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(https://www.psypost.org/distinct-neural-synchrony-observed-in-social-interactions-involving-autistic-adults/) Distinct neural synchrony observed in social interactions involving autistic adults
Aug 18th 2024, 10:00

Adults with autism spectrum disorder prefer to take on a following role rather than leading when engaged in social imitation tasks, according to new research. This preference was accompanied by notable differences in brain activity between individuals with autism and their neurotypical peers during these interactions. The study’s findings, published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2024.2379917) Social Neuroscience, shed light on the unique social dynamics experienced by those with autism and underscore the importance of studying these interactions in realistic, dynamic settings.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals perceive and interact with the world around them. People with autism can have challenges with social communication, such as difficulty understanding social cues, engaging in conversation, or interpreting the emotions of others.
Autism is described as a “spectrum” because it encompasses a wide range of symptoms and abilities; some individuals might require significant support in their daily lives, while others are highly skilled and independent. Despite these challenges, many individuals with autism have strengths in areas such as attention to detail, pattern recognition, and logical thinking.
Traditional research on ASD has often focused on individuals in isolation or in response to artificial stimuli, such as videos or images. While these studies have provided valuable insights, they may not fully capture the complexities of how people with autism interact with others in their daily lives.
The researchers behind the new study wanted to go a step further by exploring how individuals with autism engage in social interactions when they are actually interacting with another person. They were particularly interested in imitation, a fundamental social behavior that plays a key role in learning and bonding. Imitation is not just about copying movements; it’s also about understanding and connecting with the person being imitated.
“My research is focused on the biological basis of social cognition, particularly during interactive exchanges. In this context, I have developed multi-brain recordings (also known as hyperscanning) to demonstrate that social cognition is not just something that happens inside a single brain, but is a distributed process across brains and bodies,” said study author (https://www.extrospection.eu/) Guillaume Dumas, an associate research professor at the University of Montreal and the director of the(https://www.ppsp.team/)  Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology laboratory in the CHU Sainte Justine Research Center.
“We have shown that social interaction not only changes intra-brain activity but also gives rise to inter-brain synchronization. This has significant implications for how we understand human cognition in all its diversity. In the context of autism, it is especially important to adopt an interpersonal perspective that focuses less on individual abilities and more on understanding alterations in social behavior as consequences of interpersonal processes.”
The study involved 40 participants, including 10 high-functioning adults with autism and 30 adults without the condition. These participants were divided into pairs, or dyads, which were either composed of two typical adults (control dyads) or one adult with autism and one typical adult (mixed dyads).
The participants were asked to perform a series of imitation tasks involving hand movements. In these tasks, one participant would lead by performing a hand movement, while the other would follow by imitating the movement. The participants were seated in separate rooms and could see each other’s hand movements on a TV screen, allowing them to engage in the imitation task as if they were face-to-face.
Throughout the experiment, the researchers monitored the participants’ brain activity using EEG hyperscanning. This method captures the electrical activity of the brain from the surface of the scalp, enabling the researchers to analyze how well the participants’ brain waves synchronized during the imitation tasks. The study focused particularly on the low-alpha and high-alpha frequency bands, which are associated with brain activity related to attention and cognitive processing.
Behaviorally, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed a preference for following rather than leading during the imitation tasks. While this preference might seem minor, it suggests that people with autism might be more comfortable in social interactions where they can take a responsive role rather than initiating the interaction.
“Autism is not necessarily related to less interactive ability but rather a change in the way the interaction unfolds,” Dumas told PsyPost.
On a neural level, the researchers found significant differences in brain synchrony between the control dyads and the mixed dyads. In the control dyads, there was a high degree of synchrony in the low-alpha frequency band during the imitation tasks, indicating strong neural coupling between the two participants. This synchrony was much less pronounced in the mixed dyads, suggesting that the presence of an individual with autism in the pair disrupted the typical pattern of brain synchronization seen in neurotypical individuals.
Interestingly, the mixed dyads showed increased synchrony in the high-alpha frequency band compared to the control dyads. This finding suggests that the individuals with autism and their neurotypical partners might be using different cognitive strategies to navigate the social interaction, potentially requiring more mental effort or visual attention to maintain the connection.
The findings highlight “that autism is not just something inside one person,” Dumas said. “This is a relational condition.”
While this study provides valuable insights, it also has some limitations. The sample size was relatively small, with only 40 participants, and the group of individuals with autism was limited to high-functioning adults. This means that the findings may not fully represent the broader autism spectrum. Another limitation of the study is its reliance on EEG hyperscanning, which, while powerful, has its own set of challenges. For instance, EEG measures brain activity on the surface of the scalp, which can make it difficult to determine the exact brain regions involved in the observed synchrony.
“We are now studying a large cohort to replicate these observations on a larger scale and uncover additional markers at the physiological level, such as heartbeat and skin conductance,” Dumas said. “Our goal is to develop an interpersonalized approach to autism, embracing both the relational dimensions of this condition and the rich diversity of individuals. This could pave the way for a more preventive approach to mental health, through an understanding of individual profiles at biological, psychological, and social levels, while also designing a more inclusive society that facilitates the lives of the many ways of being in the world.”
The study, “(https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17470919.2024.2379917) Distinct social behavior and inter-brain connectivity in Dyads with autistic individuals,” was authored by Quentin Moreau, Florence Brun, Anaël Ayrolles, Jacqueline Nadel, and Guillaume Dumas.

