Un déficit de la cognition sociale incluant l’attribution d’états mentaux, la perception sociale et la perception des émotions est l’une des caractéristiques les plus handicapantes de la schizophrénie. Les résultats d’une étude par Hardy-Baylé et al. (2003) suggèrent que les difficultés des schizophrènes (SZ) à attribuer des intentions aux autres seraient dues à l’incapacité à utiliser l’information contextuelle. Certaines études (Ivanko & Pexman, 2003; Pexman & Olineck, 2002b) démontrent que des facteurs comme le degré d’incongruité entre le contexte et l’énoncé, l’intonation de la voix et les caractéristiques des personnages peuvent influencer la compréhension de l’intention ironique chez les sujets sains (CT). L’objectif de cette étude est de manipuler des informations contextuelles afin de déterminer si le type de métier du locuteur est un indice social facilitant la compréhension de l’intention du locuteur (théorie de l’esprit ; TdE) et de la perception sociale chez les patients SZ. Trente participants SZ appariés avec trente participants CT ont été recrutés. Ils ont été évalués sur la compréhension de l’ironie et sur la mémoire de travail. Les histoires étaient développées selon deux conditions de métier: un métier favorisant la compréhension de l’ironie (e.g. comédien) et un métier ne favorisant pas la compréhension de l’ironie (e.g. prêtre). Les résultats montrent que les patients SZ ont un trouble de TdE et ils ne semblent pas sensibles aux stéréotypes contrairement aux participants CT. Toutefois, les résultats indiquent que les participants SZ n’ont pas de déficit concernant la perception sociale. / Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) have a deficit in social cognition including mental state attribution, social perception and emotional perception. The results of a study by Hardy-Baylé et al. (2003) suggest that their inability to infer intentions and beliefs to others may result from their inability to use contextual information. Studies (Ivanko & Pexman, 2003; Pexman & Olineck, 2002b) showed that several factors such as level of incongruity between context and speaker’s utterance, vocal inflections and character’s features can influence the comprehension of an ironic intent among healthy (HT) subjects. The aim of this study is to manipulate contextual information to determine if stereotypes (type of speaker’s occupation) are social factors that cue comprehension of speaker’s intention (theory of mind; ToM) and social perception in schizophrenia. Thirty SZ patients and thirty HT participants were recruited for this study. Participants were tested on working memory and irony comprehension. Each story had been manipulated with two conditions of speaker’s occupation: occupation that cues ironic intent (e.g. actor), and occupation that does not cue ironic intent (e.g. priest). The results showed that SZ patients have an impaired ToM and are not sensitive to stereotypes as CT participants. However, the results revealed that SZ participants do not have a deficit in social perception.

Réalisé sous la co-direction de Linda Booij, Catherine Herba et Patricia Garel / Contexte : la présence d’un biais cognitif négatif chez les individus qui souffrent de dépression majeure (DM) et ceux qui y sont à haut risque (e.g. enfants de mères qui souffrent de DM) est maintenant établie. Aucune étude portant sur la vulnérabilité cognitive (VC) des membres de la fratrie n’est rapportée. Objectifs : la présente étude a pour but de vérifier si la fratrie des adolescents qui souffrent de DM présentent une VC qui les prédisposent à la DM. Méthode : cette étude porte sur 49 adolescents (18 participants traités pour une DM, 16 membres de la fratrie et 15 participants témoin), âgés entre 12 et 20 ans. La VC de chaque participant est quantifiée via un questionnaire qui mesure la réactivité cognitive (RC), soit le LEIDS-R, et une tâche de reconnaissance des expressions faciale (REF). La cognition sociale des participants est mesurée par le MASC, un outil qui évalue la cognition sociale par médium vidéo et que notre équipe a traduit de l’allemand au français. Résultats : les résultats préliminaires de la présente étude indiquent qu’une différence de réactivité cognitive est présente entre les adolescents traités pour une DM et les participants du groupe témoin (p < 0,001). L’analyse préliminaire tend à indiquer qu’une différence est présente entre la fratrie et le groupe contrôle. Conclusion : plusieurs de nos résultats tendent en faveur de la présence d’une VC prédisposant à la DM chez la fratrie des adolescents souffrant de DM. Ces résultats préliminaires doivent être confirmés par des études longitudinales. / Background: a negative cognitive bias is present among individuals who suffers from major depression. This bias is also reported among individuals at high risk of major depression (e.g. child of depressed mother). No study to date aimed to evaluate cognitive vulnerability of siblings of depressed individuals. Objectives: the present study aim to verify if siblings of depressed adolescents present a cognitive vulnerability that would predispose them to develop a major depression. Method: This study evaluates 49 adolescents (18 participants treated for depression, 16 siblings and 15 controls), aged between 12 and 20 years old. The cognitive vulnerability of every participant has been assessed using an auto-report questionnaire of symptoms (LEIDS-R) that evaluates cognitive reactivity and a task of facial recognition. Social cognition of participants is measured using the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) that we translated from german to french. Results: the preliminary analyses of this study concludes that a significant difference of cognitive reactivity is present between adolescents treated for depression and controls (p < 0.001). Conclusion: some of our results tend to confirm the presence of a cognitive vulnerability to depression among siblings of depressed adolescents. Those results are still preliminary and need to be confirmed by longitudinal studies.

