Phd in cognitive NEurosciences on social decisions in social network

Institut des Sciences Cognitives, UMR 5229 CNRS/UCBL, 67 Bd Pinel, 69675 Bron, France
Website: http://isc.rivetweb.org/index.rvt?display=umr5229
Research team Neuroeconomics, reward and decision making
Website: https://dreherteam.wixsite.com/neuroeconomics

Social networks play a crucial role in creating links between individuals and in informal transmission of information across society. Although the characterization of how the brain encodes social network structure has begun, the focus has been only on static social networks. However, the structure of social networks is dynamic because social ties between individuals evolve over time. Moreover, the study of brain mechanisms engaged in social interactions have often been restricted to dyads or small groups. Yet, in social networks, interactions often occur between large numbers of individuals. It is still unknown whether brain systems that covary with creation of social ties and propagation of information are cause or consequence of the structure of the social network. The goal of this Phd project is to characterize the brain computations underlying the formation of social networks and the spread of information in large and dynamic social networks, bridging the gap between computational principles, the brain system level and the level of collective behavior.
It combines experimental and theoretical approaches on social networks in economics, model-based functional MRI in healthy individuals. It will determine the brain computations engaged in:
(1) formation, persistence and evolution of social ties when creating dynamic social networks;
(2) the propagation of information in social networks during simple/complex contagion.
We will establish a mechanistic foundation for understanding the brain computations underlying decisions to form social ties in social networks and will provide a multilevel comprehension of information transmission, from the brain system-level to the levels of individual and collective behavior.