(https://www.psypost.org/study-reveals-subtle-genetic-link-between-intelligence-and-mental-health/) Study reveals subtle genetic link between intelligence and mental health
Aug 18th 2024, 08:00

A study of Dutch twins has uncovered a slight association between higher intelligence and a reduced risk of psychopathology, primarily driven by common genetic factors. This means that the same genetic influences that contribute to higher intelligence also appear to protect against the development of certain mental health issues. Notably, the heritability of anxiety and negative affect—traits associated with mood disorders like depression—was found to be greatest in individuals with below-average intelligence. This study was published in the journal (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10519-023-10174-7) Behavior Genetics.
Intelligence, the ability to learn, understand, and apply knowledge to solve problems, encompasses various cognitive functions such as reasoning, memory, and decision-making. It manifests in many different areas of life and in many different forms. Intelligence is not limited to academic knowledge but also includes the capacity to adapt to new situations and environments across all domains of life.
Previous studies have consistently shown a negative association between intelligence and psychopathology. This means that individuals with lower intelligence scores are generally at a higher risk of developing various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders. Despite this well-documented correlation, the reasons behind it remain a subject of ongoing research. Scientists have been particularly interested in understanding whether this relationship is driven by genetic factors, environmental influences, or a combination of both.
To explore this relationship further, study author Susanne Bruins and her colleagues examined the link between intelligence, as assessed by psychological tests, and five aspects of psychopathology in 7-year-old twins. The five aspects of psychopathology they focused on were: negative affect (including depressive symptoms and withdrawn behavior), anxiety (encompassing anxiety- and phobia-related symptoms), oppositional defiant disorder (which involves disobedient and defiant behavior), autism (referring to problems with communication, affect, and flexibility), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which includes attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior.
The researchers utilized data from the Young Netherlands Twin Register, a long-term study that recruits twins at birth and follows them throughout their lives. Parents of the twins regularly complete surveys about their children’s development and behavior. This register, which was initiated in 1986, provided the researchers with a valuable source of longitudinal data.
For this study, the researchers focused on a subgroup of 1,089 twins from the register, specifically those for whom both intelligence test scores and detailed psychopathology data were available. This subgroup included 543 complete twin pairs, with 262 pairs of monozygotic (identical) twins and 281 pairs of dizygotic (fraternal) twins. Monozygotic twins share 100% of their genetic material, while dizygotic twins share about 50%, similar to non-twin siblings. This difference in genetic similarity allowed the researchers to make inferences about the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to both intelligence and psychopathology.
The intelligence of the twins was measured using a range of age-appropriate IQ tests, including the Revised Amsterdam Child Intelligence Test, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), depending on the age of the child at the time of testing. Psychopathology was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a widely used tool that identifies symptoms of various mental health conditions in children. The CBCL is designed to be sensitive across a wide range of intellectual abilities, making it a suitable instrument for this study.
The study revealed that all five groups of psychopathology symptoms analyzed—negative affect, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, and ADHD—were slightly less common in participants with higher intelligence. Although the association was statistically significant, it was very slight, indicating that intelligence alone is not a strong predictor of mental health outcomes.
One of the most interesting findings was that the association between intelligence and symptoms of anxiety, ADHD, and autism was primarily driven by common genetic factors. This suggests that the same genetic influences that contribute to higher intelligence also reduce the risk of developing these mental health issues. However, the relationship between intelligence and anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder did not appear to be driven solely by genetic factors, indicating that other environmental or developmental influences might be at play.
The study also found that the heritability of anxiety and negative affect varied depending on the level of intelligence. Specifically, the heritability of both anxiety and negative affect was highest in participants with below-average intelligence. This means that genetic factors contributing to these conditions are more pronounced in children with lower intelligence scores. In contrast, environmental factors appeared to play a more significant role in children with higher intelligence, particularly in the development of anxiety.
“We found that intelligence correlated negatively with negative affect, anxiety, ODD, ADHD, and autism. These correlations in part reflected common genetic effects, with genetic factors that increase intelligence decrease psychopathology. Genetic and environmental effects on negative affect and anxiety (respectively) were moderated by intelligence, such that the heritability of both anxiety and negative affect was greatest in children with lower IQ [intelligence quotient],” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the factors behind the link between psychopathology and intelligence. However, it should be noted that the association between intelligence and psychopathology was very low, practically negligible, and that the study was conducted on a selected group of twins—those who had all the necessary data in the register. Given these very weak associations, it is possible that the findings might not be present if the study were conducted on a less selected sample of twins.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-023-10174-7) Are Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Psychopathology Amplified in Children with Below‑Average Intelligence? A Population‑Based Twin Study,” was authored by Susanne Bruins, Elsje van Bergen, Maurits W. Masselink, Stefania A. Barzeva, Catharina A. Hartman, Roy Otten, Nanda N. J. Rommelse, Conor V. Dolan, and Dorret I. Boomsma.

