Behavior

Scientists in Finland have conducted a study investigating the root causes of fearfulness in dogs, uncovering a previously unknown link between urban living environments and social fearfulness in dogs.

Scientists have already observed that rats will readily share food with other rats who are hungry. A new study now suggests that they do so not just based on what the other rat does, but also on how it smells.

Is there a link between personality traits and gut microbiome composition? While new research does not claim gut bacteria determines a personality, it does reveal a bi-directional association between behavior and the microbiome.

For the first time, new research describes both gesture-based and vocal communication among wild orang-utans: specifically Southwest Bornean orang-utan mothers and their young.

A study by the University of Exeter shows that staring at seagulls discourages them from stealing your chips. By placing a bag on the ground and then staring at herring gulls trying to sneak up for a free meal, the team found that stared at birds took longer than ones where the humans looked away.

We know baby birds communicate, often loudly, and mostly about food, but a new study suggests they can also communicate with each other while still in the egg. This method of communication influences the behavioral and physiological traits of newly-hatched chicks from the same clutch of eggs.

​A new study, analyzing real-life incidents caught on CCTV, challenges the long-held proposition that bystanders are generally passive, and will not help others in situations of public assault. It found bystanders do intervene in the vast majority of violent incidents that unfold in public spaces.​

A study has uncovered associations between an infant’s gut microbiome composition at the age of 10 weeks, and the development of certain temperament traits at six months age. The research does not imply causation but adds to a growing body of evidence connecting gut bacteria with mood and behavior.

Two new research papers are shedding light on the fascinating relationship between inflammation and behavior, suggesting our immune system can play a significant role in both our motivation and decision-making abilities.

As MDMA sits on the precipice of being legally approved as clinical treatment for PTSD in the United States, a team of researchers from the University of Exeter set out to try to better understand what long-term effects the drug has on a person’s ability to emotionally empathize with others.

A global study has homed in on 12 specific genomic regions associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research reveals the genetic underpinnings of this highly heritable condition and suggests this discovery is only a small part of the genetic puzzle that makes up ADHD.

MDMA is anecdotally known to make people more open to empathetically interacting with those around them. However, a new study from King’s College London has revealed that while the drug may increase cooperative behavior, it does not make a person more naive to the influence of untrustworthy people.