Social Cognitive Model Research Articles

Belief in free will: Integration into social cognition models to promote health behavior

ABSTRACT The question of whether free will exists has been debated extensively for centuries. Instead of debating this complex issue, recent work in psychology has sought to understand the consequences of beliefs in free will. That is, how are people’s behaviors influenced when they either believe or do not believe in free will? Amongst many outcomes, research has identified free will beliefs to influence achievement, perseverance, and aggressiveness. We believe that beliefs in free will could also exert influence on health behaviors. Health promotion from a psychological perspective has typically adopted social cognitive models to understand and predict health behaviors. We contend that free will beliefs could be included in these models to understand and change health behavior. We provide examples of how a popular social cognition theory, the theory of planned behavior, could be aligned with beliefs in free will. We suggest that the relationship between free will beliefs and theory constructs (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention) could be positive in health enhancing behaviors and negative in health risk behaviors. Experimentally testing these relationships is needed in future research. This may provide further insights into the consequences of free will and contribute to the explanation of health behavior.

Momentary assessment of aberrant salience, anomalous self-experiences, and psychotic-like experiences.

To improve understanding of emerging psychosis, researchers have identified potential precursory mechanisms that may momentarily precede psychotic-like experiences, including aberrant salience and anomalous self-experiences. Aberrant salience is the misattribution of significance to neutral stimuli and may be linked to atypical dopamine transmission. Anomalous self-experiences include changes in the experience of the self, which may alter top-down cognitive processes. The present study extends previous research on these phenomena by examining the momentary dynamics of aberrant salience, anomalous self-experiences, and psychotic-like experiences in daily life. Participants were 246 young adults who were prompted to complete 6 smartphone surveys daily for 7 days. Baseline measures of aberrant salience and anomalous self-experiences each predicted occurrence of the same phenomena in daily life, supporting the use of these measures to examine within-subject changes. Dynamic structural equation modeling was used to examine lagged effects. Both aberrant salience and anomalous self-experiences exhibited carryover effects across timepoints. Furthermore, aberrant salience and anomalous self-experiences were each associated with psychotic-like experiences at subsequent timepoints, above and beyond the carryover effects of psychotic-like experiences. These temporal relationships provide preliminary support consistent with social-cognitive models of psychosis and support further examination of the within-subject dynamics of aberrant salience and anomalous self-experiences at the momentary scale. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Discourse Analysis of Chinese Hoof-shaped Gold Ingots

Chinese hoof-shaped gold ingots are cultural relics excavated from Haihunhou tomb of the Western Han Dynasty in recent years. From the perspective of social cognitive linguistics, this article aims at exploring the discourse essence and discursive construction of hoof-shaped gold ingots. Firstly on the level of discursive types, it is proposed that the ingots fall into the category of multi-modal discourses, and to be more specific, the cognitive category of materialized discourses. Then based on the social cognitive model of strong differentiation advanced by Wang (2019), it is found that the ingots are essentially a kind of materialized power discourses developed on the social cognitive model called strong differentiation model of power. Furthermore, it is discovered that the cognitive premise of the social cognitive model is that bestowals are power, which serves as an immediate motivation for the emergence of the ingots in Chinese history. The findings suggest that the cognitive motivation for discursive construction of hoof-shaped gold ingots is the rationalization of power stratification and the natural legitimation of imperial authority in Chinese feudal society.

Good Personality and Subjective Well-Being: Presence of Meaning in Life and Perceived Social Support as Mediators.

Good personality is a positive moral personality in the context of Chinese Confucianism. Based on a social-cognitive model of normative well-being, we propose that good personality positively predicts subjective well-being, mediated by the perceived social support and presence of meaning in life in the context of Chinese culture. In this cross-sectional study, there were 665 Chinese adults (134 males and 531 females) who participated in the Good Personality Questionnaire, Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Presence of Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Good personality was positively associated with subjective well-being (SWB). Both the presence of meaning in life and perceived social support independently mediated the link between good personality and subjective well-being (SWB), and in Chinese adults, perceived social support has a greater mediating effect than the presence of meaning in life. These findings illustrate that the presence of meaning in life and perceived social support mediate the relationship between good personality and subjective well-being in the context of Chinese culture, which supports the model of normative well-being and can provide more targeted intervention guidance for research on promoting well-being in the Chinese context.

