Psychology Science Minute #455

During the pandemic, have you learned to value alone time, or just crave socialization?

Neurocognitive psychology researchers studied the effects of social isolation on 40 participants’ brains. First, participants completed questionnaires to determine how strong their cravings for food and socialization were. They fasted from food for 10 hours, then under went fMRI brain imaging. Next, they socially isolated for 10 hours and again had a brain scan. After deprivation, participants viewed images related and unrelated to food and socialization.

Results? When fasting, participants looked at food cues. When isolated, participants viewed more social cues. Both brains activated in several areas and in one of the same midbrain areas known to be responsible for cravings. This shows that the brain responds to...