Social theory and the cognitive-emotional brain

Area of Science:

• Social sciences
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive science

Background:

• Pessoa (2013) argues current social science theories fail to adequately conceptualize the interplay of emotion and cognition in decision-making and social behavior.
• These theories are foundational to bridging neuroscience and social sciences, making their limitations problematic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify social theories more compatible with Pessoa's (2013) analysis of the brain.
• To propose an improved theoretical foundation for integrating neuroscience and social sciences.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of existing social science theories.
• Review of Pessoa's (2013) arguments on emotion-cognition interaction.
• Identification of theoretical frameworks aligning with neuroscientific insights.

Main Results:

• Current dominant social science approaches lack robust conceptualization of emotion-cognition links.
• Alternative social theories offer better alignment with neuroscientific models of decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Revising the theoretical underpinnings is crucial for advancing interdisciplinary research between neuroscience and social sciences.
• Adopting theories compatible with Pessoa's analysis can enhance understanding of human behavior.