The human brain does not function in isolation. It develops and operates within a social environment. Social and Behavioral Psychology explores how interactions, relationships and social norms influence brain activity, emotions and behavior.
In this section of Neuro & Psycho, we explore scientific research on the neural mechanisms involved in empathy, cooperation, social decision-making and collective behavior. These discoveries help explain how the brain adapts to social environments and how society shapes human cognition.
We live in an era of perpetual connectivity. Notifications, messages, endless streams of images and videos create the illusion of being surrounded, of being connected. However, each fragmented digital interaction deprives the brain of the depth inherent to real human relationships. Attention scatters, symbolic processing weakens, and psychological intimacy gradually erodes. Donald Winnicott emphasized the…
Why do we vote for one candidate rather than another? Why do certain political speeches reassure us, mobilize us, or provoke anxiety, while others, equally well structured, leave us indifferent? At first glance, voting appears to be a rational act: comparing platforms, evaluating proposals, and making a decision. However, this interpretation does not withstand scientific…
Every day, billions of people swipe their thumbs across their screens. This gesture, now reflexive, appears harmless, but it activates specific neural circuits and complex psychological processes. Infinite scrolling is not merely a form of entertainment. It reshapes our relationship to time, attention, and emotions, often without our awareness. Beneath the surface, it combines anticipation,…
It often begins harmlessly. A few videos to soothe a child after a difficult day, a cartoon to prepare dinner in peace, an app said to boost language development. Gradually, and almost without noticing, the screen slips into every moment of daily life. The evening routine turns into a struggle. Sleep becomes possible only after…
On August 18, 2025, Jean Pormanove died live on camera after nearly 300 hours of continuous streaming on the platform Kick. At just 46 years old, he unwillingly became a tragic symbol of a disturbing shift in our digital society. For months, he had endured public humiliation, verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, and physical violence at…
Tensions run so high that the slightest gesture could spark a clash. Suddenly, silence falls. An old man steps forward, his slow pace sharply contrasting with the agitation of the young, who were about to kill each other over access to a stream bordering their land. The elder carries no spear, no shield—only the weight…
The screech of a dial-up modem. The clinking of marbles in a schoolyard. A cassette rewound with a pen. These gestures and sounds, once commonplace, have vanished from our daily lives, only to return today with unexpected emotional force. Over the past few years, the 1990s have been making a quiet yet persistent comeback. From…
In the damp cell where he was imprisoned during the Terror, Destutt de Tracy, aristocrat, revolutionary, philosopher, and soldier, immersed himself in the works of Condillac. It was 1793, the darkest heart of the French Revolution: the Montagnard Convention, daily executions, pervasive fear. While many succumbed to terror or cynicism, he sought clarity in the…
In some cities, lines begin to form before sunrise. Outside Pop Mart stores, people wait for hours in hopes of leaving with a small, sealed box. Online, stock vanishes in seconds, while social media overflows with photos, excited unboxings, and carefully staged figurines. The coveted object is Labubu, a strange creature with sharp teeth, an…
In a Yoruba village, deep in what is now Nigeria, an old man carefully carves a wooden figure, infusing it with all his knowledge and wisdom. He drives nails into it, adorns it with feathers, and adds a few drops of animal blood. This is no ordinary handicraft. This is a fetish. The old man…