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When people of different generations create together, brain activity changes

A study published in PLOS Biology found that brain synchrony between people of different generations increases when they create art together, predicting feelings of loneliness or social connection. Brain synchrony decreases between same-generation pairs, suggesting a dynamic relationship between social connections and brain activity.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 20, 2026

Congenital heart defects in mothers are associated with developmental problems in children, including physical, lingual, social, and emotional maturity

A new study found that children of mothers with congenital heart disease face a higher risk of developmental vulnerability, including physical health and emotional maturity issues. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, analyzed over 250,000 Canadian children born to mothers with heart defects.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeObservational study·DateJul 2, 2026

People's opinions can shape how negative experiences feel

A new study from Dartmouth College finds that social information can significantly impact how people experience negative events, including physical pain and mentally demanding tasks. When others describe an experience as painful, individuals tend to feel it that way, even when the actual experience is low in intensity.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 12, 2026

The Institute of New Imaging Technologies at the UJI leads the European FAIR GAME project to protect children in online gaming environments

The European FAIR GAME consortium aims to create participatory mechanisms that foster digital literacy, strengthen mental wellbeing and embed practices grounded in children's fundamental rights in online gaming environments. The project seeks to bring about cultural and structural change in gaming platform policies and standards.

Preschool intervention linked to high school performance

A recent study published in Child Development found that early social-emotional learning curriculum led to improved teen behavior and mental health. The intervention, which focused on developing friendship skills and emotional knowledge, had a positive effect on students' social adjustment and parent involvement.

SourcePenn State·JournalChild Development·DateJun 18, 2025

What birds can teach us about social learning

Researchers discovered a novel connection between the amygdala brain region and social learning in zebra finches. Young birds preferred approaching tutors with longer but less frequent songs, suggesting the amygdala plays a role in socially selective behavior. This finding sheds new light on the neural mechanisms underlying song learning.

SourceSociety for Neuroscience·JournalJNeurosci·DateMay 26, 2025

What makes successful learners? How Minecraft can helps us understand social learning

Researchers used Minecraft to investigate how humans dynamically integrate asocial and social information in realistic contexts. The study found that adaptability is the most important driver of success, and that flexible switching between individual and social learning strategies amplifies human intelligence.

A neural compass for fear: Mapping how the brain distinguishes between direct and vicarious fear

A research team has uncovered a fundamental brain circuit that distinguishes between direct and vicarious fear, with the locus coeruleus playing a crucial role in processing fear. The study reveals a lateralized LC-NAergic system that separates personal from socially learned fear, shedding light on empathy and social learning.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 31, 2025

Teaching kids how to become better citizens

Researchers at Ohio State University developed a social studies curriculum that taught fourth graders 'civic competencies,' including disciplinary thinking and argumentation skills. The results showed significant improvements in students' ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and consider multiple perspectives.

SourceOhio State University·JournalThe Journal of Social Studies Research·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 3, 2025

Social bonds are essential for capuchin monkeys to learn new skills, study shows

Researchers found that capuchin monkeys in Brazil's Serra da Capivara National Park learn from each other's actions and that social tolerance is crucial for this process. The study showed that partners in collective activities, such as searching for parasites and playing games, are more likely to learn new skills from their companions.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 17, 2025

New study shows how social bonds help tool-using monkeys learn new skills

A new study at Durham University found that social tolerance enables social learning in wild bearded capuchin monkeys, leading to the transmission of skills and traditions. The research showed that individuals with strong social tolerance were more likely to learn from others and share information about solving complex tasks.

