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behavioral neuroscience

·April 30, 2025·5 min read

Dance and Lullabies May Not Be Human Universals After All

New research challenges the long-held belief that dance and lullabies are universal to human culture. Drawing on over four decades of ethnographic work among the Northern Aché people in Paraguay, researchers found no evidence of group dancing or infant-directed singing.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2025·5 min read

Brain Lesions Heighten Impulsivity and Social Influence

New research shows that damage to specific regions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) increases both impulsivity and susceptibility to the impulsive behavior of others. Participants with mPFC lesions were more likely to choose immediate rewards and to be influenced by others who made impulsive decisions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2025·4 min read

Brain Mechanisms Behind Why Some Individuals Are More Likely to Help

A new study explores why some individuals are more inclined to help others, finding key differences in brain activity and oxytocin signaling. In rats, those that helped distressed peers showed increased activation in empathy- and motivation-related brain regions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2025·2 min read

Sexism Disrupts Team Performance by Altering Emotional Synchrony

A new study reveals that sexist behavior in teams shifts emotional synchrony from boosting performance to merely fostering social bonding. Researchers found that women exposed to subtle sexist comments showed heightened emotional alignment, but this no longer translated into better collaboration or outcomes.

This shows a person giving food to another.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 28, 2025·4 min read

The Psychology Behind Why Some People Give More Than Others

A new analysis of over 90,000 participants shows that personality traits influence how people engage in volunteering and charitable giving. Researchers found that extraverts are more likely to volunteer, while agreeable individuals are more inclined to donate money.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 26, 2025·4 min read

How Oxytocin Tames “Mean Girl” Behavior

A new study finds that in some lemur species, evolving gender equality is linked to changes in the brain’s oxytocin system. Researchers compared seven closely related species, finding that more egalitarian species had higher numbers of oxytocin receptors, particularly in the amygdala.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 24, 2025·4 min read

Oxytocin Powers Altruistic Responses via Parallel Brain Circuits

A new study reveals that mice instinctively display rescue-like behaviors toward anesthetized peers, offering powerful evidence that prosociality may be hardwired in mammals. Researchers identified oxytocin as a key driver, activating two brain pathways to coordinate emotional and motor responses.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 29, 2025·3 min read

Dopamine Circuit in Brain Found to Drive Male Ejaculation

New research uncovers how dopamine in the ventral shell of the nucleus accumbens (vsNAc) governs the sexual behavior sequence in male mice, from sniffing to ejaculation. Using fiber photometry, scientists identified rhythmic dopamine activity during intromission that aligns with movement patterns and is regulated by acetylcholine inputs.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·March 15, 2025·4 min read

Herpes Virus Linked to Long-Term Brain and Neurological Problems

A new study reveals that herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), commonly known for causing cold sores, can travel through the nasal cavity directly to the brain, causing severe and lasting neurological symptoms. In animal experiments, nasal HSV-1 infection led to persistent neurological dysfunction, including anxiety and cognitive impairment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 11, 2025·5 min read

Eating Seafood Linked to Kinder, More Socially Skilled Young Children

Children who regularly eat seafood at age 7 exhibit more positive social behaviors—such as sharing, helping, and interacting kindly—by ages 7 and 9, compared to those who rarely consume seafood. This finding, from a large study tracking nearly 6,000 children, underscores seafood’s role in supporting behavioral and social development during childhood.

Neuroscience

·March 6, 2025·6 min read

People in the Minority Often Self-Silence, Affecting Their Behavior

A new study shows that people with minority viewpoints on controversial topics often self-silence when discussing their opinions, leading them to behave in ways that contradict their true beliefs. Researchers found that participants who disagreed with the majority view avoided fully expressing their stance and engaged in behaviors that aligned with the majority. This self-silencing reduced cognitive engagement, making them less likely to reflect deeply on the conversation.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 5, 2025·5 min read

Psychological “Noise” May Reveal More About Human Thought Than Expected

A new study challenges the idea that variability in human behavior, often seen as "noise," is simply an error to be minimized. Researchers argue that noise provides valuable insights into cognitive processes, from decision-making to moral reasoning.