10-17-24 Octobre 2019: 14h-16h00, à Louvain-La-Neuve.
Résumé: Ce que les autres pensent et ressentent est un monde invisible. L’empathie nous permet de le deviner. Comment y arrivons-nous ? Y arrivons-nous tous de la même façon ? Y arrivons-nous dans toutes les situations ? L’empathie peut-elle être entrainée ? A la croisée de la psychologie et des neurosciences, je vous invite à découvrir ensemble et de manière interactive les réponses à ces questions ainsi qu’à celles que vous me poserez. En tant que chercheur, le regard que je vous propose sur l’empathie est fondamentalement scientifique ; je vous présenterai les grandes théories, les études marquantes, mes propres travaux sur l’empathie, et les conclusions qui s’en dégagent.

For its second edition, we organize the workshop “From self-knowledge to knowing others". This year we focus on clinical populations with socio-cognitive disorders.

Invited speakers will be

• Pr. Kai VOGELEY, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, University Hospital Cologne
• Pr. David WILLIAMS,Research and Innovation, School of Psychology, University of Kent
• Pr. Jean-Louis NANDRINO,SCAlab (Sciences Cognitives & Affectives), University of Lille
• Pr. Christopher MOULIN, Laboratoire de Psychologie & NeuroCognition, Université Grenoble

Stay tuned! Visit https://self-knowing-others.org/

Summary:
The understanding of other people’s behaviors by inferring their mental states (e.g., emotions, beliefs, personality traits) and the understanding of our own behaviors and thoughts are developing together, their neural correlates strongly overlap, and they are often concomitantly impaired in psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia. Attempts to link the processes underpinning self- and others’ understanding are bourgeoning but they are scattered because this topic has no field nor community on its own yet. This workshop aims to raise awareness and build this community by gathering, for the second time, renowned experts who will share their experience in measuring these processes. While last year the focus was on neuroscientific methods, this year, the workshop will focus on clinical populations with socio-cognitive disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, substance abuse disorder, and Alzheimer.

En Français :
La compréhension des comportements des autres par l’inférence de leurs états mentaux (émotions, croyances, traits de personnalité) et la compréhension de nos propres comportements et pensées se développent ensemble, leurs corrélats neuraux se chevauchent  et sont souvent toutes deux altérées de manière dans des conditions psychiatriques, tels que l'autisme et la schizophrénie. Les recherches visant à relier les processus qui sous-tendent la compréhension de soi et des autres font leur apparition, mais elles sont dispersées car ce sujet n’a pas encore de domaine propre à lui ni de communauté. Ce workshop vise à sensibiliser et à construire cette communauté en rassemblant, pour la deuxième fois, des experts de renom qui partageront leur expérience dans la mesure de ces processus. Tandis que l’an dernier le workshop était axé sur les méthodes neuroscientifiques, cette année il est axé sur l’étude des populations cliniques présentant des troubles sociocognitifs tels que l’autisme, la schizophrénie, l’abus de substances et Alzheimer.

Je serai au Printemps de Sciences pour y donner 3 conférences gratuites "Les voies du cerveau vers l'empathie" et 2 ateliers "Expérimentez votre propre empathie". C'est gratuit, à Louvain-La-Neuve. Pour les écoles secondaires (lundi 26 et mardi 27 mars) et tout public 12 ans+ (samedi 30 mars). Inscription via https://www.printempsdessciencesucl.be/

Résumé de la conférence: L’empathie nous permet de nous connecter aux émotions des autres. Mais comment y arrivons-nous ? Le Dr Henryk Bukowski vous invite à découvrir ensemble la réponse en partageant avec vous sa passion pour l’étude neuroscientifique de l’empathie. Pas à pas, vous découvrirez ce qui est et ce qui n’est pas de l’empathie, les différentes façons de comprendre les émotions des autres, comment examiner l’activité du cerveau et, enfin, ce que les scientifiques connaissent des voies du cerveau vers l’empathie.

Résumé de l'atelier: Cet atelier vous propose de devenir un expérimentateur et un cobaye dans notre laboratoire d’études sur l’empathie. Vous y découvrirez comment vos émotions vous jouent des tours et comment l’expérimentateur joue avec vos émotions.

Program (16th Nov 2018 - one day workshop)
more info on www.self-knowing-others.org

• 8:30-9:00: Registration, posters setup, & coffee
  
• 9:00-9:30: Welcome word & Introduction to Self-Other knowledge  by Henryk Bukowski (post-doc, UCLouvain)
• 9:30-10:10: Subjective experiences in conflict tasks by Wim Gevers (Professor, Université Libre de Bruxelles).