(https://www.psypost.org/brain-imaging-study-finds-large-sex-differences-in-regions-tied-to-mental-health/) Brain imaging study finds large sex-differences in regions tied to mental health
Aug 18th 2024, 06:00

A new study, published in the journal (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2403212121) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has uncovered significant sex-related differences in the brain’s subcortical gray matter. These differences were found in areas like the hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala — regions critical to functions such as memory, emotion regulation, and sensory processing. The findings not only contribute to our understanding of brain anatomy but also hint at possible connections between these structural differences and varying susceptibility to mental health disorders.
Sex differences in mental health are well-documented: women are more likely to experience anxiety and mood disorders, while men are more frequently diagnosed with conditions like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and antisocial behavior. Despite these known patterns, the underlying reasons for these differences remain poorly understood. Some researchers have speculated that these disparities could be rooted in the brain’s structure, but previous studies have primarily focused on larger, more visible aspects of brain anatomy, such as overall brain volume.
The current study aimed to explore whether more subtle, microscopic differences in brain structure could explain these observed mental health disparities. Specifically, the researchers wanted to determine if these microstructural differences could be linked to the neural mechanisms that might predispose individuals to certain psychiatric conditions.
“We know that mental health issues affect men and women differently; women are more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety, while men are more susceptible to attention problems or aggression. If we can understand the reason for these differences, this might help us to diagnose and treat these important issues,” explained study author Diliana Pecheva, an assistant project scientist at the Center for Multimodal Imaging and Genetics at the University of California, San Diego.
For their new study, the researchers leveraged data from the Human Connectome Project, which provided a large sample of 1,065 young adults, including 575 females and 490 males. These participants underwent a specialized form of brain imaging known as diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Unlike traditional MRI, which captures static images of the brain, diffusion MRI measures the movement of water molecules within brain tissues. This movement, or diffusion, is influenced by the surrounding cellular environment, allowing researchers to infer details about the microstructure of the brain, such as cell density and the orientation of fibers.
The study focused on the brain’s subcortical gray matter, a region that includes structures like the hippocampus, amygdala, and thalamus. These areas were selected because they play crucial roles in emotional and cognitive processes and have been implicated in various psychiatric disorders. The researchers used an advanced analysis technique called restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), which provides detailed information about the different cellular environments in these brain regions.
In addition to the imaging data, the researchers analyzed self-reported measures of psychiatric symptoms from the participants, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior. This allowed them to examine whether the observed microstructural differences were related to these mental health symptoms.
The researchers found significant sex differences in the microstructure of several subcortical regions. For example, males showed a higher restricted isotropic signal — a measure related to cell density and complexity — in the hippocampus and amygdala. In contrast, females exhibited higher hindered isotropic signals in the thalamus.
These microstructural differences were not just statistically significant but also substantial in size. In fact, the effect sizes observed in this study were much larger than those typically seen in studies of brain volume.
“Given the large the effect sizes we observe, it is surprising that these have not been described previously,” Pecheva told PsyPost. “This challenges the idea that once individual brain size is accounted for, sex differences in the brain are small.”
Furthermore, the researchers found that these microstructural differences were linked to psychiatric symptoms. For instance, greater restricted isotropic signal in the amygdala — a region involved in processing fear emotions — was associated with higher levels of depression and antisocial behavior. Similarly, alterations in the microstructure of the thalamus were associated with symptoms of anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity. These findings suggest that the microstructural differences observed in the study could underlie the sex differences in mental health disorders.
“Previous research has mainly concentrated on the sizes of brain structures, and have found only subtle differences between men and women, which may simply reflect the fact that men’s bodies and brains are generally larger than women’s. We have discovered much larger differences on a microscopic scale in structures deep within the brain,” Pecheva summarized.
“The structures that show the largest differences, such as the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the thalamus, are involved in things like emotions, memory, learning, and attention, and have been found to be associated with mental health problems. While our study was based on data from healthy young adults – so did not specifically recruit participants with mental health problems – we did find that our MRI measures were associated with depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and antisocial behavior.”
But the study, like all research, has some limitations to consider. One significant limitation is the nature of diffusion MRI itself. While this imaging technique provides valuable insights into the microstructure of the brain, it does not offer a clear picture of the specific cellular changes that underlie the observed differences.
“The type of MRI scan used is very sensitive to changes in the average microscopic environment, but it’s not like a microscope where we can see individual cells,” Pecheva explained. “Differences in the types of cells, their size, density, shapes, and connections will all impact the signal that we measure, but it’s difficult to attribute the changes we see to a particular feature.
“Also, from our analyses, it is not possible to say exactly what is the cause (or causes) of the differences we see. It is most likely to be a combination of biological factors, such as hormones and genetics, and environmental factors, such as gendered experiences and societal pressures and expectations.”
Future research could address these limitations by using complementary imaging techniques that provide a clearer view of the cellular basis of these differences. Additionally, studies that track these brain changes over time could help determine whether these microstructural differences emerge early in life or develop later, potentially offering insights into how sex differences in mental health disorders evolve.
“In the longer term, investigating sex differences may allow us to better understand the biological origins of mental health disorders,” Pecheva said. “This could lead to earlier diagnosis, and more effective treatments through personalized medicine, in which the treatment is tailored to the individual, rather than just the diagnosis. For example, antipsychotic drugs seem to work differently in men and women, as well as having different side effects. Our work might also provide objective measures of the effectiveness of new and existing treatments.”
The study, “(https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2403212121) Sex and mental health are related to subcortical brain microstructure,” was authored by Diliana Pecheva, Diana M. Smitha, B. J. Casey, Lianne J. Woodward, Anders M. Dalea, Christopher G. Filippi, and Richard Watts.

