Summary: A new study proposes that human culture’s unique power lies not in its ability to accumulate knowledge, as once thought, but in its “open-endedness.” Unlike animal cultures that reach…
Tag: social behavior
Cooperative Care Influences Brain Development in Humans and Marmosets
Summary: Cooperative breeding influences brain development in common marmosets and humans, allowing longer periods for social learning. Marmoset brains, like human brains, develop socio-cognitive regions slowly, maturing in early adulthood.…
How Social Learning Guides Decisions When Preferences Differ
Summary: A new study shows that humans use social information to guide their decisions, even when others’ preferences differ from their own. Researchers found that people treat social cues as…
Social Media Verification Drives Polarization and Echo Chambers
Summary: A new study shows that X’s verification system, which gives verified users priority in algorithms, can increase polarization and trigger the formation of echo chambers. Researchers used computational modeling…
Parent-Child Play Shapes Social Skills for Interacting with Peers
Summary: How parents and toddlers play together can predict children’s future social interactions. By observing over 120 mother-child pairs, researchers found that responsive and assertive behaviors during play were linked…
People Empathize with Bullied AI Bots
Summary: People empathize with AI bots excluded from a virtual game, treating them like social beings in need of fairness. Participants favored giving the AI bot a fair chance in…
Imaging Links Fewer Brain Connections to Autism Social Challenges
Summary: A recent study used PET imaging to examine synaptic connections in autistic and non-autistic adults, marking the first time this technology was applied to autism research. Findings show autistic…
Dolphins’ “Smile” Reveals Playful Intentions
Summary: Bottlenose dolphins use an “open mouth” expression, similar to a smile, during playful interactions with other dolphins. This expression is a signal of fun and playfulness, preventing misunderstandings as…
Near Death Experiences May Strengthen Human Interconnectedness
Summary: A new study shows that out-of-body experiences (OBEs), including near-death experiences, can dramatically increase empathy and transform how individuals connect with others. Researchers suggest this may result from “ego…
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…
