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Study: To The Human Brain, Me Is We
Forbes: A new study from University of Virginia researchers supports a finding that’s been gaining science-fueled momentum in recent years: the human brain is wired to connect with others so strongly that it experiences what they experience as if it’s happening to us. ... “The correlation between self and friend was remarkably similar,” said James Coan, a psychology professor in U.Va.’s College of Arts & Sciences who co-authored the study. “The finding shows the brain’s remarkable capacity to model self to others; that people close to us become a part of ourselves, and that is not just metaphor or poetry, it’s very real. Literally we are under threat when a friend is under threat.
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‘Sesame Street’ Widens Its Focus
The New York Times: On “Sesame Street,” a distressed cow has a big problem. She made it up the stairs to the beauty parlor but now, her bouffant piled high, she’s stuck. Cows can go up stairs, she moans, but not down. Enter Super Grover 2.0. Out from his bottomless “utility sock” comes an enormous ramp, which, as the cow cheerily notes before clomping on down, is “a sloping surface that goes from high to low.” ... “This is working,” said Rosemarie Truglio, senior vice president, curriculum and content. Still, they acknowledge there are challenges in measuring a young child’s scientific understanding, and experts are only just beginning to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
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Wie Kinder teilen lernen (How children learn to share)
Suddeutsche Zeitung: Sie helfen Erwachsenen, Papier in den Mülleimer zu werfen. Sie zeigen Mitgefühl, wenn jemand anderes verletzt oder traurig ist. Und wenn es besonders gut läuft, teilen Kinder auf dem Spielplatz sogar Schaufel und Plastiktraktor mit Altersgenossen. Dieses sogenannte prosoziale Verhalten von Babys und Kleinkindern macht Eltern stolz - und Forscher etwas ratlos. Was motiviert die Kleinen zum Teilen und Helfen, wie lässt sich ihre Bereitschaft dazu weiter fördern? Hinweise auf eine Antwort bietet eine Studie amerikanischer Entwicklungspsychologinnen.
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How Financial Woes Change Your Brain (And Not for the Better)
TIME: Worrying about making ends meet, it seems, can occupy enough of the brain‘s finite thinking power that it makes it difficult to think clearly. According to the latest research published in Science, just thinking about shaky finances can drop IQ by the equivalent of 13 points. That may help to explain why poverty can become a vicious cycle, with lower income people tending to make seemingly irrational and risky decisions, particularly when it comes to money. ...
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Diagnosing Self-Destruction
NPR: And also, Matthew Nock is professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard in Cambridge. Welcome to SCIENCE FRIDAY, Dr. Nock. ... NOCK: We know there's no simple answer, and as you were highlighting, we have identified risk factors for suicide, so we know that in the U.S. people who are white, people who are male, people with a mental disorder, people with a family history of suicide or mental disorders, are at higher risk. What we haven't done yet is developed an understanding of why it is that people with these characteristics are at high risk.
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Sweaty palms, racing heart help negotiate better
Asian News International: A new study suggests that sweaty palms and a racing heart may actually help some people in get a good deal while negotiating over the price of a new car. As researchers Ashley D. Brown and Jared R. Curhan of the Sloan School of Management at MIT demonstrate in two experiments, physiological arousal isn't always detrimental. "It turns out that the effect depends on whether you are someone who dreads or looks forward to negotiating," Brown said. "It's not inherently harmful." In their first experiment, Brown and Curhan assessed participants' attitudes toward negotiation.
