Articles tagged with Social Relationships
Young children and babies use saliva sharing as a cue to determine strong relationships and mutual obligations. Research found that babies expect people who share saliva to offer help when distressed, suggesting a vital skill for learning social relationships.
A new project will provide scientific evidence on the outcomes of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) for transgender people. The AFFIRM Relationships project seeks to identify causal links between GAHT and psychosocial functioning, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their care.
A survey study found links between problematic smartphone use and low sense of control, fear of missing out (FOMO), and repetitive negative thinking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study suggests that physical activity and mindfulness practices may help reduce such use.
The article examines modern migration in the Mediterranean by analyzing abandoned fishing boats and their contents, revealing the impact of policy decisions on displacement. The study provides a nuanced narrative of human experiences during these journeys, highlighting inequalities and varying degrees of preparation among those onboard.
A study by the University of Exeter found that older male elephants help keep younger, more aggressive males calm by policing their behavior. Without these older bulls, adolescent elephants become more fearful and aggressive towards non-elephant targets, posing a threat to humans.
A recent study found that loneliness among emerging adults (18-29 years old) has increased by about 0.56 standard deviations on the UCLA Loneliness Scale over a 43-year period. This slight increase is considered a warning signal for the need to design prevention and intervention measures against loneliness.
A recent study by North Carolina State University suggests that teaching children to understand others' perspectives can make it easier for them to forgive. Children are more likely to forgive someone who has apologized and is part of their in-group. The study also highlights the importance of helping kids develop Theory of Mind skills...
A new study from Ohio State University suggests that giving social support to others is essential for boosting one's health. The research found that people who were available to provide social support experienced lower inflammation levels, whereas those who only received support did not show the same benefits.
A new study found that employee engagement with health and wellbeing programmes is associated with better co-worker relationships, reduced bullying, and improved job satisfaction. The research suggests that even senior managers' commitment to these initiatives has a positive impact on employees' social relationships.
A study from the University of Illinois examines how spatial proximity affects relationship dynamics in older adult couples. The researchers found that when partners are close to each other, their heart rates synchronize in a lead-lag relationship, indicating a complex interplay between physiological responses and interaction patterns.
A recent Rutgers University study found that receiving a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias leads to decreased formal and informal social engagement. This can be particularly concerning for disadvantaged populations with limited resources. The study highlights the need for practitioners and policymakers to consi...
New research published in eNeuro found that sharing happy stories increases feelings of closeness and synchronizes brain activity between the speaker and listener. Brain synchrony was linked to increased interpersonal closeness, particularly in regions involved in emotional processing and theory of mind.
A new study by Anglia Ruskin University found that individuals focused on their appearance are more prone to social physique anxiety, which leads to fear of negative evaluations and social distress in dating contexts. The research involved 501 young adults and discovered associations between body image attitudes and dating anxiety.
Researchers have identified significant neurological effects of social isolation on the brain, including altered neural circuits and increased risk for disease. Social isolation can cause permanent changes in behavior and lead to health issues like anxiety and depression.
New research highlights the importance of social support during pregnancy, finding that women with low levels of emotional or affectionate support are at increased risk of depression and anxiety. The study suggests that screening for social support and providing community-based services may help improve health outcomes.
A new study found that UK citizens experienced drastic changes in their daily routines during lockdowns, with parents of young children spending significantly more time on housework and childcare. This led to a reduction in paid work time for most people, with women with young children being particularly affected.
A study reveals that prairie voles are highly motivated by social interactions with familiar animals, while meadow voles tolerate friends and family but lack strong motivation. Oxytocin receptor density is associated with individual variation in social behavior.
Researchers found that emotional, social, and psychological well-being in Ghanaian youth are closely tied to having healthy relationships with friends, family, and community. The study's findings suggest that programs promoting Positive Youth Development (PYD) principles could be effective in promoting positive mental health.
A study by UC3M researchers found that higher collective risks lead to stronger social norms and increased punishment for non-compliance. However, as perceived risk decreases, compliance with these norms also drops. The study, published in Nature Communications, provides evidence on how collective risks impact social behavior.