Self-assertive efficacy and workplace advocacy behavior: A social cognitive analysis.

One important way in which people assert their agency in the workplace is by engaging in self-advocacy. We used the social cognitive model of career self-management (CSM; Lent & Brown, 2013) to examine hypothesized predictors and outcomes of workers' engagement in self-advocacy. Participants were 511 full-time employees who completed an online survey of self-assertive efficacy involving advocacy behavior, proactive personality, perceived organizational support, self-advocacy behaviors (voice, career initiative, job change negotiation), and three career success criteria (career satisfaction, organizational rewards growth, and hierarchical status at work). Splitting the sample into two parts, we first examined the psychometric properties of a new measure of self-assertive efficacy in relation to workplace advocacy behaviors (SAE-W; n = 200). In the second phase, we tested a set of measurement models to confirm the factor structure of the new measure (n = 311). Results suggested that the SAE-W measure can be viewed as largely unidimensional. Path analyses of the CSM model, including the new self-efficacy measure, offered good fit to the data across gender, racial/ethnic groups, and educational level. We discuss the implications of the findings for future research on self-advocacy behaviors in the workplace from a social cognitive perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

A Theory of a Human-Centered Social Cognitive Chain

The absence of anthropology from cognitive science may be related to the fact that the Western-dominated cognitive approach is not human-centered. From an anthropological perspective, we propose a possible social cognitive model—the human-centered social cognitive chain. It is a theory of the human cognitive process that includes two phenomena— anthropomorphism and dehumanization; has two directions—upward and downward; involves two dimensions—morality and competence; and produces two results—cuteness and coolness. It is a way for humans to understand the whole world with themselves as starting point and end point, governing social cognition. The human-centered social cognitive chain involves gods, humans, animals, plants, artificial objects, pure objects, and even abstract concepts, on the basis of which upward and downward anthropomorphism and upward and downward dehumanization arise. The existing research on anthropomorphism and dehumanization is slightly biased in that it only emphasizes upward anthropomorphism and downward dehumanization. Theoretically, both anthropomorphism and dehumanization should be two-stage processes based on essentialism, but humans engaged in cognition tend to adopt a dimensional view that simplifies them. The morality-competence dichotomy reflects this tendency and results in the cognitive outcomes of cuteness, where morality is valued higher than competence and coolness, where competence is valued higher than morality. The human-centered social cognitive chain is the paradigm by which humans understand themselves, their culture, and the world.

The forgotten affective route of social cognition in patients with bipolar disorders

Social cognition (SC) research in bipolar disorders (BD) has provided evidence about deficits in different phases of the illness. Most of the studies have focused on two aspects of SC: theory of mind and emotion recognition. However, according to influential models of social neuroscience, two aspects of understanding others need to be distinguished: the cognitive (theory of mind and emotion recognition) and the affective route (empathy and compassion) of SC. We aimed to determine whether individuals with BD significantly differ from healthy controls on measures of the affective route of SC according to the available evidence. We conduct a narrative review of original research based on a social neuroscience model of SC. BD is associated with alterations of the affective route of SC during acute episodes and remission. During mania and subthreshold depression, an increase in empathy (“over-empathizing”) and discomfort (empathy) has been reported, respectively. A pattern of high empathic distress and low compassion appears during remission. This article is the first to review the evidence on the affective route of SC in BD, revealing trait and state alterations. We emphasize the need to consider this affective dimension of SC in future research, to design more specific interventions in BD patients.

Deep Q-network for social robotics using emotional social signals.

