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social neuroscience

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience

·August 23, 2023·2 min read

Deafness and Social Cues: It’s Environment, Not Brain Circuitry

Recent findings reveal an important insight into the social struggles of deaf individuals: it's the environment, not their brains, that poses challenges. This research debunked the myth that hearing impairment alters the brain's social circuits.

This shows an older man looking out a window.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 21, 2023·7 min read

Elderly People Who Live Alone at Increased Risk of Cognitive Decline

A startling study unveils a critical deficiency in the U.S. healthcare infrastructure: about 1 in 4 older Americans with dementia or cognitive impairments live solo, confronting increased hazards such as unsafe driving, medication mishaps, and overlooked medical appointments. This issue looms large, especially when juxtaposed against the backdrop of an aging demographic that's set to exponentially grow.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 21, 2023·4 min read

Anxiety and the Brain: The Forebrain’s Role in Social Decisions Unveiled

Researchers discovered that anxious individuals utilize a less optimal region of the forebrain when navigating socially challenging situations compared to their non-anxious counterparts. This was determined through brain scans that mapped regions active during simulated social scenarios.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 4, 2023·4 min read

Social Perception’s Critical Brain Circuitry Discovered

Researchers identified a crucial brain circuit that affects how we value rewards in comparison to others. The team temporarily blocked connections between the medial prefrontal cortex and the lateral hypothalamus in monkeys, using a technique known as DREADD.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 3, 2023·5 min read

Social Media Algorithms Distort Social Instincts and Fuel Misinformation

Social media algorithms, designed to boost user engagement for advertising revenue, amplify the biases inherent in human social learning processes, leading to misinformation and polarization. As humans naturally learn more from their ingroup and prestigious individuals, algorithms capitalize on this, pushing information that feeds these biases—regardless of its accuracy.

This shows an older person holding a plant.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 21, 2023·3 min read

Give and Grow: Volunteering Linked to Better Cognitive Health in Seniors

Volunteering can significantly improve cognitive function in older adults, suggests new research. The study, which included a diverse group of 2,476 seniors, linked volunteering activities to better executive function and episodic memory.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 20, 2023·2 min read

AI System Detects Social Norm Violations

A pioneering AI system successfully identifies violations of social norms. Utilizing GPT-3, zero-shot text classification, and automatic rule discovery, the system categorizes social emotions into ten main types.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 18, 2023·6 min read

Culture and Geography Significantly Influence Sleep Patterns

A new study reveals that culture and geography significantly influence sleep patterns. Using data from Nokia smartwatches, the researchers analyzed 52 million logs over four years from 30,082 individuals in 11 countries.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 16, 2023·6 min read

Crosswords and Computers: Mental Acuity Tasks Beat Socializing in Dodging Dementia

The study underlines the importance of active mental stimulation in reducing dementia risk in older adults.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 13, 2023·4 min read

Better ‘Mind Reading’ Skills Linked to Enhanced Cooperation

A new study reveals that individuals with stronger 'mindreading' abilities, or the capacity to understand others' feelings and intentions, are more successful in cooperative tasks. This trait, also known as 'theory of mind,' is not directly tied to intelligence and can potentially be improved through training programs.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2023·4 min read

Sense of Purpose May Shield Against Loneliness

A sense of purpose in life, irrespective of its nature, can be a robust defense against loneliness. A new study, involving over 2,300 Swiss adults, found fewer instances of loneliness among individuals who led a purposeful life.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2023·6 min read

Six Degrees of Connection: A Mathematical Take on Social Ties

Scientists used mathematics to explain the social phenomenon of six degrees of separation. Their work suggests that the balance between the cost and benefit of maintaining social connections shapes the global human social network.