The course aims to investigate human communication from a cognitive and semiotic perspective. By exploring the psychological processes involved in its functioning and evolution, the course focuses on the multimodal character of human communication, in which the body plays a central role to account for effective human interaction in real communicative contexts. Both in the light of current studies coming from the “second-generation cognitive sciences” and with reference to experimental research on both typical and clinical individuals, the course aims at highlighting how the centrality of multimodality and corporeality has important implications for reflecting on more general theoretical issues involved in the study of human nature.
At the end of the course, participants:
- will be able to critically discuss the main theoretical proposals inherent language and human communication;
- will be able to identify the main components of verbal and nonverbal communication as well as to identify its cognitive and evolutionary underpinnings;
- will acquire knowledge on the main methods of applying experimental research to multimodal communication to construct plausible explanations of the nature and functioning of the multiple expressive formats in which communication takes place.
At the end of the course, participants:
- will be able to critically discuss the main theoretical proposals inherent language and human communication;
- will be able to identify the main components of verbal and nonverbal communication as well as to identify its cognitive and evolutionary underpinnings;
- will acquire knowledge on the main methods of applying experimental research to multimodal communication to construct plausible explanations of the nature and functioning of the multiple expressive formats in which communication takes place.
teacher profile teaching materials
Ekman, P.. Te lo leggo in faccia: riconoscere le emozioni anche quando sono nascoste. Amrita, 2013. [Basso, A. traduttore]
Tramacere, Antonella. "Face yourself: The social neuroscience of mirror gazing." Frontiers in Psychology 13 (2022): 949211.
Tramacere, Antonella, and Pier Francesco Ferrari. "Faces in the mirror, from the neuroscience of mimicry to the emergence of mentalizing." Journal of Anthropological Sciences 94.1-14 (2016).
Programme
The programme covers the presentation of biological, psychological and philosophical principles of non-verbal communication in a multimodal perspective; reference will be made to the role of evolution and social learning in emotional and non-verbal communication; the concepts of intentional and non-intentional communication, as well as conscious and unconscious signalling will be analysed, especially in the sphere of emotions and facial expressions; the relationship between gesture and meaning in the social and metacognitive sphere will be discussed; the role of (prior) beliefs in the interpretation of emotional gesture and in social and non-social interaction will be discussed.Core Documentation
Ekman, P.. Te lo leggo in faccia: riconoscere le emozioni anche quando sono nascoste. Amrita, 2013. [Basso, A. traduttore]
Tramacere, Antonella. "Face yourself: The social neuroscience of mirror gazing." Frontiers in Psychology 13 (2022): 949211.
Tramacere, Antonella, and Pier Francesco Ferrari. "Faces in the mirror, from the neuroscience of mimicry to the emergence of mentalizing." Journal of Anthropological Sciences 94.1-14 (2016).
Attendance
Class attendance is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
The examination consists of a series of face-to-face questions with the lecturer.