BRAIN WAVES
Vent away. If you don’t have anything nice to say, there’s a case to be made for saying it. New research has found that venting to our friends about someone else makes those friends like us more. In one experiment, researchers had volunteers listen to a friend complain about a mutual friend who had canceled plans on them. The researchers created a few different conditions for this vent-fest. In one, the friend simply vented about their frustrations. In another, they gossiped about the mutual friend. In yet another, they derogated the mutual friend, calling them a name and asking the listener, “Why are they treating me like this?” Listeners reported feeling closer to the person venting (and less friendly towards the mutual friend in question) as long as they weren’t gossiping or derogating the mutual friend. In other words, venting about others can make people like you more — as long as you do it right. Jaimie Krems, lead author of the study, said, “As much as we want [friendship] to be all unicorns and rainbows, sometimes it’s more like a koala: cuddly but also vicious.”
Stereotyping. How much does early exposure to a broad range of people affect us later in life? New research suggests the answer is: a lot. Researchers recruited 100 people from a longitudinal study in the Netherlands and asked them to play a digital board game that involved helping a partner find hidden clues. Volunteers were told they would switch between playing with a 5-year-old child and a 25-year-old adult, and were shown pictures of their supposed gaming partner. When people thought they were playing with a child, they spent more time helping them, probably relying on the assumption that kids aren’t as capable as adults. However, there was a twist: the partner’s behavior didn’t change, whether they were seen as a child or an adult. In other words, the assumption was proven wrong. Some people were quicker to adjust to this than others — they didn’t overcompensate for the kid and ended up treating both participants equally. A summary of the research concluded: “The team found that those who attended day care more frequently before the age of three were quicker to overcome their stereotypes ... adjusting their behavior to treat both child and adult partners equally.” On the other hand, people who didn’t have this early social exposure held onto their stereotypical views longer. And this was true regardless of factors like siblings or socioeconomic background. "Participants who went to day care were more socially flexible in their interactions with others," said lead author Saskia Koch.
Cynicism vs. Hope. It's easy to become increasingly cynical about the world. But there are ways to balance realism with hope. Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
What’s Hidden in Your Words: I. Me. My. You. He. She. They. It. To. Of. For. These are all words we use without a second thought. But psychologist James Pennebaker says if we pay close attention to the patterns in speech and writing, we can understand profound things about others, and even ourselves.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Samantha Hodge-Williams’ Story: Samantha was terrified waiting for surgery. Then her anesthesiologist began to sing.
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.
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MIND GAMES
What occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, yet never in a thousand years?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
What has to be broken before you can use it?
Answer: An egg
A MOMENT OF JOY
A list of small joys worth celebrating.
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