Articles tagged with Social Cognition
A new study from RMIT University suggests that environmental awareness alone may not stop people from buying ultra-fast fashion. Shoppers weigh sustainability against price and convenience, using budgets and careful planning to make purchases feel more acceptable. The study identifies two psychological patterns, strategic spontaneity a...
Digital behavioral infrastructure leverages digital health apps to drive medication persistence, side-effect mitigation, and durable weight loss. The 'habit window' hypothesis proposes building healthy behaviors during medication's peak efficacy window.
Researchers found that Americans tend to support religious exemption requests from those who share their political views, but are skeptical of requests from those who hold opposing views. This study highlights the potential for ideological biases to influence perceptions of religious freedom protections.
A non-invasive eye-tracking study reveals that gibbons gaze into the eyes when looking at others, a behavior shared with humans, great apes, and macaques. The study provides new insights into the evolutionary foundations of face perception and social information processing in primates.
Mount Sinai scientists reveal how the brain represents leader and follower roles through prefrontal cortex activity, and create an AI that decodes hidden goals behind teamwork. The study shows that leadership is an asymmetric yet bidirectional partnership, and that followers play a crucial role in maintaining cooperation.
A new study challenges long-held assumptions about autism by showing that autistic people can understand others' emotions just as well as non-autistic people. Researchers found that autistic participants were similarly accurate at tracking emotional experiences and may have been slightly more accurate when understanding other autistic ...
Research finds that bestselling children's science biographies often portray scientists' abilities as innate, discouraging young readers, especially girls and minority children. The study highlights the importance of growth mindset narratives in promoting motivation and accessibility in STEM fields.
Researchers at Tokyo University of Science found that revealing visual elements sequentially and matching each element with the speaker's narration improves attention and learning. Participants in a cumulative presentation format showed higher test scores compared to whole-slide presentations.
A mouse study found that social isolation during adolescence impairs emotion recognition and social behavior in adulthood. Resocializing does not reverse these behavioral changes. The study also showed that socially isolated adult mice were unable to tell the difference between stressed and unstressed mice.
Researchers at the University of Groningen found that a clinically approved asthma drug can restore access to social memories disrupted by sleep deprivation. In a study, mice who were sleep deprived after meeting other mice couldn't recognize them later, but the drug roflumilast allowed them to recall their social encounters.
A new preclinical study finds that estrogen loss in the extracellular matrix of the hippocampus may contribute to memory decline and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women. The study suggests a possible new treatment approach focused on restoring the brain's supportive environment.
A new study by the University of East Anglia reveals that refugees who entered the UK as unaccompanied minors experience relentless cycles of intrusive memories, loneliness, and physical pain. Social connection emerges as a powerful buffer against distress, with many participants finding comfort in activities like cricket or prayer.
Researchers identified a key brain pathway in rats that helps them decide whether to approach stressed pups or avoid stressed adult peers. The insular cortex and prefrontal cortex work together to process social information, with the pathway playing a crucial role in making these decisions.
A new study suggests that language and theory of mind, two complex cognitive functions, have distinct origins in the brain in young children. Researchers found separate but related brain regions for these skills, which do not overlap or grow more distinct as the mind matures.
A NUS Medicine study reveals that caffeine can restore social memory impaired by sleep deprivation. Caffeine targets a specific brain pathway to reverse disruptions in neural communication and plasticity. The study provides insights into the effects of caffeine on cognitive function and memory.
A new study using rats found that a specific brain region, the anterior insula, is more active during actions related to alcohol consumption. This bias in decision-making may be involved in prioritizing alcohol over other rewards, potentially shedding light on the neural underpinnings of alcohol use disorders.
Chronic sleep disruption persistently impairs social memory by differentially encoding oxytocin release in hippocampal CA2 during novelty encoding and prelimbic cortex during retrieval of familiar individuals. Restoration of PVN-OXT neurons enhances OXT release and produces sustained behavioral recovery.
Research from UNSW Sydney and ANU found that people with average face-recognition ability performed only slightly better than chance in spotting AI-generated faces. Even super-recognisers, who excel at recognizing real human faces, were not immune to being fooled by highly realistic AI-generated images.
Researchers discovered that while older rats were as social as younger ones, a subpopulation preferred familiar peers. Altering neural communication reversed this preference, enhancing approach towards new peers. This suggests a distinct neural system underlying aging-related social behavior.