A new study of online relationship support finds that men tend to experience emotional pain more than women when their relationship takes a turn for the worse. The study analyzed over 184,000 people who posted their relationship problems online and found that communication problems were the #1 most frequent issue, with nearly 1 in 5 pe...
Research at Kyoto University using drones and a multi-agent system found that feral horses synchronize their behavior not only within unit groups but also across different parts of the herd. The study's results suggest that individual horses can recognize the behavior of distant individuals, averaging a nearest distance of 39.3m.
A new study found that couples in the Houston area experienced a significant increase in relationship satisfaction after Hurricane Harvey, despite previous research suggesting stress spillover would decrease satisfaction. The researchers discovered that those who were unhappy before the hurricane saw the largest jumps in satisfaction.
Researchers measured brain activity of freely interacting Egyptian fruit bats to understand how they process group communication. They found that 'friendlier' bats induced higher correlations across the brains of group members, suggesting a connection between social behavior and neural activity.
A new study found that changes in children's facial expressions of emotion after sleep restriction predict more social problems concurrently and over time. Emotional expression plays a crucial role in social communication, and poor sleep quality takes a toll on this aspect.
Researchers found that Disney films combine entertainment with life lessons about love, friendship, and social values. The study suggests using Disney movies as tools for parents to improve communication with children about difficult topics, such as death, loss, and acceptance of differences.
A study published in Royal Society Open Science found that 10-year-old children follow social norms and reciprocate consideration from adults. Children of this age tend to behave more like adults, giving weight to adults' opinions if they are credited, whereas younger children trust their own decisions independently of adult behavior.
LSU Health has been awarded funding to support community health workers in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, enabling them to serve as liaisons between healthcare services and under-resourced communities. The grants will promote health equity and provide essential public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study published in The Journal of Sex Research found that higher testosterone levels are associated with having multiple partners in men and solitary sexual activity in women. The research, which analyzed data from nearly 4,000 adults, highlights the complex relationship between hormones and human sexuality.
A Dartmouth study found that individuals who experienced higher levels of stress on a given day had lower social interaction the following day. The research used mobile phone sensing data from 99 undergraduate students and showed that stress predicted less social interaction, but not the other way around.
Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 women who dated or were married to incarcerated partners, analyzing the impact of courtesy stigma and women's coping strategies. The study found that despite disapproval from loved ones, women chose to remain in their relationships, highlighting benefits such as deeper communicat...
A new study suggests that COVID-19 transmission in Italy was more closely tied to the number of social contacts individuals had with people of all ages. Researchers found that Italian social networks were characterized by a higher average number of face-to-face interactions than those in Germany and the UK.
A team of researchers led by Christian Rabeling has discovered the origins and evolution of social parasitism in ants. The study reveals that social parasites evolved from an ancestor that lost the ability to establish new colonies independently, and that highly specialized parasites can evolve from less complex social parasite syndromes.
Research suggests that fostering positive workplace social relationships between men and women can improve gender equity and inclusion in STEM. Even small gestures of social inclusion, such as chatting with female teammates during breaks, can reduce stereotypes and increase feelings of engagement.
A study published in PLOS Biology found that Asian elephants successfully cooperated in 80% of trials, using strategies like fighting back or moving sides to prevent cheating. However, cooperation quickly broke down when one partner could monopolize the reward, revealing a complex dynamic in their social behavior.
A new study reveals that male giraffes have higher social connectedness than females, with males forming more acquaintances and older males having shorter social paths. This complexity could impact conservation efforts for endangered giraffes.
Researchers tracked 50 vampire bats, including those with social relationships, to find that they hunt together and coordinate their efforts. The study suggests that forming friendships in the roost can create more interdependence among socially bonded bats, increasing their success at obtaining blood meals.
A new study reveals evidence of beer drinking 9,000 years ago in southern China, with ancient pots found at a burial site containing residues consistent with beer fermentation. The discovery suggests that ritualized drinking played a significant role in forging social relationships and cooperation among ancient communities.
Researchers analyzed social media connections of over 4 million users across 10 countries, finding common characteristics and behaviors, including follow ratios and profile length. These findings can help tailor data analysis to cultural differences, improving marketing and information sharing.
A new study shows that having someone available to listen can improve cognitive resilience and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The study found that individuals with higher listener availability had better cognitive function despite similar physical aging or disease-related changes.