Social robotics represents a branch of human-robot interaction dedicated to developing systems to control the robots to operate in unstructured environments with the presence of human beings. Social robots must interact with human beings by understanding social signals and responding appropriately to them. Most social robots are still pre-programmed, not having great ability to learn and respond with actions adequate during an interaction with humans. Recently more elaborate methods use body movements, gaze direction, and body language. However, these methods generally neglect vital signs present during an interaction, such as the human emotional state. In this article, we address the problem of developing a system to turn a robot able to decide, autonomously, what behaviors to emit in the function of the human emotional state. From one side, the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL) represents a way for social robots to learn advanced models of social cognition, following a self-learning paradigm, using characteristics automatically extracted from high-dimensional sensory information. On the other side, Deep Learning (DL) models can help the robots to capture information from the environment, abstracting complex patterns from the visual information. The combination of these two techniques is known as Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). The purpose of this work is the development of a DRL system to promote a natural and socially acceptable interaction among humans and robots. For this, we propose an architecture, Social Robotics Deep Q-Network (SocialDQN), for teaching social robots to behave and interact appropriately with humans based on social signals, especially on human emotional states. This constitutes a relevant contribution for the area since the social signals must not only be recognized by the robot but help him to take action appropriated according to the situation presented. Characteristics extracted from people’s faces are considered for extracting the human emotional state aiming to improve the robot perception. The development and validation of the system are carried out with the support of SimDRLSR simulator. Results obtained through several tests demonstrate that the system learned satisfactorily to maximize the rewards, and consequently, the robot behaves in a socially acceptable way.

Social Cognitive Predictors of South Korean College Students’ Academic and Life Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic

본 연구는 사회인지이론에서 파생된 학업만족모델에 근거하여 팬데믹 상황에서 한국 대학생의 학업 및 삶의 만족을 예측하기 위해 다양한 사회인지변인들이 어떻게 서로 상호작용 하는지를 검증하였다. 학업적 맥락에서 환경 및 인지변인(학업지원, 자기효능감, 결과기대, 목표진전)들이 성격특질(외향성과 정서적 안정성)과 학업 및 삶의 만족과의 관계를 매개할 것이라고 가정하였다. 총 632명의 대학생이 연구에 참여하였고, 연구모델 분석을 위한 구조방정식과 성별차이 검증을 위한 다집단 분석을 실시한 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 나이 및 학년을 통제한 사회인지 학업 및 삶의 만족 모델은 팬데믹 상황에서도 우리나라 대학생들의 학업 및 삶의 만족 구조를 잘 설명하는 것으로 나타났다. 구체적으로, 높은 외향성 및 정서안정성은 만족 변인들에 직·간접적으로 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 사회인지 변인들은 이러한 관계에 있어서 중요한 매개적 역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 성별에 따른 집단차이는 없는 것으로 나타났다. 전반적으로, 본 연구는 팬데믹 시대 한국 대학생의 학업과 삶의 만족을 향상 시킬 수 있는 통합적 프레임워크로써 사회인지 학업만족모델이 유용하다는 것을 보여준다.This study was designed to further extend the initial evidence whether the satisfaction model derived from Lent(2004)’s social cognitive model of well-being can be applied to the academic and life satisfaction of Korean college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the academic context, environmental and person-cognitive variables (academic supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal progress) were hypothesized to mediate the relations of personality traits (extraversion, emotional stability) to academic satisfaction and life satisfaction. Online survey data of 632 college students were analyzed using SEM modeling and multi-group SEM analyses. As a result, the hypothesized model produced acceptable fit indices. Consistent with theoretical prediction, social cognitive variables formed pathways that mediated the several links of personality traits to academic satisfaction or life satisfaction across male and female students. Overall, these findings provided evidence for the applicability and validity of the social cognitive satisfaction model during pandemic.

Academic Satisfaction of Women Students of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Roles of Discrimination, Proactive Personality, and Critical Consciousness

Underrepresentation of women and students of color has been a longstanding issue in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The present study examined factors that contribute to academic satisfaction among 585 women college students of color ( Mage = 21.42, SDage = 3.25; nBlack = 174, nLatina = 171, nAsian = 240), based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory satisfaction model. Experiences of discrimination was selected as an environmental obstacle and proactive personality as a person input in the model. In addition, critical consciousness was included as a personal resource variable. Multigroup measurement invariance tests and multigroup structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the racial/ethnic differences in constructs and their interrelationships. The findings showed that discrimination, proactive personality, and critical consciousness contributed to academic satisfaction via self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goal progress. Theoretical, clinical, and institutional implications are discussed in light of the findings. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

The utility of the integrated behavior change model as an extension of the theory of planned behavior.

