Each January, thousands of people resolve to forgo indulging in alcohol for a month. Researchers explore ways in which to succeed at your goal for a "dry January."
Distinct, coordinated activity in large sets of neurons can predict the future behaviors of rats, a new study reports. Based on the findings, researchers have created a "dictionary" that links brain activity patterns to simple behavioral outcomes.
Infants and toddlers on the autism spectrum who showed the poorest neural responses to motherese, or baby-talk by parents, also displayed the most severe social symptoms, poorest language outcomes, and greatest impairments in behavioral preference and attention toward motherese. Conversely, neurotypical children showed stronger neural responses and affinity to motherese.
Zebrafish whose brains lacked oxytocin during the first two weeks of life had impaired capacity for social interaction as they aged. Researchers also found oxytocin-producing neurons were critical for the development of dopaminergic neurons.
A brain network implicated in learning by trial and error also becomes engaged when people adapt to social norms, a new study reports. Findings suggest people learn from social information similarly to learning by trial and error.
People from cultures that frequently engage in conflicts with other cultures tend to play more cooperative games than competitive ones. However, in cultures where there are frequent conflicts within their own communities, there is a greater tendency to play more competitive games.
A new study links a propensity to binge-watch TV shows with personality traits. Researchers found those who lack impulse control and emotional clarity are most likely to binge-watch a television series.
Hexadecanal, a molecule excreted by humans, found in abundance on the scalps of babies, sparks behavioral changes in adults who are exposed to it. In women, the molecule decreases connectivity in parts of the brain associated with social decision making, but increases connectivity in males.
Using transcranial magnetic stimulation to suppress excitability in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex enhanced prosocial behaviors.
Researchers report that extreme behaviors exhibited by "true believers" of a religion or belief system are driven by the degree to which their identity fuses with a cause or belief. The findings could help in the fight against radicalization.
COVID-19 infections in families widened the prosocial gap almost three-fold between people with higher socioeconomic status and those from backgrounds of lower socioeconomic status.
When a mother and her child are coordinated at the behavioral level during play, they work together and share positive affect. The child's physiological activity follows physiological changes in the mother.
