ADAPTIVE SOCIAL COGNITION LAB
OVERVIEW
Social connections are at the core of human life, whether in non-work or work settings. But social life doesn’t just happen; it requires the ability to navigate a complex web of social relations in a mixed-motive world. This emphasis drives the intellectual interests of our lab. The Adaptive Social Cognition Lab is committed to the idea that there is a social readiness to people’s minds and that people’s cognitive abilities many times operate in the service of social coordination and staying socially connected. Further, positive outcomes resulting from supportive social connections (cognition, health, well-being) suggest that people have managed such relations well, that is, had the requisite cognitive functioning to sustain them and have used effective social decision making strategies.
The ASC Lab is situated at the University of Michigan and organizes research that is carried out both in the Psychology Department and the Research Center for Group Dynamics, ISR. Oscar Ybarra, Associate Professor of Psychology, directs the lab.
