Society, Cognition, Motivation and Brain Lab

Lab Director: Niv Reggev

Ben Gurion University

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Welcome to the Society, Cognition, Motivation & Brain Lab at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev!

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    We are a team of researchers interested in how social constructs affect the perception and behavior of individuals. Our personal histories and our cultural context drive us to draw certain assumptions about others, to perceive them in line with those assumptions and further down the line to act in accordance with them. In the lab, we examine how stereotypes, group membership, contextual cues and other sources of information shape our expectations, as well as how they drive person and group perception. We also examine the social consequences of adhering to or violating these expectations.

 

    In our research, we draw on an integrative approach that incorporates insights across social psychology, cognitive and neural science, sociology, philosophy, and behavioral economy. We use methods like functional imaging, behavioral experiments, and computational modeling to examine the basic processes underlying pervasive social phenomena. We strive to better understand these processes to facilitate informed decision-making by individuals, organizations, and society.