A study found that when people work together on a shared task, their brains process information in similar ways. After an initial period of synchronized neural activity, the alignment of brain activity increased as the pairs worked together and followed agreed-upon rules.
Researchers at MIT discovered how an immune system molecule, interleukin-1 beta, triggers a brain circuit to shut down social behavior in mice. The study found that the molecule activates neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, leading to social withdrawal and lethargy.
A new study examines the role of social approval in intercultural relationships, finding that supportive friends are a powerful protective factor. The research highlights the unique challenges faced by these couples and emphasizes the importance of building strong social networks to understand and respect their relationship.
Researchers analyzed 1.4 million online images and videos, finding that women are systematically presented as younger than men across various occupational and social categories. The study also found that mainstream algorithms amplify age-related gender bias in resume evaluations, rating older male applicants as more qualified.
Researchers found that bullying activates social and emotional brain networks, as well as autonomic threat response systems, leading to increased risk of mental and somatic health issues. Viewers with previous bullying experiences show stronger neural responses to bullied individuals, highlighting the long-term effects of bullying.
Researchers used neuroimaging to study how people evaluate honesty in friend and stranger interactions. Participants believed lies more frequently when they promised potential gains, linked to brain regions involved with risk evaluation and reward. Shared brain activity between friendly pairs can even predict deception success.
Researchers found that male mice become aggressive after witnessing familiar peers attack intruders, not strangers. The study suggests that familiarity with attackers may be a risk factor for violent behavior in males.
An international study found that people across cultures tend to rely on their own intuition rather than seeking advice when making complex decisions. The research, led by the University of Waterloo, suggests that understanding this preference can help clarify cross-cultural misunderstandings and improve teamwork.
Researchers propose a 'Geographic Model of Meaning in Life' that examines how humans perceive and understand their surroundings. This model suggests that meaning in life emerges from the combination of lived experiences and attitudes towards life.
Research found that video summaries in simpler language and presentation improve comprehension, but the 'easiness effect' increases perceived credibility and confidence in evaluation. The study suggests responsible strategies for science communication and optimizing video-based information transfer.
Researchers used music to assess brain activity and found that changes in patterns of activity reflect transitions between emotions triggered by music. The study suggests that the relationship between neural activity and emotional responses depends on the context of a person's previous emotional state.
Older adults show increased locus coeruleus activity when processing hard-to-read facial expressions, which strengthens a neural pathway supporting mental well-being and resilience. This adaptive mechanism could help older individuals cope with cognitive decline or younger people with anxiety or depression.
Researchers have discovered two signaling molecules that can reprogram ant duties, mirroring gene-expression patterns found in eusocial naked mole-rats. These findings suggest a convergent molecular mechanism dating back hundreds of millions of years, hinting at the evolutionary depth of social behavior.
Engaging with art is shown to enhance abstract thinking and promote a broader mindset. Participants who focused on the beauty of ceramics scored higher in abstract thinking than those who simply matched line drawings. This effect was greater among those with an artistic hobby.
Researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio discovered a significant link between REM sleep disturbances and increased PTSD severity. The study suggests that targeting REM sleep could be a promising approach for improving PTSD treatment outcomes.
A new study led by University College London researchers found that people with Alzheimer's disease scored slightly higher on a measure of empathy than peers with mild cognitive impairment. Despite this, emotional reactivity to negative emotions was heightened among those with Alzheimer's disease, contributing to difficulties regulatin...
Researchers used rhesus monkeys to study neural activity during decision-making processes, revealing that amygdala neurons process probability and magnitude of rewards independently. The study also showed that these cells dynamically integrate information about probability, magnitude, and risk to form the basis for decision-making.
New research highlights the connection between income inequality and health and education disparities, increasing support for economic reform. The study reveals that understanding these disparities can lead to a greater willingness to reduce inequality.
A UC Merced study revealed a significant gap in false-belief understanding among preschool children, with lower socioeconomic groups showing the most impact. Children from higher-income backgrounds showed little cognitive effect from lockdowns.
A new study found that empathy responses peak in young adulthood, with increased sensitivity to social pain. This development demonstrates that empathy strengthens as people age, but also accompanies reduced ratings of pain for others, highlighting the complexities of empathic responses.
Researchers propose a new 'mind-tracking' model of communication, integrating social micro-processes to understand non-literal language. Everyday examples like choosing articles or demonstratives demonstrate the interdependence between language and social cognition.
