Lisa Feldman Barrett and colleagues sought to find out whether size matters in the amygdala, and according to their study in Nature Neuroscience, there is a connection between people having big amygdalas and having big, complex social networks.The researchers measured two social network factors in 58 adults. First, they calculated the size of a participant's network, which is simply the total number of people that are in regular contact with the participant. Second, they measured the network's complexity, based on how many different groups a participant's contacts can be divided into. … Linear regression revealed a positive correlation in amygdala size with both social network size and complexity. [Ars Technica]...People who have large amygdalas may have the raw material needed to maintain larger and more complex social networks,said Barrett.That said, the brain is a use it or lose it organ. It may be that when people interact more their amygdalas get larger. That would be my guess.[The Guardian]
For more, see Supersized Amygdalas Linked to Sprawling Social Circles by , December 27, 2010 at Discover Magazine blogs.
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