Interpersonal Neuroscience

Interpersonal neuroscience signifies a major paradigm shift in the study of the human brain. This is because neuroscience has traditionally focused on studying the individual brain, in what has been characterized as ?the ?Lone Ranger? approach (Rimé, 2009). Interpersonal neuroscience necessitates fundamentally new ways of thinking about the brain, and, indeed, about thinking itself. Is cognitive activity confined to single brains, or rather distributed across brains and bodies? Do behavioural problems stem perhaps not so much from the malfunctioning of a single brain, but rather from difficulties of one brain to become coupled with other brains? These new, interpersonal ways of thinking about the brain, could lead to new ways of intervening in and improving human functioning. Moreover, interpersonal neuroscience could pave the way for a new generation of communication technologies, which are geared toward optimising brain-to-brain-coupling. During the summer course, we will explore these possibilities in a program full of engaging lectures, discussions, and workshops.

Active participation is an important aspect of this course. In both plenary and workshop sessions, you will engage in critical discussions with your peers and expert staff in interpersonal neuroscience. We will explore some of the critical debates within the area, including theories of embodied cognition, situated cognition, and dynamical systems theory. We will also examine emerging methods and technologies, including advanced statistical modeling of interpersonal dynamics (e.g., coupled oscillator models, Granger causality), hyperscanning, biofeedback, and virtual reality. Finally, we will discuss how interpersonal neuroscience may be applied in psychotherapy, romantic relationships, teaching, team work, and art.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course. CEA's recommended credits are based on the contact hours assigned by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam): 15 contact hours equals 1 U.S. credit