Title:” Now I took his child, what will he do with mine?” A qualitative study on threat and violence aimed at social workers within child protective service. Authors:  Emma Andersson and Torbjörn Sjölin. Supervisor:  Peter Hultgren. Assessor: Barzoo Eliassi. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how social workers within child protective service understand and experience threat and violence aimed at them in their profession and how these understandings and experiences affects their well-being. The study will provide an understanding of the subject at hand and can also lead way for new research areas of how to improve the well-being of social workers within this field.   Method: A qualitative approach based on semistructured interviews has been used as method in this study. To collect empirical material seven currently working social workers from three different municipalities in the same region were interviewed. Theory: The theoretical points of this thesis has been Berger and Luckmanns theories about social construction, theory of social cognition and a model produced in the writing of how interaction between experience and understanding affects the well-being. The different theories and approaches has been a valuable tool to analyze the empirical material gathered in the study. Results: The result of this study is divided in different themes based on the purpose of the study. Our results indicate that social worker within child protective service consider threat and violence as occurring within their profession and that this perception has a negative impact on their well-being. Even though social workers consider threat and violence as not acceptable at work and perceive threat as a part of their job they continue to fulfill their obligations at work. The main explanation, found in this study, is that they consider the well-being of children as higher valued than their own.

Zunehmend mehr Beweise aus der sozialen Neurowissenschaft deuten darauf hin, dass der mediale präfrontale Cortex (mPFC) eine entscheidende neurale Komponente in der Verarbeitung von sozialem Ereigniswissen ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt eine integrative Theorie der kognitiven und neuronalen Grundlagen von sozialem Ereigniswissen vor. Die „Structural and Temporal Representation Binding“ (STRing) Theorie postuliert, dass der mPFC abstrakte dynamische summarische Repräsentationen in Form von Ereignissimulatoren speichert, die Wissen über soziale Abläufe mittles Einbinding von Regionen im posterioren Cortex und limbischen System generieren. Neurowissenschaftliche Befunde für die Differenzierung von Simulatorenfunktionen entlang der dorso-ventralen Achse des mPFC werden diskutiert und die Spezifität der Simuatoren für die Entwicklung von Ereignis-, Personen, und Selbst-Schemata dargestellt. / Accumulating evidence from social neuroscience research demonstrates that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a crucial neural component in the processing of social event knowledge. This work proposes an integrative theory of the cognitive and neural bases of social event knowledge. The structural and temporal representation binding (STRing) theory assumes that the mPFC represents abstract dynamic summary representations in the form of event simulators, which give rise to social event knowledge via binding with regions in the posterior cerebral cortex and limbic system. Neuroscience findings for the segregation of simulator functions along the dorso-ventral mPFC axis will be discussed and the specificity of simulators for the development of event, person, and self schemata will be demonstrated.

