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Brain Stimulation May Buffer Feelings of Social Pain
Accumulating evidence suggests that certain brain areas involved in processing physical pain may also underlie feelings of social pain. But can altering brain activity in these areas actually change how people experience social pain? Paolo
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Give And Take: How The Rule Of Reciprocation Binds Us
NPR: In 1974, Phillip Kunz and his family got a record number of Christmas cards. In the weeks before Christmas they came daily, sometimes by the dozen. Kunz still has them in his home, collected
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Benevolent billionaires – why do they do it?
The Sydney Morning Herald: They have been hailed as the billion-dollar givers by Forbes in a new list of the world’s most benevolent billionaires, but what inspires super-rich people to give most of their money
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Our Genes Want Us to Be Altruists
“Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let’s do it. Let’s…” Be altruists? While it may not be what Cole Porter had in mind, animals from bees to rats to chimpanzees
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How Communities Shape Our Morals
Scientific American Mind: In last month’s column I recounted how my replication of Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments revealed that although most people can be inveigled to obey authorities if they are asked to hurt others
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Getting Into a Benefactor’s Head
The New York Times: Jen Shang understands the power of prayer — to open wallets. Ms. Shang, who bills herself as the only philanthropic psychologist in the world, recently advised a religious organization to tinker
