Cracking the Shell on Psychological Science

In this episode of Cracking the Shell on Psychological Science, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Redcay to explore how studying real‑time interaction is reshaping what we know about the social brain and autism. We dive into second‑person neuroscience, brain‑to‑brain synchrony, and why measuring social cognition in isolation can miss what actually matters in everyday life. The conversation also unpacks emerging research showing that autism is not a single spectrum, but may involve distinct subgroups with different behavioral, neural, and genetic profiles—raising important questions about how we study, diagnose, and support autistic individuals.#Autism. #Social Neuroscience, #PsychologyResources:Dr. Elizabeth Redcay lab site (Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab): https://dscn.umd.edu/index.htmlNature Genetics (2025): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02224-z (four latent classes; genetics/developmental programs)Nature Neuroscience (2023): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01259-x (brain–behavior dimensions; four reproducible subgroups; molecular/network links)