A deep dive into the social mind-brain, examining the processes we
share with other social animals and illuminating those that are uniquely
human.
What Makes Us Social? is a scholarly but accessible exploration of the
underlying processes that make humans the most social species on the
planet. Chris and Uta Frith, pioneers in the field of cognitive
neuroscience, review the many forms of social behavior that we humans
share with other animals and examine the special form that only humans
possess, including its dark side. These uniquely human abilities allow
us to reflect on our behavior and share these reflections with other
people, which in turn enables us to reason why we do things and to exert
some control over our automatic behaviors. As a result, we can learn
cooperatively with others and create and value cultural artifacts that
survive through the generations.
Going beyond how we come to know ourselves and understand the mind of
others, Frith and Frith investigate how we adapt mutually to make social
interactions work. This book stands out in its application of a
computational framework--one that lies at the intersection of psychology
and artificial intelligence--to key concepts of social cognition, such
as empathy, trust, group identity, and reputation management.
Ultimately, What Makes Us Social? is a profound examination of the ways
we communicate, cooperate, share, and compete with other humans and how
these capabilities define us as a species.
