CNS 2020 Press Release May 5, 2020 – A common view of human emotions is that they are too idiosyncratic and subjective to be studied scientifically. But as being presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) virtual meeting today, cognitive neuroscientists are using contemporary, data-driven computational methods to overturn old ideas about the structure of […]
The Centrality of Character to Storytelling in the Brain
While binge watching a new show, I sometimes wonder what’s keeping me watching even when the plot, well, falls apart. Usually, it has to do with the characters; watching them show after show makes it hard to separate from them even when the plot is no longer engaging. A new study about narrative storytelling might […]
Prioritizing Gestures in Communication
The very first way babies communicate is through gestures (well, in addition to crying, that is). They may express “I want that” as a distinct pointing toward an object. As people grow older, gestures are not abandoned, but both spoken and body language become more ambiguous. Oftentimes, adults will point and gesture while talking without […]
Do Not Skip that Handshake: How Body Language Shapes Our Judgments
We all know that a proper business meeting should start with a handshake but until now, we have not known exactly how much impact that seemingly small gesture can make. Turns out, the impact is substantial, according to new research that examines the neurological and emotional effects of a handshake. “Handshakes have been proven to […]
From Age-Related Increase in Distractibility to Why Handshakes Matter
What’s new in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience Driven to distraction: Age-related differences Older adults are considered more susceptible to distraction while driving in traffic or undertaking other daily activities that require us to keep track of multiple objects at a time. Researchers have understood for some time that this age-related increase in distractibility is […]