Introdução: O transtorno bipolar (TB) é um problema crônico, de evolução cíclica, altamente prevalente na população geral e está associado a importante incapacitação dos pacientes e a déficits cognitivos e funcionais, constituindo, assim, um importante problema de saúde pública. A etiologia do TB parece ser multifatorial, resultante da interação entre fatores genéticos e ambientais; estudos apontam que a predisposição para manifestação de episódios pode advir da exposição a maus-tratos na infância (MTI), que comprometem o desenvolvimento emocional, cerebral e cognitivo das crianças e estão presentes em 30% a 60% dos portadores de TB. No TB, os MTI vem sendo associados com idade de início mais precoce, pior evolução clínica, maior incidência de comorbidades, apesar da literatura ser escassa e não conclusiva, tem sido associado também a alterações do funcionamento cognitivo e da morfologia cerebral. Objetivo: Investigar se o perfil cognitivo e a morfometria cerebral de portadores de TBI eutímicos diferencia-se com a exposição ou não a maus-tratos sofridos na infância. Método: 75 portadores de TBI eutímicos, com idades entre 18 e 45 anos, atendidos no ambulatório do Programa de Transtornos Afetivos (GRUDA) IPq-HC-FMUSP, sendo 32 sem história de MTI e 43 com história de MTI, de acordo com o ponto de corte do Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) e 46 voluntários sadios do ponto de vista físico e mental, com idades entre 18 e 45 anos, sem história de MTI de acordo com o CTQ e sem parentes de primeiro grau com transtornos psiquiátricos foram submetidos a uma bateria de testes neuropsicológicos que avaliou as funções atencionais, mnêmicas, executivas e cognição social e a um estudo de imagem por ressonância magnética. Resultados: Os resultados apontaram para uma diferença de desempenho cognitivo entre os grupos em uma das medidas de flexibilidade mental (p=0,04), em uma de raciocínio matricial (p=0,035) e na capacidade de reconhecimento de emoções faciais de tristeza (REF, p=0,022). Em relação à morfometria cerebral, pôde-se observar que o volume do Núcleo Caudado apresentou diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os três grupos, tanto no hemisfério direito (p=0,002) como no esquerdo (0,008). No hemisfério esquerdo, a área do Órbito Frontal Medial (p=0,0466), a área do Pré-cuneo (p=0,0193) e a área do Parietal Superior (p=0,0063) apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas. No hemisfério direito, a área do Órbito Frontal Medial (p=0,0200), a área do Pré-cuneo (p=0,0337), a área do Parietal Superior (p=0,0007), a espessura da Parte Triangular do Córtex Frontal (p=0,0013), a espessura do Pré-central (p=0,0307) e a espessura do Frontal Superior (p=0,0425) apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas. Por fim, a partir de uma análise exploratória, pôde-se observar que no grupo de portadores de TB com MTI os resultados apontam para possíveis associações entre regiões cerebrais e desempenhos cognitivos, sendo elas: volume do Hipocampo Direito e o TMT-B (pinteração= 0,002, r = -0,40, pr=0,013), área do Giro Superior Frontal Direito e o SCWT-I (pinteração= 0,0008, r = -0,36, pr=0,0185), área do Órbito Frontal Medial Esquerdo e o FCR-cópia (pinteração= 0,004, r = 0,49, pr=0,014), espessura do Órbito Frontal Medial Direito e COWAT-total (pinteração= 0,004, r = 0,46, pr=0,003), espessura do Frontal Medial Rostral Esquerdo e WCST-erros (pinteração= 0,007, r = -0,42, pr=0,007). Conclusões: Apesar da limitação do tamanho amostral e do número de comparações estatísticas realizadas, este é o primeiro estudo a avaliar a associação entre MTI, funcionamento cognitivo e morfometria cerebral. Os resultados foram sugestivos de que a magnitude das correlações entre as características morfométricas e cognitivas podem ser moduladas pela exposição a MTI e pelo status de caso (portador de TB) / Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, cyclically-evolving problem that is highly prevalent in the general population and is associated with significant disability of the patients and cognitive and functional deficits, thus constituting an important public health problem. The etiology of BD seems to be multifactorial, resulting from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, and studies show that the predisposition to the manifestation of episodes of BD may result from exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM), which compromises the emotional, cerebral and cognitive development and seems to be present in between 30 and 60% of BD patients. In BD, CM have been associated with earlier onset age, worse clinical course, higher incidence of comorbidities and, although the literature is scarce and not conclusive, it has also been associated with changes in cognitive function and brain morphology. Objective: