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social behavior

·July 9, 2025·5 min read

Perception or Reality? Rethinking How Polarized We Really Are

A new study challenges the notion that society is as polarized as many believe, revealing that perceptions of division often stem from the consensus within one’s own social circles. Researchers developed a novel method to distinguish actual opinion divergence from how polarized people feel society is.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 6, 2025·5 min read

Why Your Brain Is Better at Gossip Than You Realize

A new study reveals how humans instinctively calculate who to gossip with by weighing popularity and social distance. This cognitive process allows gossip to spread widely while minimizing the risk of it reaching the wrong person.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 1, 2025·4 min read

Universally Cool: Personality Traits That Cross Cultural Lines

What makes someone “cool” appears to be remarkably consistent across cultures, according to a global psychology study. Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 people from 13 countries and found that cool individuals are consistently described as extraverted, powerful, open-minded, adventurous, and independent.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 1, 2025·3 min read

Aging Brain May Adapt to Decode Tricky Social Cues

New research shows that older adults may compensate for age-related cognitive decline by enhancing activity in a specific brain region linked to attention—the locus coeruleus (LC). In a brain imaging study, older participants showed stronger LC responses when interpreting ambiguous facial expressions, compared to younger adults.

This shows a chimp and a child on cell phones.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 24, 2025·5 min read

Chimpanzees and Children Share a Curiosity for Social Drama

A new study shows that both chimpanzees and young children are drawn to watching social interactions—sometimes even at a cost. When given a choice between viewing videos of social behavior or solo individuals, both species consistently chose the social scenes.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 18, 2025·3 min read

Alzheimer’s Risk Linked to Increased Social Activity, Not Isolation

Contrary to popular belief, a new study suggests that people with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s may become more socially engaged—not less. Researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 individuals and found that higher-risk participants reported lower social isolation and more positive family interactions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 18, 2025·5 min read

Most People Overestimate Their Moral Courage Under Pressure

A new study reveals that most people believe they would defy immoral orders from authority figures more than others would. This cognitive bias, known as the “better-than-average effect,” causes individuals to underestimate their own susceptibility to social pressure.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 13, 2025·5 min read

Across Generations, Humans Are Driven to Keep Culture Alive

A new paper proposes the cultural continuity hypothesis, suggesting that humans are universally driven to preserve essential aspects of their culture across generations. Drawing on psychology, sociology, and anthropology, the researchers argue that cultural retention fosters identity, belonging, and psychological well-being.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 31, 2025·5 min read

Kindness Sparks Cooperation by Boosting Social Connectedness

New research reveals that everyday niceness—like warm tones, smiles, and active listening—can significantly improve teamwork and increase willingness to cooperate. These small acts foster a sense of social connectedness, which serves as the bridge between kindness and collaboration.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 27, 2025·3 min read

Amygdala Shapes Social Choices in Song-Learning Young Birds

Young zebra finches learn their birdsong by observing and imitating adult "tutor" birds, but they don’t follow just anyone. A new study shows that juvenile finches prefer tutors who sing longer but less often, suggesting social cues guide their choices.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 23, 2025·6 min read

Overimitation May Not Signal Social Bonding in Toddlers Just Yet

Overimitation, the tendency to copy unnecessary actions, has been observed in older children but was previously unstudied in toddlers under two. A new study found that 16–21-month-olds showed low rates of overimitation, and it wasn’t driven by a desire to affiliate with people similar to themselves.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 15, 2025·5 min read

AI’s Spontaneously Develop Social Norms Like Humans

Large language model (LLM) AI agents, when interacting in groups, can form shared social conventions without centralized coordination. Researchers adapted a classic “naming game” framework to test whether populations of AI agents could develop consensus through repeated, limited interactions.