Many of us often feel that smiling can be irresistibly contagious, but is this actually true? In fact, a recent study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences adds to a growing body of evidence that indicates that other people’s expressions really can have a tangible impact on our mood. The study authors, Dr. Paula Niedenthal…
Read MoreSmelling Feelings?
If something smells awful, it’s because it’s disgusting, right? Maybe, but the truth is a little bit more complicated. A recent study found that our immediate olfactory reactions to stimuli are heavily influenced by the emotional reactions of other people. This suggests that when we smell something bad, we may be picking up on people’s…
Read MorePrenatal Facial Recognition
We already know that faces are incredibly central to human interaction, but facial recognition may also be fundamental to our brain’s development. Science has long demonstrated that even newborn infants have a strong preference for human faces over other stimuli. Now, a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles, may have found that…
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