To investigate whether the cognitive profile and the brain morphometry of patients with euthymic BD differ between those exposed or non-exposed to CM. Method: 75 euthymic BD patients, aged between 18 and 45 years, attended at the ambulatory of the Affective Disorders Program (GRUDA) IPq-HC-FMUSP, 32 of which had no history of CM and 43 with a positive history of CM according to the cut-off of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and 46 physically and mentally healthy volunteers, aged 18-45 years, with no history of CM according to the CTQ and no first-degree relatives with psychiatric disorders were submitted to a battery of neuropsychological tests that evaluated attentional, mnemonic, executive, and social cognition functions and a study of magnetic resonance imaging. Results: The results point to a difference in cognitive performance between groups in one of the measures of mental flexibility (p = 0.04), in one of matrix reasoning (p = 0.035) and in the ability to recognize facial emotions of sadness FER, p = 0.022). Regarding cerebral morphometry, it can be observed that the volume of the Caudate Nucleus showed a statistically significant difference between the three groups, both in the right hemisphere (p = 0.002) and in the left hemisphere (0.008). In the left hemisphere, the area of Medial Orbital Frontal (p = 0.0466), the area of Precuneus (p = 0.0193) and the area of Superior Parietal (p = 0.0063) presented statistically significant differences. In the right temisphere, the area of Medial Orbital Frontal (p = 0.0200), the area of Precuneus (p = 0.0337), the area of Superior Parietal (p = 0.0007), the thickness of Pars Triangularis (p = 0.0013), the thickness of Precentral (p = 0.0307) and the thickness of Superior Frontal (p = 0.0425) presented statistically significant differences. Finally, from this exploratory analysis, it is possible to observe that in the group of BD with CM the results point to possible associations between brain regions and cognitive performance, specifically: Right Hippocampus Volume and TMT-B (pinteraction = 0,002, r = -0,40, pr=0,013), Right Superior Frontal Area and SCWT-I (pinteraction = 0.0008, r = -0.36, pr = 0.0185), Left Medial Orbital Frontal area and FCR-copy (pinteraction= 0,004, r = 0,49, pr=0,014), Right Medial Orbital Frontal Thickness and COWAT-total (pinteraction = 0.004, r = 0.46, pr= 0.003), Left Rostral Medial Frontal Thickness and WCST-errors (pinteraction = 0.007, r = -0.42, pr = 0.007). Conclusions: Despite the limitation of the sample size and the number of statistical comparisons performed, this is the first study to evaluate the association between CM, cognitive functioning and brain morphometry. The results are suggestive of the magnitude of the correlations between the characteristics morphometric and cognitive variables can be modulated by exposure to CM and by case status (BD patients)

A literatura filosófica sobre a Psicologia do Senso Comum se estende desde a década de 1970, e abrange diversas questões sobre nosso entendimento interpessoal cotidiano, nossa capacidade de interação e coordenação de atividades, o arcabouço conceitual intuitivo que relaciona estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais a comportamentos, e os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental que nos permitem atribuir estados mentais a outras pessoas. Nesta dissertação eu examino o desenvolvimento histórico desta literatura, identificando dois debates distintos, o primeiro (principalmente entre Paul Churchland e Jerry Fodor dos anos 70 aos anos 90) tendo como foco a relação entre a teoria da Psicologia do Senso Comum e teorias científicas (da neurociência e das ciências cognitivas), e o segundo (o debate contemporâneo) tendo como foco os mecanismos cognitivos de leitura mental e o papel das atribuições de estados mentais e atitudes proposicionais nas teorias da cognição corporificada, situada e estendida. Além do exame histórico do que argumento serem dois debates distintos e da transição conceitual entre ambos, também apresento aqui minha crítica à abordagem eliminativista contemporânea de Matthew Ratcliffe e, como alternativa, articulo os princípios de uma abordagem pluralista que combina leitura mental e interpretação contextual situada como fundamentais para a cognição social / The philosophical literature on Folk Psychology began in the 1970s, and encompasses various questions about our everyday interpersonal understanding, our ability to interact and coordinate activities, the intuitive conceptual framework that relates mental states and propositional attitudes to behaviors, and the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading that allow us to attribute mental states to other people. In this thesis I examine the historical development of this