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Tibetan plateau had broader social dimensions than previously thought

Researchers discovered stone artifacts on the Tibetan plateau that suggest long-distance cultural exchanges between residents and those living on its perimeter. The findings, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, reveal a more complex social dimension than previously thought.

SourceCarl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign·JournalQuaternary Science Reviews·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 29, 2024

After being insulted, writing down your feelings on paper then getting rid of it reduces anger

Researchers at Nagoya University discovered that writing down one's reaction to a negative incident on paper and then disposing of it significantly reduces feelings of anger. The study found that participants who threw away the paper experienced a significant decrease in anger levels, while those who kept it saw only a small reduction.

SourceNagoya University·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 9, 2024

Prioritizing your phone over your partner affects creativity in the workplace for women

A study by University of Bath researchers found that prioritizing phone use over partner support negatively impacts women's creativity at work. The study analyzed diary entries from 65 full-time couples with children and revealed that women are more adept at translating home support into workplace creativity.

SourceUniversity of Bath·JournalJournal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateApr 8, 2024

The serious side of kid and canine play

A new study aims to understand how family dogs influence children's physical activity levels, with researchers exploring ways to promote healthy habits in young people. The study found that about 20% of daily physical activity comes from time spent with the dog.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·JournalJournal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour·TypeObservational study·DateMar 27, 2024

Live music emotionally moves us more than streamed music

A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich found that live performances stimulate a stronger emotional response in the brain compared to listening to recorded music. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity during both live and recorded music sessions, revealing a significant difference in amy...

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 26, 2024

Do apes have humor?

Great apes engage in playful teasing behaviors, including provocative actions and one-sided provocation, similar to human infant teasing. This study suggests that the cognitive prerequisites for humor evolved in the human lineage at least 13 million years ago.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 13, 2024

It’s true, happiness doesn’t cost much

A recent study by ICTA-UAB found that many societies with very low monetary income have remarkably high levels of life satisfaction, comparable to those in wealthy countries. The average life satisfaction score across the studied small-scale societies was 6.8 on a scale of 0-10.

SourceUniversitat Autonoma de Barcelona·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeSurvey·DateFeb 5, 2024

People with suicidal thoughts help each other through tough times

Researchers found that people with suicidal thoughts use closed peer groups on Danish social media to navigate the healthcare system and receive emotional support. These online communities provide a safe space for individuals to share their struggles and connect with others who understand their experiences.

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences·JournalMental Health & Prevention·TypeCase study·DateJan 24, 2024

Reflecting on your legacy could make you more philanthropic, new research finds

Researchers found that prompting people to consider their long-term impact inspires them to allocate more wealth to collective causes like charities. This phenomenon, dubbed the 'Andrew Carnegie Effect', has significant societal benefits. Future research will track participants over time to determine its lasting impact.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·TypeSurvey·DateJan 23, 2024

How does social attention develop in autistic children?

Research reveals that autistic children develop their own unique visual preferences for social elements, unlike typically developing children who synchronize their attention on social interactions. Early intervention targeting social attention may help guide autistic children onto developmental courses more akin to their peers.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournaleLife·TypeNews article·DateJan 11, 2024

Would you like to groom me?

Researchers found that one group of vervet monkeys exhibited more affiliative behavior and reciprocated grooming, suggesting a social tradition. This discovery challenges the idea that ecological differences explain behavioral variations and highlights the importance of social influence in shaping primate cultures.

SourceUniversity of Lausanne·JournaliScience·DateDec 19, 2023

Is age linked to the picture of the perfect partner?

A large international sample of single women aged 18-67 years was surveyed on their ideal partner characteristics, revealing links between age and preferences. Most attributes were consistently important across ages, but higher age correlated with a preference for confident partners and greater acceptance of younger partners.

SourceUniversity of Göttingen·JournalHuman Nature·TypeSurvey·DateDec 12, 2023

‘Crowding out’ the competition: Study reveals surprising livestream chatting and tipping behavior

A new study by the University of Notre Dame found that viewers tend to tip less and chat more when they see others receiving higher tips, leading to a 'crowding-out' effect. This behavior is driven by the pursuit of social status and can be mitigated by splitting crowded livestreams into smaller virtual sessions.

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalProduction and Operations Management·DateNov 7, 2023

Assessing ‘readiness’ by tracking fluctuations in daily sleep duration and their effects on daily mood, motivation, and sleepiness

Researchers found that longer nights of better sleep correlate with improved mood, motivation, and reduced sleepiness. Irregular sleep patterns had a negative effect on mental well-being, while daytime naps may alleviate inadequate nocturnal sleep's effects.

SourceNational University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine·JournalSleep Medicine·TypeMeta-analysis·DateOct 13, 2023

Wolves and dogs appear to remember where people hid food

A study involving wolves and dogs found that both species can remember where people hid food if they observed the hiding process. However, wolves outperformed dogs in finding caches, suggesting differences in traits like persistency and food-related motivation.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 13, 2023

Negative actions cascade to third parties

A new study found that negative behavior can spill over to unrelated third parties, regardless of the initial intent. When individuals face resource loss due to negative action, they are inclined to seek compensation from both immediate offenders and unrelated third parties.

SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalPLOS ONE·DateSep 12, 2023

In-school occupational therapy creates positive education experiences for kids with autism

A new study finds that in-school occupational therapy can create positive learning environments for children with autism by supporting parent-teacher relationships and understanding their unique needs. The therapy helps teachers get to know the child's needs better and facilitate effective communication between parents and schools.

SourceUniversity of South Australia·JournalAmerican Journal of Occupational Therapy·TypeMeta-analysis·DateAug 15, 2023

They got more than me! The brain circuit for socially subjective reward valuation

A recent study published in Nature Communications identified an important brain circuit for socially subjective reward valuation, finding that temporarily disconnecting the medial prefrontal cortex from the lateral hypothalamus reduces susceptibility to others' rewards but not individual expectations. This research has significant impl...

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 4, 2023

Social media algorithms exploit how humans learn from their peers

Researchers found that social media algorithms prioritize 'Prestigious, Ingroup, Moral, and Emotional' (PRIME) information, which can lead to extreme political content being amplified. To address this, the study proposes increasing user awareness of algorithmic biases and introducing more diverse content in feeds.

SourceCell Press·JournalTrends in Cognitive Sciences·TypeLiterature review·DateAug 3, 2023