Descrizione del progetto
Da «creature sociali» a entità digitali
In quanto esseri umani, siamo predisposti a interagire con gli altri, garantendo la nostra sopravvivenza come «creature sociali». La pandemia di COVID-19 ha cambiato radicalmente il nostro modo di interagire: i contatti di persona si sono fusi con le interazioni virtuali. Sempre più persone lavorano e studiano a distanza e accedono all’assistenza sanitaria via Internet. In questo contesto, il progetto SODI, finanziato dal CER, studierà come questo cambiamento influisca sulle nostre interazioni sociali. In particolare, il progetto confronterà le interazioni di persona con quelle che avvengono attraverso uno schermo (dal vivo). Utilizzando un approccio biopsicologico multimetodo, SODI verificherà se le interazioni a schermo attivino i sistemi ormonali di attinenza sociale in egual misura rispetto a quelle di persona. Inoltre, questo progetto mira ad «arricchire socialmente» le interazioni nello spazio digitale, consentendo il contatto visivo, quello fisico e gli odori sociali.
Obiettivo
Over millions of years, human survival has crucially depended on rapport building, seeking others’ social support, and sharing resources in groups. This social context has created constant evolutionary pressure to develop specific biological systems geared to interacting face-to-face with physically present others. For just a few years, we have been living in a rapidly developing digital world where interactions across society (education, friendship, health care) shift to face-to-screen interaction – strongly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. How does this core change affect our social interactions? In SODI, I will contrast face-to-face with face-to-screen “live” interactions of many individuals, taking a multi-method, biopsychological approach. According to my theoretical working model, face-to-screen interactions fail to entirely engage specific, socially relevant hormonal systems (oxytocin, μ-opioids, testosterone), which evolved to process context-dependent stimuli from face-to-face contact (mutual eye gaze, physical contact, social odour). Consequently, hormone-mediated beneficial social effects should be attenuated, while adding social stimuli should ameliorate this difference. To test my model’s assumptions, I will tackle three objectives. How do face-to-screen interactions differ from face-to-face ones? Can we “socially enrich” face-to-screen interactions by adding previously lacking social stimuli? Does experimentally modulating hormone levels in the brain affect differences between face-to-face and face-to-screen interactions? In a radically innovative approach, my research combines experimental-psychological interaction paradigms, neurophysiological and subjective measures, and hormone administration to understand the merits and flaws of interacting in a digital reality. Moreover, my project aims to strike new paths for “socially enriching” face-to-screen interactions, thereby unfolding the full potential of the digital (r)evolution.
Campo scientifico
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsIstituzione ospitante
79098 Freiburg
Germania