Hidden Brain

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A Surprising Source of Social Connection

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A Surprising Source of Social Connection

Plus, what do strangers know about you?

Apr 7, 2022
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A Surprising Source of Social Connection

news.hiddenbrain.org

“Find the grief journey that works for you.” - Lucy Hone

BRAIN WAVES

  • Cry your heart out. When you see someone in tears, how do you respond? A new study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology looks at crying on a global scale. The authors showed photos of people in tears to volunteers in 41 countries. They found that when volunteers saw someone crying, they typically wanted to comfort that person. Makes sense, right? But a deeper takeaway is that tears, in addition to providing emotional release to us as individuals, may have a social purpose as well, reinforcing the connections between us. “These findings suggest that tears can function as social glue, providing one possible explanation why emotional crying persists into adulthood,” the authors write. So don’t be afraid to bust out the waterworks, friends.  

  • Do I know you? Think about your favorite actor, writer, or, um, podcast host. You may not literally know this person, but maybe you feel like you almost know them. Researchers refer to this sort of connection as a parasocial relationship. A new paper in the journal Nature explores a similar idea: “asymmetric” social ties. In a series of lab experiments, researchers shared information about a stranger with participants. After the volunteers learned this information, they thought the stranger also knew them better than they did. “When people know more about others, they think others know more about them,” the authors write. They then applied these findings in a field experiment in New York City. They shared mundane information about neighborhood police officers with people living in that neighborhood. They found that residents who received the information were more likely to think that the police would know if they committed a crime, and that this in turn may have contributed to a lower local crime rate. 

  • We’ve all been in situations where we experience mixed emotions. Maybe you’ve felt both joy and sadness during a big life decision, such as whether to purchase a home or accept a job offer. Or maybe you’ve experienced mixed feelings about the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped your life. Psychologist Naomi Rothman says that while these feelings of ambivalence are uncomfortable, they can also serve us in important ways.

ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST

April 4: Researcher Lucy Hone’s understanding of grief was transformed by a devastating experience in her own life. We learn the powerful techniques she used to cope with tragedy.

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST

April 5: Emmanuel is having trouble moving furniture into his first adult apartment when a stranger comes to his aid.

April 7: Sunita Kramer is getting on the train when her daughter starts to fall onto the tracks. A stranger saves her daughter’s life. 

Listen on Apple

Listen on Spotify

Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.

MIND GAMES

How many faces do you see in this picture?

how many faces question.jpeg

LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

What has a head and a tail but no body?

The answer: A coin

FROM THE TWITTERATI…

Twitter avatar for @OctoberBookworm
Teresa Milligan @OctoberBookworm
@HiddenBrain is always a fascinating listen, and this one was especially🤯for me. So an effective argument is structured like a story, but stories skew how well we forecast.🤷🏽‍♀️ Also a great example of the differences b/w how novices and how experts think.🔗
Twitter avatar for @HiddenBrain
Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain
When disaster strikes, we want to know: could something have been done to avoid it? Did anyone see this coming? We explore the psychology of warnings. https://t.co/b9FfEamhtP
1:28 PM ∙ Mar 30, 2022

 

Twitter avatar for @OBrien_Kat
Kat O'Brien @OBrien_Kat
Really enjoyed this ⁦@HiddenBrain⁩ episode discussing with psychologist Naomi Rothman how emotional ambivalence can be beneficial in decision-making.
podcasts.apple.com‎Hidden Brain: The Benefits of Mixed Emotions on Apple Podcasts‎Show Hidden Brain, Ep The Benefits of Mixed Emotions - Mar 14, 2022
12:46 PM ∙ Mar 29, 2022

 

Twitter avatar for @juanasayshola
Juana (who-anna) @juanasayshola
I am so happy to hear this news! Congratulations @HiddenBrain ♥️ 🥂
Twitter avatar for @HiddenBrain
Hidden Brain @HiddenBrain
Amazing news! You can hear episodes of My Unsung Hero on NPR's All Things Considered @npratc every Monday for the next 3 months. We're so excited to share these stories with @NPR listeners, and to remind people of all the good in the world. 💜 https://t.co/yDoces7kv8
12:29 AM ∙ Mar 30, 2022

 

A MOMENT OF JOY

A thread of photos of the world’s most beautiful sports venues. 

Have an idea for Hidden Brain? A story you want to share with us? Send an email to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. And if you’d like to support our work, you can do so here. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast platform.

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