and inclusion

The aim is to study the psychological processes underlying the phenomena of discrimination (based on ethnicity, gender, or because of mental illness or disability) or social exclusion/inclusion, with a focus on causes, consequences and possible remediation solutions. A particular focus is placed on the consequences of these phenomena for the psychological functioning of individuals in situations of mental illness, social precariousness and access to employment, but also in the case of aggressive behavior and in radicalization processes.