New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science reveals that men who express support for gender equality can significantly reduce women's anticipation of workplace harassment and hostility. The presence of an ally also increases feelings of identity-safety, such as a sense of belonging and trust in the group.
Research found that members of low-status groups endorse hierarchy-enhancing ideologies as an in-group status-enhancement strategy. This challenges previous assumptions on the motivations of disadvantaged groups.
Researchers studied how dominant and tolerant primate species communicate vocally. They found that more tolerant species use communication to achieve goals, while despotic species rely on aggression. The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, provides insights into the evolution of vocal communication in primates.
A study published in Nature Communications suggests that a county's moral values, particularly binding values, can predict the prevalence of hate groups and extreme behavioral expressions of prejudice. The research used geospatial modeling and psychological experimentation to analyze data from over 3,100 US counties.
Hazem Abbas, a Ph.D. student at Tohoku University, Japan, received the IADR Lion Dental Research Award for his research on social determinants of health and their relation to oral health outcomes. The award aims to support improvements in oral health sciences through innovative research.
A new study reveals that inherited social networks passed from mothers to offspring are essential to spotted hyena life and survival. The strength of the maternal relationship affects social inheritance and is positively correlated with long-term survival for both mother and offspring.
A new study found that nearly 75 percent of research on relationship beginnings focused on romance between strangers, while only eight percent examined friendships-to-romance transitions. The study analyzed data from over 1,900 university students and crowdsourced adults, finding a strong correlation between friends-first initiation an...
A study by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg found that relationship quality is associated with the subjective feeling of power, rather than a balanced distribution of positional power. Couples where both partners reported high personal power were more satisfied with their relationships.
A Washington State University study of over 700 young adults aged 18-25 found that those casually dating drank more than those in serious relationships or not interested in dating. This contrasts with previous research showing young adults in relationships tend to drink less.
Research found that captive pelicans bred successfully on repeated occasions when they were free to choose their own friendships. The flock formed a social structure, with sub-adults spending more time with each other than adults.
Research finds that supporting social hierarchies is associated with increased police use of force by White officers. Non-White officers show no significant correlation between social hierarchy support and force use.
Researchers are investigating how oxytocin and dopamine act in the brain's reward circuits to make social interactions rewarding for males and females. The project has the potential to provide new mechanisms for understanding well-known sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders and spur the development of gender-specific treatments.
After Hurricane Maria, rhesus macaques in Puerto Rico expanded their social networks and became more tolerant of other individuals. The animals formed new connections, resulting in a more tolerant society as a whole.
A study by Jesús Bas and Núria Sebastián found that children recognize power and social hierarchies at a young age, with older children (18 months) exhibiting surprise when the person who yielded control sat in the chair. This suggests that children can infer social status without witnessing physical dominance.
Researchers observed a rare event in vampire bats, where a female bat adopted an unrelated orphan after her mate's death. The adoption demonstrated the importance of social relationships in these animals.
A study of over 2,700 women found that social support does not moderate the impact of stressful events on menopause symptoms. Women who experienced stressful events had a significant increase in symptoms, regardless of their level of social support.
Strong social bonds increase willingness to join others in battle, according to a study by Max Planck Institute researchers. The study found that males and females participate in battles, and that three factors – group size, maternal kin involvement, and non-kin social bond partners – increase the likelihood of participation.
A study by the University of Kent and Oxford found that fans of less successful Premier League teams have a stronger social bond with fellow fans, expressing greater willingness to sacrifice themselves for others. This loyalty is attributed to shared experiences of defeats and emotional difficulty, fusing fans to their club.
A 22-year study of red squirrels in the Yukon found that living near familiar neighbors increases survival and reproductive success. The benefits were especially pronounced in older squirrels, who could offset aging by maintaining all their neighbors.
Empathy and perspective-taking are two essential social skills that enable us to form connections with others. A recent study reveals that both abilities are processed in the brain by a 'main network' specialized in empathy or changing perspective, which is activated in every social situation.
A University of Illinois study found that rituals in dating relationships can magnify normative experiences and provide a preview into family life and couple life. Rituals have the power to bond individuals and serve as diagnostic tools for where the relationship is going.