(https://www.psypost.org/hiit-workouts-outshine-others-in-boosting-memory-and-brain-health-new-study-finds/) HIIT workouts outshine others in boosting memory and brain health, new study finds
Aug 17th 2024, 20:00

It’s long been known that exercise is not only good for the body, it’s also good for the brain. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25977091/) Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise helps (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4410170/) protect and preserve brain function throughout life.
A (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39012673/) recent study has now revealed that one particular type of workout may be better than others when it comes to boosting brain health. The researchers found a link between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts with better memory and brain volume in older adults. And, these brain benefits even lasted up to five years after the study was completed.
The researchers looked at 194 adults aged 65-85 who had no signs of cognitive decline. Participants were assigned to either a low-intensity exercise, moderate-intensity exercise or HIIT workout programme for six months. Participants completed three workouts per week.
The low-intensity workouts consisted of 30 minutes of stretching, balance and relaxation exercises. The moderate-intensity workouts were made up of 30 minutes of brisk walking on a treadmill.
The HIIT sessions were also performed on a treadmill, where participants completed a four-minute bout of hard exercise (at around 80-95% of their maximum heart rate) broken up with three minutes of recovery in between. This was repeated four times.
After six months of exercising, participants were then given a task designed to test their memory. Participants in the HIIT group made fewer errors on this task compared to those in the low-intensity and moderate-intensity groups.
When the participants were given this memory task again five years later, those in the HIIT group still outperformed the other groups. The scores for the low-intensity and moderate-intensity groups remained the same and did not show any improvement.
That’s not all. The researchers also discovered that the HIIT workout group had less age-related shrinkage of brain volume. MRI scans of the brain showed that the right hippocampus, an area involved in memory, was better preserved in the HIIT group than in the other two groups. As with the improvement to memory, these benefits were sustained even five years after the study ended.
Although the conclusions from the study are robust, this study only looked at people who showed no signs of cognitive decline. As such, it’s unclear whether similar findings would be seen in people with cognitive impairment.
Additionally, the HIIT sessions were conducted on treadmills – so it’s unclear if the findings would be the same if participants performed other forms of exercise.
While (https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)00452-3?uuid=uuid%3A08af2e70-a84b-4a13-aa90-e6b7ce762cea) previous research in animals has shown a link between HIIT workouts and long-term brain benefits, this is one of the first studies to show a link between the two in humans.
Brain benefits
There are three probable mechanisms that might explain why HIIT appears to be so beneficial for brain health.
The first is that HIIT improves cardiovascular fitness. This in turn benefits how well your brain functions.
Regular HIIT workouts (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-018-0944-y) improve cardiorespiratory fitness, which makes it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body. This subsequently reduces the force on your arteries – lowering blood pressure.
Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is important for brain health, as high blood pressure is associated with poorer function of the (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187600) small blood vessels in the brain. These changes are often accompanied by (https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/fulltext/2013/08000/blood_pressure_levels_and_brain_volume_reduction_.2.aspx) reduced brain volume in important brain regions, such as the hippocampus. This region is one of the (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13205-022-03123-4) first to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
The second reason HIIT may be beneficial to brain health is because it reduces (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.13754) inflammation levels.
Long-term, constant inflammation is shown to have many negative effects on the brain. It’s associated with (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3320802/) poor brain metabolism and (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3320802/) reduced brain tissue function. These changes can lead to cognitive dysfunction and have also been linked to the development of (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3320802/) Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
But HIIT workouts can (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/17/4386) reduce the levels of a protein that contributes to chronic inflammation – called tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). The production of TNF-α is one of the (https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/6dbf508d3b17c437,4755276625828a95,5f80aba07ffe0f3a.html) first responses triggered by the body’s inflammatory process. High levels of TNF-α are (https://www.jlr.org/article/S0022-2275(20)43428-5/pdf) associated with chronic inflammation.
The third reason that HIIT may be so beneficial for brain health is because it has a positive effect on your brain cells (neurons). Healthy neurons are the brain’s information carriers. They’re important for (https://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol358/annurev.psych.51.1.pdf) memory and communication between brain regions.
HIIT workouts increase levels of the protein called (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254621000971) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the blood. BDNF stimulates the (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4697050/) growth and repair of neurons.
Levels of BDNF (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458004001071) naturally decrease as we age. However, HIIT workouts may provide an easy method to boost levels of BDNF in your body and help to improve your brain health.
HIIT workouts
It’s clear that HIIT is great for your brain health. But one thing researchers aren’t clear on is what the perfect HIIT workout plan looks like. (https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsep/38/4/article-p331.xml) Researchers aren’t sure if the duration of the HIIT interval (doing 30 seconds of exercise versus four minutes) or the number of intervals performed in each session matters more when it comes to brain health benefits. This will be something future research needs to investigate.
Even so, it’s clear from this study and others that HIIT is very beneficial. If you’re interested in giving HIIT a try, put together a workout plan that alternates short bursts of intense exercise (close to your max effort) with brief periods of recovery.
For example, a HIIT workout done on an exercise bike may consist of a 5-minute warm up followed by ten 30-second sprints, separated by 3-4 minutes of lower intensity exercise.
No matter the structure of the workout, HIIT provides many benefits to both brain and body.
 
