Canine Kings & Feline Pharaohs: Cultural Nuances in Pet Affection

Summary: Researchers explored the emotional and financial investment of pet owners toward their cats and dogs across Denmark, Austria, and the UK. Their research indicated that, across these nations, dogs…

Romance and Routine: Nurturing Commitment in Couples

Summary: A new study explored how couples maintain and nurture their relationships. The study categorized relationship maintenance behaviors into five areas, analyzing data from 192 heterosexual married couples. While direct…

Loneliness Merges Real and Fictional Friends in the Brain

Summary: Researchers discovered that lonely fans of “Game of Thrones” processed their favorite characters similarly to real friends in their brains. By using fMRI scans while participants considered the traits…

Brain Region That Links Language to Social Cognition Identified

Summary: Researchers discovered that neural activity in the left ventral temporoparietal junction (vTPJ) and the lateral anterior temporal lobe (lATL) during sentence processing is tied to social-semantic working memory. Previously,…

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…

Give and Grow: Volunteering Linked to Better Cognitive Health in Seniors

Summary: Volunteering can significantly improve cognitive function in older adults, suggests new research. The study, which included a diverse group of 2,476 seniors, linked volunteering activities to better executive function…

AI System Detects Social Norm Violations

Summary: A pioneering AI system successfully identifies violations of social norms. Utilizing GPT-3, zero-shot text classification, and automatic rule discovery, the system categorizes social emotions into ten main types. It…

Culture and Geography Significantly Influence Sleep Patterns

Summary: A new study reveals that culture and geography significantly influence sleep patterns. Using data from Nokia smartwatches, the researchers analyzed 52 million logs over four years from 30,082 individuals…

Better ‘Mind Reading’ Skills Linked to Enhanced Cooperation

Summary: A new study reveals that individuals with stronger ‘mindreading’ abilities, or the capacity to understand others’ feelings and intentions, are more successful in cooperative tasks. This trait, also known…

Sense of Purpose May Shield Against Loneliness

Summary: A sense of purpose in life, irrespective of its nature, can be a robust defense against loneliness. A new study, involving over 2,300 Swiss adults, found fewer instances of…