SourceDurham University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeObservational study·DateNov 18, 2024

What’s for dinner? Scientists unearth key clues to cuisine of resident killer whales

Researchers analyzed DNA in fecal samples to determine the diet of Alaska and southern resident killer whales. They found that both populations prefer salmon, but differ in when they switch to hunting other fish species. The study provides key insights into the delicate balance between regional abundance of different fish species.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·TypeObservational study·DateSep 19, 2024

Seeking social proximity improves flight routes among pigeons

A study by Dr. Edwin Dalmaijer found that pigeons' desire for social proximity leads to improved flight paths as younger birds learn from older ones. This generational improvement in route efficiency is similar to those seen in real-life data, suggesting a key role for social factors in navigation.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 6, 2024

Explicit socioemotional learning can have a key role in PE lessons, study says

Researchers found that explicitly teaching socioemotional skills in PE lessons can have a key role in supporting students' communication skills, handling stress and accepting failure. This approach can be integrated into everyday teaching to ensure young adolescents enjoy positive outcomes linked to wellbeing and academic success.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalPastoral Care in Education·TypeObservational study·DateMar 13, 2024

Migrant and refugee children need early education supports too

Researchers found that childcare workers in informal creche settings need training to better support non-English speaking migrant and refugee children. The study showed that on-site professional learning improved emotional literacies and strategies for supporting these children, resulting in happier outcomes for families.

SourceUniversity of South Australia·JournalEarly Childhood Education Journal·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 13, 2024

Study IDs ways to better help children experiencing homelessness

Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 47 parents experiencing homelessness to understand accessibility challenges of social-emotional health services for their children. Key findings include the importance of acknowledging parental strengths and positive interactions with support people in promoting child development.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalSocial and Emotional Learning Research Practice and Policy·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 6, 2024

Do extracurricular activities always give children a head start? Research says maybe not

A study by Dr Lixin Ren found that extracurricular activities have a limited impact on math skills in preschool children, with effects dependent on behavioral regulation and approaches to learning. For children with poor self-regulation skills, structured activities can improve early math skills.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalJournal of School Psychology·TypeObservational study·DateNov 15, 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

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

More menu choices: Migrant orangutans learn a lot about food by watching the locals

Researchers found that migrant orangutan males use observational social learning to learn new ecological knowledge from local individuals after dispersing to a new area. They observed males peering at role models for at least five seconds, indicating attentive interest and learning how to process new foods.

SourceUniversität Leipzig·JournalFrontiers in Ecology and Evolution·TypeObservational study·DateJul 10, 2023

Study finds school improvement plan (SIP) templates continue to be enacted out of compliance rather than as mechanism for spurring and sustaining improvement efforts in schools

Researchers found that educators tend to use SIP templates as a mere compliance exercise, rather than as a tool for improving their schools. The study suggests that SIP templates can shape educators' approaches to developing and implementing improvement plans.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalAmerican Educational Research Journal·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 23, 2023

Clinics use toolkit to assess patients’ physical, environmental, lifestyle, social, emotional, mental and spiritual experiences with healthcare team

The HOPE Note Toolkit is being adopted by primary care clinics in the US to improve whole person integrative health visits. The toolkit assesses patients' physical, environmental, lifestyle, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual experiences with healthcare teams.

SourceAmerican Academy of Family Physicians·JournalThe Annals of Family Medicine·DateMar 28, 2023

Complex learned social behavior discovered in bee’s ‘waggle dance’

Researchers at the University of California - San Diego found that honey bees use a 'waggle dance' to communicate the location of food sources, and that this behavior is improved by learning and culturally transmitted. The study demonstrates the importance of early social signal learning in non-human spatial referential communication.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 9, 2023

Puzzle-solving behavior spreads through bumblebee colonies

Researchers found that bumblebee colonies adopt and prefer specific solution methods to a puzzle box problem, demonstrating the importance of social learning. The study suggests that bees with prior experience can teach others, leading to the spread of behavioral approaches within the colony.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 7, 2023

Reward for cooperative behavior

A study by Max-Planck Researchers found that individuals learn to use rewards specifically to promote good behavior when others also learn about them. The researchers used game theory to explain how reputation affects cooperation and rewarding policies.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Communications·TypeObservational study·DateOct 28, 2022