Social Processes System

The social processes system—one of six highly interconnected brain networks in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) — is made up of mechanisms and interactions that affect how we perceive, interpret, and respond to others within a social environment—including behaviors, emotions, social cues. Researchers study social processes to see the effect of social anxiety, prejudice, group dynamics on our behavior and how social structures and power dynamics influence interactions in a community:

• Interconnectedness is about a network of interconnected behaviors, where our actions affect others in the group. Includes affiliation and attachment (forming connections, a sense of belonging)
• Social norms and rules are implicit/explicit and guide community behavior/expectations. Include cooperation and competition (working toward common goals vs striving to outperform others)
• Cognitive processes, how we perceive/interpret social cues (facial expressions, body language, tone of voice). Includes social communication (exchanging information through verbal/ nonverbal cues)
• Emotional regulation is managing our emotions socially (empathy, sympathy, appropriate responses to others). And perception of self and others (understand our/others’ identities in social context)