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"Humans, like many other animals, are highly social species. But what exactly makes us social? How do our biological systems implement social behavior? And, in turn, how do these social processes impact our brain and biology? These are the questions that define the young field of social neuroscience, a field that combines the study of animal models and humans in order to understand the neural, hormonal, cellular, and genomic mechanisms underlying social processes and behaviors such as imitation, loneliness, empathy, and cooperation. Intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this is the first textbook to provide a synthetic approach to social neuroscience. Here, students and scholars are introduced to the field by examining a growing body of evidence that shows that the nervous system cannot be understood without consideration of the social environments in which humans and many animal species live. The first three chapters introduce readers to the neurological basis for social behavior and the concept of the social brain. Chapters four through six discuss how mental states are communicated between people. And chapters seven through nine cover the neural roots of social interactions and group thought patterns. Ultimately, this book demonstrates how the brain mediates social behaviour and provides a foundational textbook for this nascent field"--

Allein zu sein, ist für Menschen weniger schwerwiegend als sich allein zu fühlen. Einsamkeit kann sogar beflügeln, wie der Psychiater Anthony Storr in seinem Buch "Die schöpferische Einsamkeit" (BA 2/91) nachgewiesen hat. Aber zu lange dürfe die Einsamkeit nicht andauern, mahnt der Chicagoer Psychologie-Professor John T. Cacioppo, denn dann führt sie oft zu Depressionen, Gesundheitsschäden, Ängsten, wirren Gedanken und schadet menschlichen Beziehungen. Schließlich sei der Mensch von Natur aus ein soziales Wesen, das auf Gemeinschaft angewiesen ist. Cacioppo hat, mithilfe von William Patrick, einem ehemaligen Wissenschaftslektor bei Havard University Press, in jahrzehntelanger fächerübergreifender Forschungsarbeit Folgen von Einsamkeit genau unter die Lupe genommen und dabei überraschende Einsichten in die menschliche Psyche gewonnen. Das verdeutlichen die hier dargelegten spannend zu lesenden Ausführungen, in die viele Beispiele aus dem Alltag, dem Tierleben und aus Testversuchen eingeflossen sind. Zum Schluss wartet das Buch mit hilfreichen Ratschlägen und Lebensweisheiten auf. Mit Anhang. (3) (Ursula Homann)

An introductory chapter to a special issue on, "Neuroscientific Contributions to Political Psychology," notes that neuroscientists are increasingly cognizant of the important role social, political, & cultural factors play in the development/maintenance of nonbehavioral mechanisms, while social scientists are beginning to appreciate how neuroscientific principles & techniques contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of social/political behavior. The articles in this issue consider relevant neuroscientific developments, multilevel integrative analyzes, & future challenges/opportunities. The terms level of organization, level of explanation, level of processing, & level of analysis are defined. Three general principles of multilevel analyses of complex behaviors are identified as multiple determinism; nonadditive determinism; & reciprocal determinism. It is pointed out that many of the same epistemological principles & theoretical considerations used to span levels of organization for the development of more comprehensive theories of social phenomena are equally significant for studying biological levels of organization. The essays in this issue provide examples of these principles in action. 26 References. J. Lindroth

Two questionnaire surveys on ostensibly new consumer products were administered to 91 undergraduate Coll students in order to assess the impact of presenting opinion questions in either an interrogation or an assertion format. Ss responded on 1-7 point agree-disagree scales to either assertions (eg, "Edge has the safety you want.") or interrogations (eg, "Doesn't Edge have the safety you want?"). In addition to manipulating the format of the opinion item in the survey, the background information about the product was varied so that it presented either a strong or a weak product attribute. In both surveys, opinions in response to the interrogation items were more polarized than those in response to the assertion items. These results suggest that the interrogation opinion format elicits more thinking about the question than does the assertion format. 1 Table, 1 Figure, 2 Appendixes, 20 References. AA