Neural Signatures of the Triadic Primitives: an ERP Study

The present project investigates the neural signatures of representing social groups. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we will measure the neural responses of participants engaging in a triadic social interaction task with expected and deviant outcomes. The Triadic Primitives Model (Pietraszewski, 2022) posits that certain cognitive priors for representing adversarial coalitions are in place. Depending on how a third agent becomes involved in a dyadic conflict, the four priors are: generalization, alliance, displacement, and defense. The model predicts that violating the expected outcomes of triadic interactions will elicit brain activity associated with surprise, namely the event related potentials (ERPs) N2 and P300. By examining the Triadic Primitives Model in light of EEG evidence, the project aims to refine the current scientific discourse on social cognition.