Summary: Researchers explored how people process deception from friends versus strangers, using brain imaging to study decision-making in gain and loss contexts. Volunteers were more likely to believe lies in…
Category: social behavior
Aggression Is Contagious: Observing Violence Primes the Brain for Aggression
Summary: A new study shows that observing violence can make individuals more likely to act aggressively later, but the effect depends on familiarity. Male mice who watched familiar peers attack…
Moral Outrage Goes Viral, But Doesn’t Drive Action Online
Summary: A new study analyzing over a million posts linked to online petitions found that while moral outrage boosts a post’s virality, it doesn’t significantly increase petition signatures. Emotional and…
Oxytocin Influences Social Behavior and Emotional Response
Summary: New research reveals how oxytocin profoundly influences social behavior and emotional responses in the brain. Animal models have shown how this hormone impacts social fear and how chronic stress…
Greater Knowledge May Harm Group Welfare
Summary: Increasing knowledge can lead to negative outcomes when individuals use it for self-interest rather than collective good. Researchers argue that enhanced knowledge can reduce cooperation among rational individuals, potentially…
Shaping Empathy: Adult Brains Can Learn Compassion
Summary: Empathy, often considered a fixed trait, has been shown to be malleable in adults, influenced by observing the empathetic reactions of others. The study utilized Computational Modeling and functional…
People Likely to Conceal Contagious Sickness for Social Commitments
Summary: A significant number of people, including healthcare workers, conceal infectious illnesses to maintain their work and social commitments. The study, involving over 4,100 participants, found that 75% had hidden…
Fair Share or Fair Play: Unraveling Our Brain’s Fairness Mechanisms
Summary: Researchers evaluate the neuroscientific aspects of fairness in social settings, examining how we balance personal interests with social norms. Using electric brain stimulation on 60 volunteers, researchers identified key…
Revealing Secrets: People’s Fear of Judgment is Overestimated
Summary: New research dispels fears of judgment when sharing secrets. Study shows that when individuals confide their secrets, others perceive them as more charitable and trustworthy. Participants consistently expected harsher…
Hikikomori: New Tool Sheds Light on Social Isolation Phenomenon
Summary: Researchers developed the Hikikomori Diagnostic Evaluation (HiDE), a new assessment tool for identifying pathological social withdrawal or hikikomori. This condition, initially identified in Japan, is characterized by extended physical…
