Theorists tend to think of perceptual processes as being very early and basic, and of social cognition as occurring only later, as a part of higher-level thought. In this seminar, we will consider how these seemingly distinct domains may in fact be much more interactive than is typically supposed. We will learn about several ways in which visual processes recover social information, by surveying research on the perception of faces, eye gaze, bodies, biological motion, intentional behaviors, and communicative signals such as facial expressions. We will also consider mechanisms by which higher-level social factors may influence how we see physical properties such as motion, color, and spatial and causal relationships. Each week, one or two students will lead a discussion of several articles related to one of these themes. In the last few weeks of the course, students will learn how to use Python and JavaScript to program and run an experiment of their own design, on a topic of their choosing in social perception. There is no textbook for the course, and most readings will be provided as PDFs in Canvas, under ‘Files’. [This course is reserved for NSSR Psychology students. Students in other divisions and programs may email the instructor for permission to join.]