IntroductionThere are several widely used theories of health behavior change, which mostly utilize the social cognitive approach. These theories tend to posit that intention is a direct predictor of behavior, do not include automatic influences on behavior, and propose a one-size-fits-all theory for both initiators and maintainers. However, the intention-behavior gap is a well-observed phenomenon, researchers have highlighted that both automatic and reflective factors promote behavioral engagement, and predictors of behavior have been shown to differ between initiators and maintainers—three issues that necessitate theory advancement. To that end, the present research compares the utility of the Integrated Behavior Change Model (IBCM) – a social cognitive model that includes automatic factors involved in behavioral engagement and a moderator of the intention-behavior gap – to its theoretical predecessor, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Further, the relevance of the IBCM factors for predicting exercise behavior is compared in initiators versus maintainers.MethodParticipants were 494 US undergraduates. Participants reported on variables from the IBCM (and TPB) at baseline and reported on their exercise behavior in two surveys at seven- and 14-days post-baseline.ResultsFindings supported the first hypothesis that the IBCM would be more relevant for initiators in comparison with maintainers, using structural equation modeling. Specifically, only the paths between intrinsic motivation and affective attitude, affective attitude and intention, and intention and behavior were reliably found for maintainers. For initiators, the aforementioned paths were also reliably supported and the additional following paths were also supported: intrinsic motivation and perceived behavioral control, perceived behavioral control and intention, and intention and action planning. However, results did not support the second hypothesis that the IBCM would predict significantly more variance in behavior than its theoretical predecessor, the TPB. Specifically, the addition of action planning, implicit attitude, implicit motivation, and the interaction between intention and action planning only predicted an additional 0.3% (p < 0:05) of the variance in exercise behavior above and beyond intention.ConclusionResults highlight the continued need for theoretical refinement in terms of delineating mechanisms of initiation and maintenance and the need for further development in terms of improving upon current predictions of behavior engagement and change.

Test of a Social Cognitive Model of Restorative Well-Being: Application to International Students

The social cognitive model of restorative well-being (Lent, 2004) focuses on the means by which people help to stabilize their emotional functioning after exposure to challenging life conditions. We extended this model to the study of how international students navigate psychological adjustment to life in the United States. In this application, we focused on the interplay of cognitive, behavioral, social, and trait mechanisms that may help to mitigate distress and promote well-being in the context of change and transition. Participants were 233 international students at U.S. colleges and universities who completed measures of acculturative stress, life satisfaction, social support, self-efficacy in coping with life changes, general self-efficacy, and acculturation- and enculturation-based coping behaviors. Findings indicated that the model provided good fit to the data. Coping efficacy was strongly predictive of lower levels of acculturative stress, which in turn predicted life satisfaction together with general self-efficacy. We consider implications of the findings for future research as well as for interventions designed to prevent psychological distress and to promote effective coping among international students and in a broad range of other stress and coping contexts, such as life role transitions.

A Multi-Group Study of Psychological Capital and Job Search Behaviours Among University Graduates With and Without Work Placement Learning Experience

We build upon the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM) to test the effects of psychological capital constructs (hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience) on preparatory and active job search behaviours, mediated by job search goals in a multi-group study of university graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation and those who did not. Using a two-wave data from 473 university fresh graduates in the one-year national youth service corps ( N = 209 who undertook work placement learning before graduation) and ( N = 264 who did not undertake work placement learning) in Nigeria, we test an SCCT-CSM-driven model employing structural equation modelling for the multi-group study. The findings revealed positive effects of self-efficacy and optimism on the preparatory and active job search behaviours across both samples but higher effects in the graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation. Job search goals mediated the effects of self-efficacy and optimism on their preparatory and active job search behaviours in both samples. The serial mediation results show that self-efficacy and optimism indirectly affect the active job search behaviours via job search goals and preparatory job search behaviours. The implications of these results are discussed.