A recent psychological study found that surveillance generates an automatic response of heightened awareness of being watched, affecting public mental health. The research showed that even involuntary responses to face stimuli are impacted when people know they're being monitored.
Researchers found that people underestimates the significance of future life events, such as Thanksgiving holidays and career choices. A three-year study aims to understand why this occurs and provide ideas for improvement.
A majority of respondents ascribed emotions to most non-human primates, mammals, birds, cephalopods, and fish. The survey also explored the risks of anthropomorphism and anthropodenial in animal behavioral research.
The book uses a 'history from below' approach to center the voices of petitioners, revealing how they framed their demands using language like justice, rights, and equity. Through over 4,000 petitions, Dr. Bright Alozie shows the significance of this genre in shaping colonial society and influencing decision-making.
Research identifies three clinical subtypes of schizophrenia, differing between subjective and objective social cognitive difficulties, providing a guide for targeted interventions. The study aims to improve individualized treatment approaches for patients with schizophrenia.
A new study by University of Waterloo researchers found that people perceive wisdom as being composed of two dimensions: reflective orientation and socio-emotional awareness. Reflective orientation includes traits like logical thinking, emotion control, and knowledge application, while socio-emotional awareness involves considering oth...
A new study by Lancaster University highlights that women are more likely than men to experience 'digital overload' and burnout due to their greater use of digital technologies in both work and family lives. The research emphasizes the need for gender-egalitarian work-from-home arrangements and policies to address this issue.
A recent study found that almost 50% of older adults with diabetes experienced depression during the pandemic, with loneliness and chronic pain being major risk factors. The study also identified unexpected findings, including a higher risk of depression among those with higher income prior to the pandemic.
Demonstratives like 'this' and 'that' use across languages to direct listener's attention, linking language to social cognition. The study found that speakers of different languages use demonstratives in ways that reflect their shared human capacity for joint attention.
A new study is testing whether digital tools can help predict which patients with depression will benefit from specific treatments and deliver them on demand. The researchers hope to use these tools to broaden access to psychiatric care and realize the promise of precision psychiatry.
A new study from the University of Ottawa explores young women's reactions to social exclusion, revealing that retaliation is a common response to rejection. The study uses EEG to assess social pain in 87 participants, providing insight into the neurological underpinnings of peer rejection.
A new study introduces a novel hypothesis that digital technologies affect human sociality and mental health, particularly among youth. The Disembodied Disconnect Hypothesis suggests cultivating rich personal relationships in face-to-face communities to counterbalance disembodied digital interactions.
Researchers found that Black women living near areas of unrest experienced higher levels of emotional eating and stress, while those in safer neighborhoods engaged in cognitive restraint. The study suggests that vicarious racial discrimination can lead to race-based traumatic stress and poor mental and physical health outcomes.
A new study finds that people's attitudes are deeply linked to language and culture, with associations matching large AI models' outputs. The researchers used data from over 100,000 Americans and 53 languages to understand how biases are transmitted through language.
A new study found that physical activity and cognitive training can improve life satisfaction and mood for adults with Down’s syndrome. The Mindsets study involved 83 participants who were assigned to one of four groups for an eight-week period, including a control group, light physical exercise, or BrainHQ activities.
A study found that neural balance, measured by the E/I ratio, is associated with brain maturity and better cognitive ability. Research suggests that as children develop, their E/I ratios decrease, leading to improved performance in cognitive tests.
A new study found that children who were more positively sensitive to their parents' praise when they were 3 years old had fewer behavioral and emotional problems when they were 5–7 years old. Childhood sensitivity to psychosocial influences was also found to predict mental health in middle childhood.
A study conducted by the University of Zurich found that interventions against misinformation also breed distrust in fact-based news sources. The researchers tested three corrective strategies and found that they foster a broader sense of doubt among the public, even toward legitimate information.
A new study led by Yale researchers found that attending segregated schools significantly contributes to cognitive decline and cognition disparities between older Black and white Americans. The study analyzed data from a large representative sample of the U.S. population, assessing the quality of education provided and individuals' per...
A new AI model developed by researchers at the University of Jyvåskilö can predict and respond to human emotions, improving user experience. The model simulates cognitive evaluation processes to assess emotional responses to events, enabling computers to preemptively predict and mitigate negative emotions.