This article is republished from (https://theconversation.com) The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the (https://theconversation.com/hiit-workouts-linked-with-better-brain-health-research-finds-even-five-years-later-236101) original article.

(https://www.psypost.org/how-narcissistic-ceos-steer-boardroom-conversations-toward-risk-taking/) How narcissistic CEOs steer boardroom conversations toward risk-taking
Aug 17th 2024, 18:00

In a new study published in the (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smj.3610) Strategic Management Journal, researchers have unearthed a critical dynamic in the corporate world: narcissistic CEOs, particularly those who also hold the position of board chair, have an uncanny ability to shape board discussions to favor risk-taking. The study sheds light on the subtle yet powerful influence that these CEOs wield, offering insights into how personality traits can significantly affect corporate decision-making and strategy.
Previous research has established a connection between CEO narcissism and increased risk-taking, but the mechanisms through which this happens have remained largely unexplored. The researchers aimed to fill this gap by examining how narcissistic CEOs might manipulate board discussions to serve their interests, especially when they also serve as board chair. This understanding is particularly vital in light of past regulatory reforms that have struggled to curb excessive corporate risk-taking.
The research team — led by Christopher S. Tuggle of the University of Central Arkansas — collected and analyzed board meeting transcripts from 88 publicly traded U.S. firms over a span of more than two decades, from 1994 to 2015.
These firms were selected from a larger pool of over 1,900 companies, and the final sample included 197 CEOs. The selection process focused on firms with sufficient data to examine the interactions between CEOs and their boards in depth.
To measure CEO narcissism, the researchers used a well-established method that considers multiple indicators: the prominence of the CEO’s photograph in the company’s annual report, the frequency of the CEO’s name in press releases relative to other top executives, and the CEO’s compensation compared to other members of the top management team. This multifaceted approach ensured a comprehensive assessment of each CEO’s narcissistic traits.
The researchers then turned their attention to the tone of board discussions, particularly those concerning risk-taking. They utilized text analysis software to evaluate whether these discussions were framed in a positive or negative light. The aim was to determine if narcissistic CEOs were able to steer these conversations in a way that highlighted the potential benefits of risk-taking, thereby influencing the board’s decision-making process.
Narcissistic CEOs were indeed more likely to drive board discussions about risk-taking toward a positive tone. This influence was particularly strong when the CEO also held the role of board chair, a condition known as CEO duality. The dual role allowed these CEOs to control the agenda, manage who spoke during meetings, and even influence the setting and context of the discussions. As a result, firms led by narcissistic CEOs, especially those with CEO duality, were more inclined to allocate significant resources toward risky ventures.
The study also found that this positive framing of risk-taking discussions led to increased spending on these ventures. Boards that engaged in more positively toned discussions about risk-taking, driven by their narcissistic CEOs, were more likely to approve and fund riskier strategies. This finding underscores the powerful influence that CEO personality traits can have on corporate decision-making, particularly when the CEO holds significant structural power within the organization.
The study offers several practical takeaways for boards of directors. One of the most significant is the need for caution when combining the roles of CEO and board chair, especially when the CEO exhibits narcissistic traits. While some degree of risk-taking is necessary for innovation and growth, excessive risk driven by a single individual’s agenda can be detrimental to the firm and its shareholders.
Boards might consider implementing stronger internal governance mechanisms, such as enhanced oversight by independent directors or more rigorous checks and balances on the CEO’s power. Additionally, providing directors with training on personality dynamics and their impact on decision-making could help them better navigate their interactions with narcissistic CEOs.
As Borgholthaus pointed out, “Boards need to be careful of when and when they don’t have duality; when they do and don’t give CEOs the title of board chair. It can be a good thing, but at the same time a lot of government reforms were done to put more responsibility on the board to ensure they wouldn’t be manipulated.”
While the study provides valuable insights, it also has limitations. For instance, the researchers focused exclusively on publicly traded firms in the United States, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to other contexts, such as private companies or firms in different countries. Moreover, while the study used comprehensive measures to assess CEO narcissism and the tone of board discussions, it could not fully capture the quality or depth of these conversations.
Future research could expand on these findings by exploring how narcissistic CEOs might influence other types of strategic decisions beyond risk-taking, such as corporate social responsibility or geographic expansion. Additionally, investigating how these dynamics play out in different cultural or regulatory environments could provide a more nuanced understanding of the role of narcissism in corporate governance.
The study, “(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/smj.3610) Setting the tone to get their way: An attention-based approach to how narcissistic CEOs influence the board of directors to take more risk,” was authored by Christopher S. Tuggle, Cameron J. Borgholthaus, Peter D. Harms, and Jonathan P. O’Brien.

