LIP Distinguished Lecture

Group Influences on Motor and Social Cognition: A Virtual Group Approach

Marcel Brass^1,2,3

Research on how groups influence individuals has a long-standing tradition in social psychology, exploring topics such as social contagion and conformity. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying these group phenomena remain largely unexplored due to limited experimental control and the high costs of studies involving larger groups. Advances in virtual reality (VR) and gaming technology present new opportunities to study the effects of virtual groups on individual behavior and cognition, offering high experimental control in complex group settings. In my presentation, I will share examples of how we have used the virtual group approach to investigate topics such as the sensorimotor basis of social contagion, the experience of agency in groups, and the influence of group rituals on social conformity. These examples demonstrate that exploring individual cognition within virtual groups can provide an entirely new perspective on group-related phenomena.

¹ Berlin School of Mind and Brain/Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

² Cluster of Excellence ‘Science of Intelligence’

³ Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University

You can join online:

https://mpib-berlin.webex.com/mpib-berlin/j.php?MTID=mb773cc3d8b6c4c2734f9eeefa5ebdd21

Meeting number: 2741 448 2863

Password: 35NrsgwJ4DR