CEOs’ Tenure and the Synergistic Effect Between Mandatory and Voluntary Environmental Pressures

This study investigates how the interplay of mandatory environmental pressure from governments and voluntary pressure self-imposed by firms themselves influences the environmental performance of the firm at different stages of the CEO’s career horizon. The result reveals that there is only a synergistic effect between mandatory and voluntary environmental pressures when the CEO’s career horizon is low. We argue that this phenomenon could be explained by the fact that the motivation to improve the firm environmental performance decreases as the CEO’s career horizon shortens because of the associated economic short-termism. Theoretically, this study builds on the Awareness-Motivation-Capability framework to provide a social cognitive model that links mandatory environmental pressure, voluntary environmental pressure, CEOs’ career horizon and the environmental performance of the firm.

Nexus between constructs of social cognitive theory model and diabetes self-management among Ghanaian diabetic patients: A mediation modelling approach.

The promotion of Diabetes Self-Management (DSM) practices, education, and support is vital to improving the care and wellbeing of diabetic patients. Identifying factors that affect DSM behaviours may be useful to promote healthy living among these patients. The study assessed the determinants of DSM practices among Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients using a model-based social cognitive theory (SCT). This cross-sectional study comprised 420 (T2DM) patients who visited the Diabetic Clinic of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi-Ghana. Data was collected using self-structured questionnaires to obtain socio-demographic characteristics, T2DM-related knowledge, DSM practices, SCT constructs; beliefs in treatment effectiveness, level of self-efficacy, perceived family support, and healthcare provider-patient communication. Path analysis was used to determine direct and indirect effects of T2DM-related knowledge, perceived family support, and healthcare provider service on DSM practices with level of self-efficacy mediating the relationships, and beliefs in treatment effectiveness as moderators. The mean age of the participants was 53.1(SD = 11.4) years and the average disease duration of T2DM was 10 years. Most of the participants (65.5%) had high (>6.1mmol/L) fasting blood glucose (FBG) with an average of 6.93(SD = 2.41). The path analysis model revealed that age (p = 0.176), gender (p = 0.901), and duration of T2DM (p = 0.119) did not confound the relationships between the SCT constructs and DSM specified in the model. A significant direct positive effect of family and friends' support (Critical ratio (CR) = 5.279, p < 0.001) on DSM was observed. Self-efficacy was a significant mediator in this relationship (CR = 4.833, p < 0.001). There were significant conditional indirect effects (CIE) for knowledge of T2DM and family and friends' support at medium and high levels of belief in treatment effectiveness (p < 0.05) via level of self-efficacy on DSM practices. However, no evidence of moderated-mediation was observed for the exogenous variables on DSM. Diabetes-related knowledge of T2DM, family and friends' support, level of self-efficacy, and belief in treatment effectiveness are crucial in DSM practices among Ghanaian T2DM patients. It is incumbent to consider these factors when designing interventions to improve DSM adherence.

Applying social cognitive career theory to the study abroad choice process.

Studying abroad during college is an educational choice that has significant implications for students' career, academic, and personal development. This study adapted the social cognitive models of career choice (Lent et al., 1994) and self-management (Lent & Brown, 2013) to examine predictors of study abroad interest and choice intentions. The psychometric properties of new and revised domain-specific measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, supports, and barriers were first assessed with an initial sample of 325 college students. The measures yielded an 8-factor structure and adequate reliability and validity estimates. The factor structure was cross-validated in an independent sample of students (N = 277). Support was also found for a higher order model of study abroad self-efficacy, with a single second order factor and three first order factors corresponding to cultural adjustment, decision-making, and administrative task self-efficacy. A structural path model offered good fit to the data and support for most of the paths predicting study abroad interests and intentions. We discuss directions for future research extending social cognitive career models to engagement in the study abroad experience and related academic/career behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of the ventrolateral anterior temporal lobes in social cognition.

A key challenge for neurobiological models of social cognition is to elucidate whether brain regions are specialised for that domain. In recent years, discussion surrounding the role of anterior temporal regions epitomises such debates; some argue the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) is part of a domain‐specific network for social processing, while others claim it comprises a domain‐general hub for semantic representation. In the present study, we used ATL‐optimised fMRI to map the contribution of different ATL structures to a variety of paradigms frequently used to probe a crucial social ability, namely ‘theory of mind’ (ToM). Using multiple tasks enables a clearer attribution of activation to ToM as opposed to idiosyncratic features of stimuli. Further, we directly explored whether these same structures are also activated by a non‐social task probing semantic representations. We revealed that common to all of the tasks was activation of a key ventrolateral ATL region that is often invisible to standard fMRI. This constitutes novel evidence in support of the view that the ventrolateral ATL contributes to social cognition via a domain‐general role in semantic processing and against claims of a specialised social function.

