Cats may help increase empathy while reducing symptoms of separation anxiety in children with autism, a new study reports. Read More
Researchers have created a robot that can learn to visually predict how its partner will behave. This could help robots get along with other robots and humans more intuitively. Read More
Methylation of the oxytocin gene OXT was associated with maternal personal distress, resulting in harsher parenting. OXT methylation was also negatively correlated with gray matter in the right inferior temporal gyrus. Read More
Complex social problems require a mix of empathy and perspective-changing to resolve. Read More
Researchers report spirituality may be a component of wisdom, but pro-social behaviors such as empathy and compassion are more critical elements. Read More
Playing with dolls as a small child helps develop social skills and empathy. Doll play activates the posterior superior temporal sulcus, an area of the brain associated with social processing and behaviors. Read More
Children who experience the death of a pet may experience long-lasting and profound grief, which could lead to subsequent mental health problems. Researchers found strong emotional attachment to a pet may result in measurable psychological distress that serves as an indicator of depression in children and adolescents for three years or more after their animal dies. Read More
Study reveals binge drinking is associated with more widespread neural dysfunction than previously believed. In those who binge drink, the visual areas of the brain show unusually high levels of activation. Additionally, those who binge drink have more difficulty in feeling empathy for others. Read More
Coercion to perform detrimental actions against others reduces empathy and guilt, a new study reports. The findings may explain why people are able to commit immoral acts that go against their ethical stance when coerced. Read More
Using scenes from movies, researchers discover how different brain areas can be used flexibly and as needed. The study sheds light on how the brain transitions between moral thinking and empathy. Read More
First-person embodiment via virtual reality could help to treat those with empathy disorders. It could also assist violent offenders to develop an ability to empathize with their victims. Read More
Study reveals two different brain structures are implicated in implicit and explicit theory of mind, and both regions mature at different ages to fulfill their function. The supramarginal gyrus matures earlier, enabling theory of mind to occur slightly earlier than believed. Full ability for theory of mind occurs at age four when the temporoparietal junction matures. Read More
