Summary: New research shows that people often feel worse when telling others about their good deeds than when keeping them private or discussing personal achievements. Across five studies, participants predicted…
Category: social behavior
AI Models Form Theory-of-Mind Beliefs
Summary: Researchers showed that large language models use a small, specialized subset of parameters to perform Theory-of-Mind reasoning, despite activating their full network for every task. This sparse internal circuitry…
When Machines Become Our Moral Loophole
Summary: A large study across 13 experiments with over 8,000 participants shows that people are far more likely to act dishonestly when they can delegate tasks to AI rather than…
Brain Circuits Show Why Friends’ Lies Are Easier to Believe
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…
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…