Examining the effects of subjective and objective neurocognition on recovery within serious mental illness: the role of diagnostic disclosure

ABSTRACT Background Although living openly with psychosis or other serious mental illness (SMI) can be important for recovery, people often conceal this identity. Social-cognitive models of diagnostic concealment/disclosure posit that perception of symptoms (e.g. perceived neurocognitive symptoms), rather than objective symptoms, evokes concern regarding disclosure. The study aims to: 1) highlight fear of diagnostic disclosure (DD) as a recovery barrier; 2) examine whether perceived symptoms or subjective neurocognitive complaints (SNCS) are associated with greater fear of DD; and 3) determine whether fear of DD is a mechanism (mediator) through which SNCS impact recovery. Methods Fifty people experiencing SMI completed measures of recovery, fear of DD, SNCS and objective neurocognition. Three participants were excluded due to incomplete testing. Results To address Aim 1, correlations revealed negative associations for recovery with SNCS and fear of DD. SNCS and fear of DD were positively correlated. Better objective neurocognition was positively associated with SNCS, but not recovery. Consistent with Aims 2 and 3, SNCS were negatively associated with recovery via association with fear of DD. Discussion Results suggest fear of DD is associated with perceived difficulties, independent of actual functioning. Treatments targeting disclosure may hold promise for facilitating recovery.

Promoting Self-Regulated Learning among First-Year Accounting-Student Teachers: A Student-Empowerment Pedagogical Framework

The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic significantly diminished opportunities for face-to-face learning. This came at the backdrop of the consistent failure of first-year students to cope with the demands of learning in a complex higher educational system, which prioritises autonomous learning. Such a failure has been attributed to the structured and supportive learning environments in basic education, which have not only produced excessively dependent learners, but also a cohort of first-year students with low levels of resilience, self-efficacy, and motivation. Against this exposition, this quantitative study investigated those teaching approaches that lecturers can use to promote self-regulated learning among first-year accounting-student teachers. Guided by the fundamental precepts of the social-cognitive model of self-regulated learning and informed by interpretivism, quantitative data were collected using a Likert Scale questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the data revealed that meaningful and sustainable self-regulated learning can only be promoted by a purely student-centred approach. With an overall mean above 4.0, problem-based learning was found to frequently promote the self-regulated learning of students. Conversely, given an overall mean of just above 2.0, scaffolding and guided instruction were found to rarely promote self-regulated learning. A low standard deviation of below 1.0 on all three teaching approaches suggests a very small variance in the students’ scores. On the basis of these findings, the study calls for a pragmatic adoption of radical student-centred constructivist teaching approaches. In line with this recommendation, institutions of higher learning need to capacitate lecturers to teach students problem-solving and self-regulated learning skills.

Whole-Brain Network Models: From Physics to Bedside

Computational neuroscience has come a long way from its humble origins in the pioneering work of Hodgkin and Huxley. Contemporary computational models of the brain span multiple spatiotemporal scales, from single neuronal compartments to models of social cognition. Each spatial scale comes with its own unique set of promises and challenges. Here, we review models of large-scale neural communication facilitated by white matter tracts, also known as whole-brain models (WBMs). Whole-brain approaches employ inputs from neuroimaging data and insights from graph theory and non-linear systems theory to model brain-wide dynamics. Over the years, WBM models have shown promise in providing predictive insights into various facets of neuropathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, Schizophrenia, Epilepsy, Traumatic brain injury, while also offering mechanistic insights into large-scale cortical communication. First, we briefly trace the history of WBMs, leading up to the state-of-the-art. We discuss various methodological considerations for implementing a whole-brain modeling pipeline, such as choice of node dynamics, model fitting and appropriate parcellations. We then demonstrate the applicability of WBMs toward understanding various neuropathologies. We conclude by discussing ways of augmenting the biological and clinical validity of whole-brain models.