The number of friends you have can be accurately predicted by measuring the size of small part of the human anatomy, according to a university study published this week. The strong correlation between the size of this organ and a full social life holds true regardless of age or gender – can you guess what it is?
The number of friends you have can be accurately predicted by the size of a small almond-shaped part of the brain called the amygdala, according to a university study published this week. The strong correlation between a larger amygdala and a full social life holds true regardless of age or gender.
Scientists have discovered that the amygdala, deep within the temporal lobe, is important to a rich and varied social life among humans.
"We know that primates who live in larger social groups have a larger amygdala, even when controlling for overall brain size and body size," says Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, who led the study. "We considered a single primate species, humans, and found that the amygdala volume positively correlated with the size and complexity of social networks in adult humans."
The study was supported by grants from the US National Institutes of Health and the US National Institute on Aging.
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