Your Brain's Social Hunger: The Science of Connection
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Resources & Recommendations
Books
- "The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are" by Allan Schore - This book by Allan Schore, a psychoanalyst with a deep understanding of neurobiology, explores the differences between right-brain and left-brain forms of attachment in childhood and adulthood, and how these patterns influence adult relationships.
Research & Studies
- "Dorsal raphe dopamine neurons represent the experience of social isolation" (K. Tai's lab) - This paper demonstrates how selectively activating dopamine neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus induces a loneliness-like state, motivating the seeking of social connections, and how inhibiting these neurons suppresses loneliness.
- "Conscious processing of narrative stimuli synchronizes heart rate between individuals" (Published in Cell Reports) - This study found that when people listen to the same story, even at different times and locations, their heart rates tend to synchronize, highlighting the role of shared physiological experience in social bonding.
People Mentioned
- Allan Schore (Psychoanalyst and Neurobiologist) - Referenced for his work on neurobiology of attachment, focusing on right-brain and left-brain differences in early and adult attachment.
- Lisa Feldman Barrett (Psychologist and Neurobiologist) - Quoted for her perspective on individuals as "nervous systems influencing other nervous systems."