The Loving Brain: The Neuroscience of Relationships Preliminary Syllabus

 

Semester & Location:	Beginning Fall 2024 - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Study Tours:	Malmö Bosnia-Croatia
Major Disciplines:	Psychology, Neuroscience
Prerequisite(s):	One course in neuroscience, physiological psychology, biological psychology, or cognitive psychology at university level.
Faculty Members:	Richard Lewis, PhD Visiting Faculty in Fall 2024 semester only (current students please use the Canvas Inbox)
Program Contact:	academics@disstockholm.se
Time & Place:	Time: Mondays and Thursdays 8.30-9.50 Classroom: TBA

 

Course Description

What is the nature of love? In this course we will explore the neuroscientific research on social relationships. We will investigate a wide range of relationships, including, but not limited to, parent-sibling relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, as well as social ostracism and rejection. We will examine relationships with an evolutionary lens as we consider primate brain evolution as a function of the adaptive value of social connections. A fundamental question will be whether neuroscientific research enhances our understanding of social relationships. Furthermore, we will investigate how variation in the cultural emphasis on independence and interdependence relates to cultural differences in brain activity and social relationships. A principal framework for our inquiry will be to understand the implications this research has for health and wellbeing.  

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Appreciate the usefulness of the social brain framework for understanding social relationships
• Associate social brain activity with different kinds of social relationships
• Apply the neuroscience of relationships to social issues

Faculty

Richard Lewis, PhD. Richard received his BS from UCLA, his MA from California State University, Los Angeles, and his PhD from Michigan State University. He is currently Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Pomona College. He teaches courses in cultural neuroscience, neuropsychology, and the social brain, and his current research examines sociocultural influences on human brain activity. For example, his research team recently used electrophysiology and functional near infrared spectroscopy to investigate how culture influences neural processing of the physical and social environment. His work has been funded by NIMH, NIH, and NSF, and he was awarded the Pomona College Distinguished Professorship Award for Excellence in Teaching, twice. With DIS in Fall 2024.

Readings

Required readings will be listed for each individual class, so please check the calendar to identify what you should read before class. Note that the following list of journal articles and book chapters is subject to change.

Alexander, R., Aragón, O. R., Bookwala, J., Cherbuin, N., Gatt, J. M., Kahrilas, I. J., ... & Styliadis, C. (2021). The neuroscience of positive emotions and affect: Implications for cultivating happiness and wellbeing. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 121, 220-249.

de Boer, A., Van Buel, E. M., & Ter Horst, G. J. (2012). Love is more than just a kiss: A neurobiological perspective on love and affection. Neuroscience, 201, 114-124.

Dunbar, R. I. (2009). The social brain hypothesis and its implications for social evolution. Annals of human biology, 36(5), 562-572.

Eisenberger, N. I. (2012). The pain of social disconnection: examining the shared neural underpinnings of physical and social pain. Nature reviews neuroscience, 13(6), 421-434.

Gilam, G., & Hendler, T. (2016). With love, from me to you: embedding social interactions in affective neuroscience. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 68, 590-601.

Holt-Lunstad, J. (2021). The major health implications of social connection. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(3), 251-259.

Kennedy, D. P., & Adolphs, R. (2012). The social brain in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(11), 559-572

Lövestad, S., Vaez, M., Löve, J., Hensing, G., & Krantz, G. (2021). Intimate partner violence, associations with perceived need for help and health care utilization: a population-based sample of women in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 49(3), 268-276.

Lyubomirsky, S. (2022). Toward a new science of psychedelic social psychology: The effects of MDMA (ecstasy) on social connection. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(5), 1234-1257.

Mortazavi, S. S., Assari, S., Alimohamadi, A., Rafiee, M., & Shati, M. (2020). Fear, loss, social isolation, and incomplete grief due to COVID-19: a recipe for a psychiatric pandemic. Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 11(2), 225.

