The chapter discusses social cognition, which involves the psychological processes that enable individuals to understand and interact within social groups. Key aspects include social signals such as facial expressions (e.g., fear, disgust) and eye gaze direction, which help us navigate the world and learn about potential dangers or interesting things. Social referencing, where infants use their mothers' facial expressions to decide whether to approach novel objects, is highlighted as an important phenomenon. The chapter also explores the role of mirror systems in the brain, which allow us to understand and mimic others' actions and emotions. It discusses how social stimuli, such as disgust and fear, can be learned through observation, and how this learning can occur subconsciously. The text further examines social responses, such as mirroring movements and the automatic imitation that occurs in social interactions. It emphasizes the importance of shared goals and alignment in joint actions, and how these can be achieved through deliberate communication and automatic processes. The chapter concludes by discussing the distinction between learning through observation and learning through instruction, and how the latter, often involving ostensive signals (e.g., eye contact, pointing), is uniquely human and crucial for cultural learning and the development of complex social behaviors.The chapter discusses social cognition, which involves the psychological processes that enable individuals to understand and interact within social groups. Key aspects include social signals such as facial expressions (e.g., fear, disgust) and eye gaze direction, which help us navigate the world and learn about potential dangers or interesting things. Social referencing, where infants use their mothers' facial expressions to decide whether to approach novel objects, is highlighted as an important phenomenon. The chapter also explores the role of mirror systems in the brain, which allow us to understand and mimic others' actions and emotions. It discusses how social stimuli, such as disgust and fear, can be learned through observation, and how this learning can occur subconsciously. The text further examines social responses, such as mirroring movements and the automatic imitation that occurs in social interactions. It emphasizes the importance of shared goals and alignment in joint actions, and how these can be achieved through deliberate communication and automatic processes. The chapter concludes by discussing the distinction between learning through observation and learning through instruction, and how the latter, often involving ostensive signals (e.g., eye contact, pointing), is uniquely human and crucial for cultural learning and the development of complex social behaviors.