Human interactions are complex and come with their share of disappointments. This can be the case, for instance, when a loved one doesn’t react to our distress or joy the way we wish they had. Communication accidents happen! Psychiatry teaches us, however, that if these mishaps occur over and over with the same person, it might not be because the person lacks good intentions.
It could be the result of a change in their social cognition. A growing number of studies are establishing a link between social cognition and different psychiatric conditions. Reactions that are normal for most people, such as showing concern for a person who expresses sadness, may be absent in others.
For some, a situation or interaction that seems very basic might lead to a misinterpretation, which in turn could provoke behaviour that is inappropriate or inadequate. If these kinds of errors happen often, this might be due to impairment of a key cognitive skill: social cognition. Social cognition is mainly about our ability to decode emotions and understand the beliefs and intentions of people around us.
Determining whether this cognitive skill has been affected by a psychiatric illness, or by another disorder, is essential in order for the person to be able to respond appropriately to the problems they encounter, and to limit potential harmful effects. An emerging field of research As an assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University, I conduct research on psychiatric disorders in order to s.