This illustration depicts how our brain distinguishes and balances Right from Wrong. By disrupting brain activity in a particular region, neuroscientists can sway people's views of moral situations, thereby shifting the balance. (Image courtesy of Christine Daniloff.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Rebecca Saxe
MIT Course Number
9.916
As Taught In
Fall 2009
Level
Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
Humans are social animals; social demands, both cooperative and competitive, structure our development, our brain and our mind. This course covers social development, social behaviour, social cognition and social neuroscience, in both human and non-human social animals. Topics include altruism, empathy, communication, theory of mind, aggression, power, groups, mating, and morality. Methods include evolutionary biology, neuroscience, cognitive science, social psychology and anthropology.