Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Handwriting's Superior Brain Connectivity: A New Study

2025-04-21

A new study reveals that handwriting activates significantly more extensive and interconnected brain networks than typing, especially in areas linked to memory and sensory processing. Researchers used high-density EEG to compare brain activity during handwriting and typing, finding that handwriting promotes broader brain communication patterns crucial for learning and memory. The study suggests handwriting should remain a core part of education, particularly for young children, due to its unique ability to fully engage the brain and optimize learning conditions. Further research will explore the long-term cognitive benefits of handwriting.

(www.psypost.org)

Tech handwriting brain connectivity

Attractiveness Trumps Intelligence in Mate Choice: A Study Reveals the Gap Between Ideal and Reality

2025-02-19

A study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science reveals a discrepancy between stated preferences and actual choices in mate selection. While women and their parents report prioritizing intelligence over physical attractiveness in a long-term partner, when presented with a forced choice, the majority selected the more attractive option, even if less intelligent. The research involved presenting participants with paired images of men varying in attractiveness and reported intelligence. Both daughters and parents frequently chose attractiveness, highlighting the powerful influence of appearance in constrained decision-making. However, parents showed a greater tendency to prioritize intelligence when attractiveness and intelligence conflicted, suggesting a stronger emphasis on long-term stability. The study underscores the gap between idealized preferences and real-world choices, and indicates less parent-offspring conflict in mate selection than previously assumed.

(www.psypost.org)

Misc mate choice evolutionary psychology parent-offspring conflict

TikTok's Algorithm Showed Pro-Republican Bias During the 2024 US Election: A Study

2025-02-04

A new study reveals a pro-Republican bias in TikTok's recommendation algorithm during the 2024 US presidential election. Researchers used simulated accounts to show that Republican-leaning accounts received significantly more aligned content than Democratic-leaning accounts, which were exposed to more opposing viewpoints. This bias wasn't explained by video popularity, but rather by an overrepresentation of negative partisan content – criticizing the opposing party. The findings raise concerns about TikTok's algorithm neutrality and its potential influence on political discourse.

(www.psypost.org)

Tech Political Influence

70-Year Study: Men Lose Half Their Emotional Support Networks Between Ages 30 and 90

2025-01-25

A 70-year study tracked the emotional support networks of 235 men. Results showed a 50% average decrease in support providers from ages 30 to 90, dropping from two to one. Warm family environments predicted larger adult networks, while childhood socioeconomic status had less impact. Marriage reduced network size, but retirement did not. The study highlights the lasting influence of early family dynamics on socioemotional development, but acknowledges sample limitations.

(www.psypost.org)

Misc emotional support

Brain's Active Role in Creating Mental 'Chapters' Revealed

2024-12-19

A new study in Current Biology unveils how the brain segments the continuous stream of daily experiences into distinct, meaningful events. This 'event segmentation' isn't just a passive response to environmental changes; it's an active process shaped by internal scripts based on past experiences and goals. Researchers used audio narratives and fMRI to demonstrate that brain activity, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex of the default mode network, aligns with event boundaries determined by prioritized scripts. This active construction of mental 'chapters' is crucial for understanding, memory formation, and prioritizing information.

(www.psypost.org)

AI event segmentation brain activity memory