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Psychology-Today

Commentary, Research and News that cover all aspects of Human Behavior, from the workings of the brain, to relationships and the larger cultural forces that influence our decisions.

Connection and disconnection in the mind.

“I’m sorry, I have something troublesome to tell you. You may not agree with it, so I’m just going to come out and say it.”

Conflict, disagreement, tangled beliefs and emotions—these are some of the most common ingredients in a difficult conversation. Whether it is arguing over a contested point of view, conflict resolution, delivering unpleasant news, talking with someone from a different social or economic background, or experiencing any stressful social hardship that is not easy to deal with—demanding circumstances require mental effort, which can be taxing on the mind.

A conversation with neuroeconomist Paul J. Zak.

Narratives help humans make sense of the world and build community. Storytelling is universal; it holds the power to bridge cultural and individual divides. Stories serve as powerful propagators of information that pass down the values and ideas promoted within a culture. In other words, our stories are intergenerational time capsules for preserving, instilling, and exchanging values.

Talking machines, meet trust-based beings.

The connection between conversational AI and conversational IQ is inevitable, but what's the difference? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of study and technology that aims to develop intelligence in machines and computer programs. AIs perform a wide variety of tasks in the modern world, ranging from robotics to supply chain management, cybersecurity, and most famously, chatbots and virtual assistants (such as Siri, Alexa). Not all AIs are designed to perform human-like tasks with similar or better intelligence; but what about the ones that are? As the field of AI progressed into communications, it marked the dawning of a new era: conversational artificial intelligence.

Neuroscience techniques paint a picture of pro-social connection in the brain.

A recently published study (2020) in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience details the neurobiological mechanisms behind spontaneous conversations between socioeconomically diverse individuals. The experimenters utilized a novel neuroimaging technique, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), to uncover the live neural dynamics of face-to-face communication.

The brain runs a monopoly on your energy, but what about your conversations?

There’s a common principle taught in undergraduate physiology courses that explains how powerful the human brain is. Despite making up approximately 2 percent of the body’s weight, the brain consumes approximately 20 percent of the body’s oxygen.1 This "2 for 20 Rule" recognizes that the brain is more than a thought generator between our ears. The brain regulates a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and plastic, functional neural responses that beget feelings, thoughts, actions, moods, and even epigenetic changes. It is no wonder that this small, fatty organ monopolizes our body budget.