Cognitive Control in Social and Affective Behaviour

In the last two decades, the cognitive sciences have made significant advances in our understanding of social processes. However, there has been an emphasis on perceptual aspects of social cognition and much less is understood about the processes that regulate our expressive social behaviours. Therefore, the overarching aim of this project is to increase our understanding of the executive control processes engaged in social cognition. We will approach this objective via experimental psychological techniques in tandem with cognitive neuroscience techniques that test the relevance of our cognitive manipulations to the brain systems underpinning behaviour and, therefore, their validity. Advancing this understanding will prove invaluable for patient and caregiver education about the nature and trajectories of disorders, and will drive innovation in cognitive rehabilitation and social care practices for dementia.