recent research

This week via Kevin Lewis:

• Social networks studies have shown that obesity is "contagious" - now, unsurprisingly, there's evidence that teenage smoking is contagious too.
• But when it comes to House representatives, at least, physical proximity doesn't make policy views contagious.(Jon Rogowski)
• Trust and civicness are, in part, learned from mom and dad. (Martin Ljunge)
• Oxytocin, the love drug: now proven to: make us more likely to open up to strangers (Anthony Lane) and increase our ability to read emotions while dilating our eyes (Siri Leknes).
• Interesting, if tautological, paper on why we talk about our feelings so much: it makes us feel good. (Diana Tamir)
• We sacrifice for friends depending on how close we feel to them, but we sacrifice for family purely based on genetic ties. (Oliver Curry)
• When it comes to neighborhood satisfaction, feeling connected to your neighbors matters. (Andrea Dassopoulos)
• The size of our social networks through the years. (Cornelia Wrzus)
• Need to overcome social anxiety? Try some random acts of kindness. (Lynn Alden)
• How to be happy with your friendships: be popular or be pro-social. (Astrid Poorthuis)
• How to build solidarity in a group: make the benefits of exchanges group wide (a la Freecycle), rather than one-on-one (Craigslist). Robb Willer
• Another study on the virtuous cycle if friendships, pro-socialness and health from team Fowler Christakis.
• Social ostracism sucks: no matter who you are. (Melissa McDonald)