Why do we decide to approach other people? According to new research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the answer may begin unfolding in the brain several seconds before any movement takes place.
The study found that social behavior is preceded by a distinctive pattern of activity that spreads across the brain. Researchers also discovered that the strength of this neural pattern is linked to how socially motivated an individual is.
The work was led by Dr. Lilah Avitan and carried out by PhD student Imri Lifshitz and other members of Avitan's laboratory at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Tracking Social Decisions in Real Time
To investigate how the brain turns social information into action, the researchers used zebrafish, a model organism that allows scientists to monitor brain activity at the level of individual cells.
