All articles tagged with #social influence
A rat study shows that not only do individual genes influence gut bacteria, but social contact with genetically different rats can also shape one's microbiome, suggesting that genetics and social interactions jointly affect gut bacteria and potentially human health.
The 2026 Forbes Under 30 list highlights 600 young leaders across 20 industries, with over $3.8 billion in funding, significant social media influence, and a focus on innovation in AI, sustainability, and entertainment, showcasing the next generation of business and cultural leaders.
A study by researchers from SWPS University, the University of Sussex, and the University of Kent explores how group dynamics, including virtual avatars, impact individuals' moral judgments. The findings reveal that participants often adjust their opinions to align with those of a group, whether the pressure comes from real individuals or AI-controlled avatars in a virtual environment. This adjustment occurs less frequently in scenarios involving harm to others, indicating a moral boundary to social influence. The study underscores the potent influence of digital environments on our judgments and emphasizes the need for further research into the implications of virtual group dynamics.
Despite widespread awareness of the dangers of smoking, the smoking aesthetic is making a comeback, with celebrities like Dua Lipa and Lily-Rose Depp flaunting cigarettes. This trend is particularly popular among young people, who are drawn to the rebellious counterculture associated with smoking. However, experts warn that social smoking is not as harmless as it seems, as it can easily lead to addiction. Health organizations are concerned that celebrities promoting smoking imagery are undoing years of anti-smoking efforts and influencing others to take up the habit. Studies show that exposure to smoking in entertainment increases the likelihood of young people trying smoking. Critics argue that entertainers have a responsibility to find healthier forms of expression and send a more positive message.
A recent study by Royal Holloway University shows that evaluating an event during a heartbeat may cause individuals to doubt their own opinion and lean more toward others. Participants in the study changed their minds more often when faces were presented during the contraction of the heart, as opposed to between heartbeats. The study's results suggest that signals from our body, particularly our heart, can significantly shape our gut feelings and decision-making in social settings.
A study by Royal Holloway academics shows that signals from the heart influence how much we are suggestible to other people's opinions. The researchers investigated how signals from the heart to the brain influence how much we stick to our own judgment or decide to follow others. Participants were shown photographs of faces either during the systolic or diastolic phase of the cardiac cycle and were asked to judge how trustworthy they found the faces to be. People changed their minds more when the faces were presented during the contraction of the heart than when the faces were presented between heartbeats. The findings help us understand how social influences on our decision making can depend on the signals conveyed by the body to the brain via the heart.