literature, identifying two distinct debates, the first (mainly between Paul Churchland and Jerry Fodor from the 70s to the 90s) focusing on the relationship between the theory of Folk Psychology and scientific theories (in neuroscience and cognitive science), and the second (the contemporary debate) focusing on the cognitive mechanisms of mindreading and the role played by attributions of mental states and propositional attitudes in theories of embodied, situated and extended cognition. In addition to the historical examination of what I argue are two distinct debates as well as of the conceptual transition between them, here I present my criticism of Matthew Ratcliffe\'s contemporary eliminativist approach and, as an alternative to it, I articulate the principles of a pluralistic approach that combines both mindreading and situated contextual interpretation as fundamental for social cognition

Cette thèse a pour but d’examiner comment les individus utilisent des comparaisons entre des situations actuelles et des situations passées dans des contextes politiques. L’utilisation de telles analogies historiques a longtemps été documentée, en particulier au sein des sciences politiques, en histoire et dans les champs concernés par l’argumentation. Ces littératures ont mis en évidence la fréquence avec laquelle les responsables politiques et autres personnages publics utilisent les analogies dans des buts de délibération et de persuasion. Malgré leur omniprésence supposée, peu d’études en psychologie sociale se sont penchées sur ce processus. Les trois volets de cette thèse ont tenté de combler cette lacune en recourant à diverses méthodologies. Plusieurs études expérimentales nous ont d’abord permis d’investiguer si l’exposition à des analogies historiques influence les prédictions que posent les participants concernant des situations réelles incertaines. Les résultats montrent que l’effet, bien que de faible taille, tend à devenir plus fort à mesure que diminuent les connaissances actuelles des individus. Dans un second volet, au lieu de sélectionner a priori les analogies historiques, nous avons donné la possibilité aux répondant.e.s de générer leurs propres analogies et d’expliquer leurs choix dans des questionnaires récoltés en France, en Belgique et en Allemagne à la suite des deux attaques de 2015 en France. L’analyse des réponses ouvertes montre non seulement une grande diversité dans les manières de mettre en correspondance le présent et le passé – même lorsqu’il s’agit d’analogies avec le « même » événement (e.g. l’attaque du 11 septembre 2001) ;mais les participant.e.s utilisent de plus ces analogies pour formuler des arguments, plus ou moins implicites, par rapport à des débats actuels. Cette dimension argumentative dans l’usage des analogies historiques a été explorée plus avant dans un 3e volet. En analysant les articles du mois de mars 2014 relatifs à la crise de Crimée au sein de quatre journaux belges, nous avons relevé comment les individus s’y prennent pour établir des liens entre le passé et le présent, et comment ils procèdent pour les contester. Ensemble, les trois volets de cette thèse suggèrent que les personnes ordinaires, tout comme leurs homologues plus « experts », ne sont pas passives en utilisant les analogies historiques, mais participent activement, par leur biais, au processus éminemment politique de construction et de contestation des passé(s), présent(s) et futur(s). / Doctorat en Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis copes with the research of empathy of deliquent youngsters-specifically their emotional and congitive part, it also evaluates the egoism or altruism of these individuals and their compassion level. The main purpose of this thesis is therefore to find out, what is the level and structure of empathy in these deliquent youngsters. The data was acquired by a specific TAT test and was evaluated according to the five subscales of SCORS ,which resemblance to empathy is proven in this work. Moreover, the content analysis of the acquired TAT protocols was carried out. The results of protocol evaluation according to SCORS system show low,yet not pathological values of emotional and cognitive empathy of youngster deliquents, additionally, they show their mainly egoistic motives across their social interactions as well as a pathological low level of compassion with others. In this thesis, the results, describing the level of cognitive and emotional empathy, are being compared to the Smith's theory (2006), which copes with the possibility of having a disorder caused by general lack of empathy in youngster deliquents. TAT protocols of respondents were also subjects of the content analysis, and its result show for example uncertainity in the external manifestation of respondents, "black and white"...