(https://www.psypost.org/researchers-discover-how-dmt-alters-visual-cortex-to-create-psychedelic-visuals/) Researchers discover how DMT alters visual cortex to create psychedelic visuals
Aug 17th 2024, 16:00

A new neuroimaging study has revealed how the powerful psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine, commonly known as DMT, alters the brain’s primary visual cortex, potentially explaining the intense visual distortions experienced by users. The findings, published in (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120718) NeuroImage, suggest that DMT may significantly modify how visual information is processed in the brain, leading to phenomena such as blurred vision, tunnel vision, and the perception of expanded visual space.
DMT is a naturally occurring compound found in various plants and is known for producing brief but intense hallucinatory experiences. These experiences often involve vivid and sometimes overwhelming visual and auditory sensations. DMT belongs to the tryptamine class of psychedelics, which includes substances like psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, and 5-MeO-DMT. These compounds are chemically similar to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in regulating mood, perception, and cognition.
For centuries, cultures in South America have used DMT-containing plants in spiritual and religious rituals, most notably in the preparation of ayahuasca, a traditional psychoactive brew. In recent years, the scientific community has also become increasingly interested in these substances, not only for their ability to alter consciousness but also for their potential therapeutic benefits. Psychedelics like DMT are being studied for their efficacy in treating mental health conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety.
The study, led by Marta Lapo Pais and her colleagues, aimed to explore how DMT affects the primary visual cortex, the area of the brain responsible for processing visual information. Specifically, the researchers wanted to test whether DMT alters the behavior of neurons in this region by changing their population receptive fields. Population receptive fields refer to the specific areas of the visual field that groups of neurons respond to. Under normal conditions, each cluster of neurons in the primary visual cortex is tuned to a particular area of the visual field.
The researchers hypothesized that DMT might cause these population receptive fields to expand or shift, leading neurons to respond to larger areas of the visual field or to areas they wouldn’t normally respond to. This alteration could explain the visual distortions reported by DMT users, such as the blurring of peripheral vision while central vision remains sharp—a phenomenon often described as tunnel vision.
To test this hypothesis, the researchers conducted a study with 11 healthy participants, including four women, with an average age of 37 years. These participants had experience with altered states of consciousness, particularly with DMT inhalation. Each participant underwent two neuroimaging sessions spaced several weeks apart.
During one session, the active treatment session, participants inhaled DMT extracted from the bark of Mimosa hostilis Benth., a tree native to South and Central America known for its high DMT content. The other session served as a control, where no DMT was administered.
In the active treatment session, participants inhaled between 50 and 70 milligrams of a substance containing approximately 31% DMT. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed immediately after inhalation, capturing the peak effects of the drug. The imaging focused on the primary visual cortex, and the participants viewed a video of two perpendicular bars moving in specific patterns designed by the researchers. After the MRI, participants completed the Hallucinogen Rating Scale, a questionnaire that assesses the subjective effects of psychedelic substances.
The results showed that DMT significantly increased the population receptive fields of neurons in the primary visual cortex, particularly those that normally respond to the peripheral parts of the visual field. This increase suggests that DMT alters the way these neurons process visual information, which could account for the perceptual distortions such as peripheral blurring and tunnel vision.
Importantly, the study found no significant differences in eye or head movements between the DMT session and the control session, indicating that the observed changes were likely due to the effects of DMT on the brain rather than external factors.
“This evidence for short-term effects of DMT in pRF [population receptive fields] may explain perceptual distortions induced by psychedelics such as field blurring, tunnel vision (peripheral vision becoming blurred while central vision remains sharp) and the enlargement of nearby visual space, particularly at the visual locations surrounding the fovea,” the study authors concluded.
The findings provide new insights into how DMT alters visual processing in the brain, offering a potential explanation for the intense and sometimes disorienting visual effects experienced by users. However, the researchers caution that the observed changes in the primary visual cortex are likely not the only neural alterations caused by DMT. Other regions of the brain, particularly those involved in higher-level visual processing, may also play a role in the complex visual phenomena induced by this psychedelic.
This study is an important step in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the effects of DMT and other psychedelics. As research in this field continues to grow, these findings could have implications not only for our understanding of consciousness but also for the development of therapeutic applications for psychedelics in mental health treatment. However, further research is needed to explore the broader effects of DMT on the brain and to investigate how these changes relate to the subjective experiences reported by users.
The paper “(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120718) Rapid effects of tryptamine psychedelics on perceptual distortions and early visual cortical population receptive fields” was authored by Marta Lapo Pais, Marta Teixeira, Carla Soares, Gisela Lima, Patr´ıcia Rijo, Celia Cabral, and Miguel Castelo-Branco.

