Emotions and Cognitions in Social Relationships: A Neurosociological Approach

Abstract

Neurosociology is a new approach aimed at integrating social and biologicalsciences. In this paper, first we used Alan Fiske’s theory (1992) of elementary forms of social relationships as a nexus between sociological studies of groups and group-based emotions and relevant neuroscientific findings. Then, we identified types of social situations that generate basic emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and fear) within particular relationships. Individuals participate differently in these situations. Therefore, they are expected to differ in their emotions and cognitions, as well as in their underlying neural activity. Finally, we considered social affiliation and social hierarchy corresponding to communal sharing and authority ranking social relationships to demonstrate the logic of neurosociological research.

Keywords

• : Emotion; Cognition; Social Relationship; Social Affiliation; Social Hierarchy; Neurosociology