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prosocial behavior

·September 3, 2020·4 min read

When Doing Good Boosts Health and Well-Being

Prosocial behavior is good for people's health and wellbeing, but not all altruistic acts are equally beneficial for the giver.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 4, 2020·4 min read

Anterior insula activation restores prosocial behavior in animal model of opioid addiction

Using chemogenetic methods, researchers activated neurons in the anterior insular and increased prosocial behavior in rodent models of opioid addiction.

This shows the researchers and photos of young children

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 24, 2020·4 min read

4-year olds who receive a kindness pay it forward

Upstream reciprocity, or generosity, can be seen in children as young as four years of age. At age three, 80% of children do not want to share, but at age four, 60% of children are happy to share with others.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 23, 2019·3 min read

New study on sharing shows social norms play a role in decision making

Influence of social norms shapes a child's desire to share by the age of eight.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 21, 2019·3 min read

Three faces of teen popularity: Being feared, being loved, and being feared and loved

Study identifies three distinct types of teen popularity, prosocial popular, aggressive popular, and bistrategic popular or Machiavellian. The Machiavellian teens were considered most popular, despite being above average on both physical and relational aggression traits, as they displayed the most prosocial behavior.

This shows a skateboarder pulling some moves

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 1, 2019·4 min read

Adolescents’ fun seeking predicts both risk taking and prosocial behavior

A positive correlation has been identified between prosocial and rebellious behaviors in teens. The more risk taking behaviors a teen exhibited, the more likely they were to act prosocially. The findings suggest the same developmental processes are at work for both types of behaviors. Also noted was faster brain development in the medial prefrontal cortex predicted a decrease in rebellious behavior.

Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 26, 2018·3 min read

Can Superman Trigger Heroic Helping in People?

Researchers report priming people with images of superheros increases their prosocial behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 29, 2018·2 min read

Chimpanzees React Faster to Cooperate than Make Selfish Choices

According to researchers, chimpanzees make prosocial choices more rapidly than making choices that only benefit themselves.

Featured Psychology

·October 18, 2018·4 min read

High Stakes Decision Making Causes More Cheating and Less Charity

According to researchers, when faced with high stakes decision making tasks, people are more likely to lose sight of personal morality, leading to more cheating and less charitable efforts.

Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 10, 2018·4 min read

Altruism Can Be Trained

Researchers report altruistic motivations and behaviors can be changed with the help of mental training.

Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 25, 2018·4 min read

Baby Sleeping in Parents’ Bedroom Not Related to Later Life Behavioral Problems

Contrary to popular belief, researchers report infants who co-sleep in their parent's bedroom do not experience an increased risk of developing behavioral problems later in childhood. The study reports there are beneficial outcomes of co-sleeping, such as improved child sleep quality and increased prosocial behavior.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 20, 2018·5 min read

Octopuses Given Ecstasy Reveal Genetic Link to Evolution of Social Behaviors in Humans

Testing the behavioral reaction to MDMA in octopuses, researchers report they have discovered evidence of an evolutionary link between the sea creatures and humans.