(https://www.psypost.org/introversion-texting-habits-and-self-confidence-understanding-the-connections/) Introversion, texting habits, and self-confidence: Understanding the connections
Aug 17th 2024, 14:00

A recent study published in (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-78195-001) Psychology of Popular Media sheds light on how the motivations behind texting — whether to express oneself or to escape from reality — might influence the self-confidence of individuals with varying degrees of introversion or extraversion. The findings reveal some surprising relationships between personality dispositions, texting motivations and self-confidence.
Text messaging has become one of the most prevalent forms of communication, particularly among emerging adults. With this shift, researchers have become increasingly interested in how different people use texting and what psychological impacts these uses might have.
Previous research has established that introverted individuals tend to have lower self-confidence compared to their more extraverted counterparts. However, the rise of digital communication, particularly texting, provides a new avenue for introverts to express themselves in ways that might be more comfortable than face-to-face interactions.
This study aimed to explore whether the reasons people use texting—either to express themselves or to escape from uncomfortable situations—might alter the relationship between personality traits like introversion or extraversion and self-confidence. The researchers wanted to understand how these texting motivations could either mitigate or exacerbate the typical self-confidence issues associated with introversion and extraversion.
“In thinking about what I wanted to research for my doctoral project, I would observe my younger siblings and how their views of technology significantly differed from that of our parents and grandparents. For example, they never check voicemails and heavily prefer texting over phone calls,” said study author Paulette Didia, a licensed clinical psychologist.
“I was curious about how that preference influenced their relationships and friendships and specifically their self-confidence as a result of these digital connections. Dr. Trub had previously created (https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1080/07481756.2019.1667244) the Messaging Motivations Questionnaire to study the motivations behind texting and we wondered how the different motivations might have an impact on self-confidence. Additionally, as an introvert myself, and someone partial to texting as well, I wondered if introverts and extraverts experience texting and its effect on their self-confidence differently, and through these thoughts, our study emerged.”
For their study, the researchers recruited 157 participants, mostly young adults with an average age of 19, from Pace University. These participants were asked to complete a survey that assessed their personality traits, self-confidence, and their reasons for texting.
To measure introversion and extraversion, the study used a well-established psychological scale that captures where individuals fall on the spectrum between these two traits. Self-confidence was assessed through a scale that asked participants how sure they felt about themselves compared to others.
The researchers also utilized a specific questionnaire designed to understand participants’ motivations for texting. This questionnaire distinguished between two primary reasons for texting: the first was “express” motivations, where individuals use texting as a means to communicate thoughts and feelings they find difficult to express in person; the second was “escape” motivations, where individuals use texting to distract themselves from uncomfortable or boring situations.
The results revealed some interesting patterns. One of the key findings was that introverted individuals who used texting primarily as a means of self-expression reported higher levels of self-confidence than those who did not use texting in this way. This suggests that for introverts, texting can be a valuable tool that allows them to communicate more freely and authentically, which in turn may bolster their sense of self-confidence.
However, the findings also indicated that the benefits of using texting for self-expression could be undermined if the individual also used texting as a means of escape. Specifically, when escape motivations were high, the positive association between introversion and self-confidence weakened, suggesting that relying on texting as a way to avoid real-life situations might hinder the confidence-boosting benefits that come from using it to express oneself.
For more extraverted individuals, the findings were somewhat surprising. Contrary to what might be expected, those who used texting as a way to escape actually had higher levels of self-confidence than anticipated. The researchers speculated that this might be because texting allows extraverts to maintain their social connections and find stimulation, even when face-to-face interactions are not available.
However, when these extraverts used texting primarily for self-expression, it seemed to diminish the protective effects of using it as an escape, potentially because they generally prefer immediate, real-time interactions rather than the delayed nature of texting.
“In a world where people are constantly looking for simple answers and solutions (e.g. Is technology good or bad?), the fact is that the impact of technology (and in this study, texting specifically) differs based on the interaction between multiple things (in this study, personality characteristics and people’s motivations for texting),” said co-author Leora Trub, an associate professor of psychology at Pace University.
“We were surprised to see such a drastic difference in our findings versus the current research that is out there,” Didia added. “As an introvert, it provides hope that the research may start to equalize the confidence levels of both introverts and extraverts.”
But as with all research, there are some caveats to consider. For one, the cross-sectional nature of the study means it captures a snapshot in time, making it difficult to establish causality or track changes in self-confidence and texting behavior over time. Additionally, the study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by significant changes in social behavior and communication patterns.
“It would be interesting to see if these results continue to be the way the research goes,” Didia noted. “As it has been two years since our data collection, I’d be curious to see if we were to achieve the same results now, as it seems most of the restrictions and fears of the pandemic have been lifted.”
Nevertheless, the findings highlight the nuanced ways in which texting motivations are linked to personality traits and self-confidence. “We want to raise awareness of both the positive and negative effects of using texting for either motivation to allow for better communication and relationships with those around us, but also so that technology may evolve in a way that maximizes the positive effects and minimizes the negative,” Didia explained.
The study, “(https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/ppm0000527) Stuck in the DMs: The Association Between Introversion/Extraversion and Self-Confidence Through Text-Based Communication,” was authored by Paulette Didia, Leora Trub, and Brenna Hassinger-Das.