Human sociality, with its wide scope, early ontogeny and pervasiveness across cultures, is remarkable from an evolutionary perspective. We form bonds with other individuals and live in large social groups. We help, empathise with and share our resources with others, who are unfamiliar and genetically unrelated to us. It has been suggested that interpersonal coordination and rhythmic synchronisation of movements may be one proximate mechanism that enables such widespread human sociality and facilitates cooperation. In the last decade, considerable research has examined the effect of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperation. However, when this thesis started, there was virtually no experimental study investigating the ontogeny of the movement synchrony-social bonding link, which is proposed to have deep evolutionary roots and important, long-lasting consequences in social life. This thesis aims to investigate the effects of movement synchrony on social bonding and cooperative behaviour across different time points in ontogeny. Three experimental studies were conducted examining infancy, early childhood and middle childhood. Each study explored a different aspect of social bonding and cooperation based on the motor, social and cognitive developments that mark that age group. Study 1a found that at 12 months of age, infants prefer individuals who move in synchrony with them, when the individuals are social entities, but not when they are non-social. Study 1b showed no preferences for synchrony at 9 months in either social or non-social contexts, however. Study 2 revealed that in early childhood, performing synchronous movements actively with a peer facilitates helping behaviour among the children, as well as eye contact and mutual smiling during the interaction. Finally, Study 3 showed that the social bonding effects of movement synchrony applied to inter- group settings and that performing synchronous movements with out-groups increased bonding towards the out-group in middle childhood. This thesis followed an interdisciplinary, integrative and naturalistic approach, where (i) literature from a wide range of disciplines motivated and guided the present research; (ii) links between motor, social and cognitive aspects of development, which are often investigated separately, are formed; and (iii) the experiments were designed in ways that represent the real-life occurrences of the investigated phenomena. The current findings provide the first substantial evidence that movement synchrony facilitates social bonding and cooperation in childhood and thereby provides a foundation for future research.

Background. The study was prompted by observation that failure to obtain a positive postsecondary destination is significantly more prevalent in young people living in areas of greater social deprivation, and in males rather than females. Previous studies have shown that this could be linked to differences in social cognitive factors. However, these studies have been mainly correlational and no comprehensive assessment instrument was found to assess preparedness for the postsecondary transition. Aims. The present study examines senior high school student’s perceptions of the personal, behavioural and environmental factors that affect them as they prepare to leave school. It reveals the structure of these factors and how they vary with regard to social deprivation and gender. Sample. The participants were 1044 senior high school students (573 males and 471 females) who attended six urban high schools. Method. A pre-empirical, 50-item assessment instrument was constructed based on the literature review to identify the wide range of factors previously shown to be relevant to achievement of a positive postsecondary destination. This was then administered to participants. Results. Factor analysis indicated that young people’s perceptions about leaving school were best represented by thirteen factors. An ANOVA model indicated that young people living in areas of higher deprivation reported significantly lower levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief, less experience of vicarious career success, less performance of career development tasks, greater perception of career barriers, greater endorsement of a fixed career mindset, and fewer career scaffolding attachments. Males, compared to females, reported less experience of past career success, and fewer career scaffolding attachments. However, despite being at greater risk of a negative postsecondary destination, males reported higher levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief, greater experience of positive career-related emotional arousal, greater ability to set career goals, and greater levels of career optimism. Conclusion. Twelve significant main effects on the measured social cognitive factors have the potential to contribute to an explanation of why failure to obtain a positive postsecondary destination is more prevalent in young people living in areas of greater social deprivation, and in males rather than females. A new assessment instrument has been produced to inform an ongoing exploratory process to design, target and evaluate educational interventions to improve postsecondary destinations for all. Increasing internal consistency, external validity and generalisability of findings are all desirable. Some future interventions are proposed on the basis of the results, including greater use of positive career role models in career development programmes, career mindset retraining for high school students, and psycho-education on attachment-fostering behaviours for parents and professionals.