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…

Echo Chambers Amplified: How CNN and Fox News Fuel America’s Polarization

Summary: Researchers utilized AI and natural language processing to analyze 10 years of broadcasts and tweets from CNN and Fox News, revealing a surge in partisan and inflammatory language. The…

Selfish or Generous? Your Behavior Dictates Your Perception of Others

Summary: A recent study finds that an individual’s own behavior, rather than societal norms, plays a pivotal role in how they perceive and respond to others in competitive situations. Generous…

Social Media Algorithms Distort Social Instincts and Fuel Misinformation

Summary: Social media algorithms, designed to boost user engagement for advertising revenue, amplify the biases inherent in human social learning processes, leading to misinformation and polarization. As humans naturally learn…