Abstract: We know ourselves because we monitor and evaluate our cognitive processes. What neural processes contribute to these evaluations? We will argue that such metacognitive evaluations are blind to processes occurring before motor commitment. That is, the brain needs a read-out of motor commitment to be conscious of its own cognitive processes.

• 10:10-10:50: Memory and the self: from the past to the future by Arnaud d’Argembeau (Permanent FNRS researcher, Université de Liège).

 Abstract: One’s sense of self and identity depends in part on mental representations of personal attributes and past experiences that are stored in long-term memory. Furthermore, recent research has highlighted the importance of personal goals and future-oriented thinking in self-knowledge. In this talk, I will discuss the representational systems and neurocognitive processes that support these different forms of self-representations.

• 10:50-11:10: Coffee break
• 11:10-11:50: Seeing it in new ways: recent perspectives on perspective taking by Dana Samson (Professor, UCLouvain)

Abstract: How and when we understand others’ mental states has been the core of my research interests for the past 15 years. In this talk I will focus on how visual perspective taking and managing conflicting Self-Other perspectives are currently understood at the functional and neural levels.

• 11:50-12:30: Empathy - from shared affect to distinct self-other representations by Claus Lamm (Professor, University of Vienna) & Henryk Bukowski

Abstract: Empathy is a complex social skill that requires the interplay of several key components. In my talk, held together with Henryk Bukowski, I will highlight two of them: affect sharing and self-other distinction. Based on a multi-method and multi-level approach, the neural underpinnings of these components and their interplay will be discussed

• 12:30-13:30: Lunch
• 13:30-14:30: Posters session
• 14:30-15:45: ‘Spontaneous’ mentalizing: the functional and neural basis, and how it relates to autism spectrum disorder by Marcel Brass & Roeljan Wiersema (Professors, Ghent University)

Abstract: In this presentation, we will summarize our research on the functional and neural basis of spontaneous mentalizing (SM). In particular, we will address the circumstances under which SM occurs, the role of the temporo-parietal junction in SM and whether people with autism spectrum disorder show SM.

• 15:45-16:25: Self-representation in dissociative mind by Chui-De Chiu (Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Abstract: This talk focuses on self-representation in dissociative individuals. We differentiate various layers of self-representation, from self-association with evaluative attributes to self-attribution regarding the ownership and organization of self-relevant information. Atypical self-representation impedes the coherency of dissociators’ self-knowledge, obstructing the reprocessing of unbidden past and biasing the interpretation of social information.

• 16:25-16:45: Coffee break
• 16:45-17:25: When affect sharing and self-other distinction fail: understanding empathy from a developmental and clinical perspective by Giorgia Silani (Senior Post doc, University of Vienna)

Abstract: I will give an overview of the state of the art on brain research on empathy, by focusing on two main questions: 1) What are the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying normal empathic responses? 2) How developmental and clinical factors (autism, alexithymia) affect our ability to empathize with other people?

• 17:25-18:00: General discussion with all speakers
• 18:00-18:15: Best poster award & Conclusion
• 18:15-19:30: Closure drink
  

"From Self-knowledge to knowing others”

www.self-knowing-others.org
Friday 16th of November 2018, Brussels
You are invited to attend a one-day workshop on self-other distinction and self-knowledge!
Active participation of young researchers is particularly encouraged via the presentation of a poster (best poster awarded) and chairing a session.

Registration, food and drinks are free.

Speakers are (for now): Marcel Brass (UGent), Claus Lamm (Univ. Vienna), Giorgia Silani (Univ. Vienna),  Arnaud d'Argembeau (Univ. Liège), Dana Samson (UCLouvain).

Abstract: We have no direct access to other people’s mental states, so how do we know what other people think, like or want to do? One part of the answer has been the discovery that we use a single repertoire of mental states to represent our own mental life and those of other people. However, this led to another important question: how do we then avoid the confusion between our own and other’s mental states? A bourgeoning field of research now highlights the major role self-other distinction to accurately know what other people feel, think, or do. One novel approach has been to examine how knowledge of the Self may contribute to self-other distinction and thus to knowing others. This workshop gathers experts who will share their experience in measuring Self-knowledge and self-other distinction through the combination of neuroscientific and psychological methodological approaches. The Self and self-other distinction will be explained across their multiple domains (sensorimotor, emotional, and cognitive) and how it is measured both in normal and clinical populations (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, alexithymia). This workshop is set to bring to awareness a promising avenue of research and its relevance across multiple disciplines.
Register or pre-register* here.

More info on www.self-knowing-others.org

*pre-register now if you want to attend without knowing yet if you will attend - it helps us estimate how many people will come.

Please forward widely, to your colleagues, especially to the young researchers.