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…
Tag: 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…
Universally Cool: Personality Traits That Cross Cultural Lines
Summary: What makes someone “cool” appears to be remarkably consistent across cultures, according to a global psychology study. Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 people from 13 countries and found that cool…
Chimpanzees and Children Share a Curiosity for Social Drama
Summary: A new study shows that both chimpanzees and young children are drawn to watching social interactions, sometimes even at a cost. When given a choice between viewing videos of…
Across Generations, Humans Are Driven to Keep Culture Alive
Summary: A new paper proposes the cultural continuity hypothesis, suggesting that humans are universally driven to preserve essential aspects of their culture across generations. Drawing on psychology, sociology, and anthropology,…
Kindness Sparks Cooperation by Boosting Social Connectedness
Summary: New research reveals that everyday niceness, like warm tones, smiles, and active listening, can significantly improve teamwork and increase willingness to cooperate. These small acts foster a sense of social…
Incel Culture Links Work Avoidance to Group Loyalty
Summary: A new study reveals that many self-identified incels reject employment not only due to mental health challenges, but as a deliberate expression of identity reinforced by online communities. By…