Pan, Y., Cheng, X., Zhang, Z., Li, X., & Hu, Y. (2017). Cooperation in lovers: an fNIRS‐based hyperscanning study. Human brain mapping, 38(2), 831-841.

Redcay, E., & Schilbach, L. (2019). Using second-person neuroscience to elucidate the mechanisms of social interaction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 20(8), 495-505.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Us versus them. R.M. Sapolsky’s In Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Metaphors we kill by. R.M. Sapolsky’s In Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). War and peace. R.M. Sapolsky’s In Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin.

Šutić, L., Jelić, M., & Krnić, A. (2022). Is Dating Dead? Modern Dating Among Emerging Adults in Croatia. Revija za Sociologiju, 52(3), 359-386.

Telzer, E. H., Kwon, S.-J., & Jorgensen, N. A. (2023). Neurobiological development in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for positive youth adjustment. In L. J. Crockett, G. Carlo, & J. E. Schulenberg (Eds.), APA handbook of adolescent and young adult development (pp. 629–643). American Psychological Association.

Van Dongen, J. D. (2020). The empathic brain of psychopaths: From social science to neuroscience in empathy. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 695.

Field Studies

Field studies serve to complement your course work by placing you in the professional field to extend and rethink what we read about, discuss in class, and encounter in practicum. Please be ready for each field study by completing all readings and preparing questions in advance.

We may divide the class into smaller groups, each visiting different sites located in the greater Copenhagen area. Specific field study details are yet to be determined.

Guest Lecturers

TBD. At certain points in the course, guest lecturers may be invited to provide their experience and expertise on select topics being covered in class.

Approach to Teaching

TBD

Expectations of the Students

As this is a predominantly discussion-based course, the success of the course depends on your serious commitment to truly engage with the material. To that end, I expect you to spend at least 6 hours every week outside of class preparing for this seminar. You must come to class prepared, having closely read and evaluated the reading assignments, and your class discussions should reflect this careful reading. While taking notes on the reading assignments, try to identify which portions of the assignments were particularly notable/important and why they caught your attention. Include summaries in your own words, write questions to yourself, agree/disagree with the content, and generally try to delve yourself deeply into a thoughtful evaluation of the reading assignments.

You are expected to behave professionally and participate actively during class and field studies. This includes all of the following:

• Attend all class meetings, field studies, and related activities.
• Be punctual and stay for the entire experience.
• Contribute to shared learning: ask relevant questions, offer critical reflections, and respond respectfully to others’ comments.
• Put your phone away and turn off notifications on any other electronic devices.

Evaluation

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

You will be evaluated based on your performance on the course assignments as indicated below. Additional details will be provided in class.

Grading

 

Assignment	Percent
Class participation and engagement (including study tour assignments)	20%
Discussion forum: Critical questions and observations	20%
Co-facilitation of class discussion	20%
Research presentation	20%
Final project	20%

 

Course Policies 

Attendance: You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled.  If you miss a class for any reason, please contact the faculty no later than the day of the missed class. If you miss multiple classes the Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up with you to make sure that all is well.  Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS.  Allowances will be made in cases of illness or religious holidays, but in the case of multiple absences you will need to provide a doctor’s note.

Academic Honesty, Plagiarism, and Violating the Rules of an Assignment: DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others.  Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Policy on Late Papers: Late essays will be accepted for up to 3 days after the deadline, but for each day late, excluding the weekends, a 5% penalty will be applied. 

Extensions: You may request an extension for an assignment, but you must ask more than 1 day before the assignment is due. Extension requests on the due date, without an excusable reason, will not be considered.

Policy for Students Who Arrive Late to Class: Please come to classes on time as it is disturbing for the lecturer and other students. Repeated lateness will result in a referral to the head of the Teaching and Learning department.

Use of Laptops or Phones in Class: Computers and iPhones are allowed in class PURELY for academic purposes (e.g. note taking, literature searching, data handling purposes). In case of other private uses such as Facebook, emails or internet surfing, it will have a very negative impact on your participation grade. The use of cell phones during class is strictly forbidden.

 

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code

 

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