(https://www.psypost.org/the-reality-of-romantic-preferences-large-scale-study-reveals-surprising-truths/) The reality of romantic preferences: Large-scale study reveals surprising truths
Aug 17th 2024, 12:00

When searching for a romantic partner, most people have an idea of what their ideal partner should be like. Common preferences might include traits such as intelligence, a good sense of humor, or physical attractiveness. But how much do these ideal partner preferences really influence who we find attractive or end up dating? A (https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/fe56h) large-scale international study, conducted in collaboration with the Psychological Science Accelerator, sought to answer this question by testing whether the traits people say they want in a partner actually predict how they feel about their romantic interests in real life.
The study, which is the largest of its kind, found that while people’s preferences for certain traits do have some predictive power, the strength of this influence varies significantly depending on how “preference-matching” is measured. The research suggests that while we may know generally what we find attractive, the specific traits we think we want in a partner don’t always strongly predict who we are attracted to or satisfied with in a relationship.
The findings have been accepted for publication in the (https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
For decades, researchers have tried to understand what drives human mating preferences. Ideal partner preferences, or the traits people desire in a partner, have been a cornerstone of theories explaining human romantic relationships. However, whether these preferences actually predict how much people like their romantic partners has been a matter of debate. Previous studies have produced mixed results, with some supporting the idea that people are happier with partners who match their ideals, and others suggesting that this matching has little to no effect on relationship satisfaction.
This inconsistency prompted researchers to take a closer look at the matching hypothesis—the idea that people will evaluate a romantic partner more positively if that partner’s traits align closely with their ideals. By conducting the study on a global scale and using a variety of rigorous analytical methods, the researchers aimed to provide more definitive answers about the role of ideal partner preferences in romantic relationships.
“My main line of work unpacks how the process of romantic relationship formation and maintenance happens in real life. People commonly tell you they’re looking for certain traits in a partner as a part of this process – like attractiveness, intelligence, or kindness – and I’ve long wanted to understand how people’s ideas about the traits that they like (i.e., their ideals) coincide (or not) with the traits that they actually like,” said study author (https://pauleastwick.com/pauleastwick/) Paul Eastwick, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis.
“I embarked on the current article about 5 years ago. At this time, this whole literature on partner preference matching was fracturing, because people started adopting all of these different measurement approaches without really have a strong sense of what those approaches meant, conceptually or statistically. So I wanted to put a large team together and submit a registered report where we committed to run ALL the statistical approaches – the good ones and the bad ones.”
The researchers collaborated with the Psychological Science Accelerator, a globally distributed network of researchers that facilitates large-scale, cross-cultural studies in psychology. This collaboration allowed the researchers to gather data from a wide array of participants (more 10,000 participants drawn from 43 different countries), ensuring that the study’s findings would be broadly applicable and culturally inclusive.
The participants were a mix of individuals currently in romantic relationships and those who were single, providing a broad perspective on how ideal preferences might influence both ongoing partnerships and initial romantic interests. The participants were on average 28.5 years old, with a wide age range that included younger adults as well as older individuals.
Participants first completed a block of questions where they rated the desirability of 35 different traits in an ideal romantic partner. These traits were chosen based on previous research and included characteristics such as attractiveness, intelligence, a sense of humor, and kindness. Participants rated each trait on a scale from 1 (not at all desirable) to 11 (highly desirable).
Then, participants were asked to evaluate four individuals they knew personally, with a focus on people of their romantically preferred gender. Participants in relationships were instructed to include their current romantic partner as one of these individuals, while single participants were asked to identify someone they would most desire to have a romantic relationship with. In addition to their romantic partner or desired partner, participants rated three additional peers, which allowed the researchers to analyze patterns of attraction and partner preference across multiple individuals.
Participants rated each of these individuals on the same 35 traits they had identified as important in an ideal partner. They also provided an overall evaluation of their romantic interest in or satisfaction with each individual. This evaluation included questions about their level of romantic interest, how much the person aligned with their ideal partner, and their desire to maintain a close relationship with the person.
One of the most interesting findings was the distinction between “normative” and “distinctive” preference-matching. Normative matching refers to the alignment between a partner’s traits and traits that are generally considered desirable by most people, such as kindness or intelligence. Distinctive matching, on the other hand, involves traits that are particularly important to an individual, even if they are not widely sought after.
The researchers found that normative preference-matching had a stronger influence on romantic evaluations than distinctive matching. In other words, people were more likely to evaluate their partners positively if those partners had traits that were widely seen as desirable, rather than just matching their personal ideals.
The researchers also examined whether the predictive power of preference-matching varied depending on whether participants were evaluating a current partner or someone they were not yet romantically involved with. The matching effects were slightly stronger in established relationships, but the differences were small.
“I was surprised to see the effect sizes were pretty much the same whether or not people were in relationships. I had assumed that single people would show smaller effect sizes. But it turns out that you get similar effects, regardless of whether you are asking people in relationships to report on their partners vs. single people reporting on someone they might like to date.”
When researchers looked at how specific traits influenced romantic evaluations, they found that certain traits like extraversion and religiosity had stronger predictive power than commonly studied traits like physical attractiveness or intelligence. This suggests that the importance of matching on specific traits may depend on the cultural context and the specific attributes valued in different regions.
Eastwick explained three primary findings from the study:
“1. If you care about normative matching – do people like partners when they perceive those partners to have consensually desirable (e.g., ‘attractive’) rather than consensually undesirable (e.g., ‘easily upset’) traits – the effects are fairly large. I interpret these effects to mean ‘People have a shared understanding that some attributes are more evaluatively positive than others.’ Important, but somewhat obvious.”
“2. If you care about individual differences in desire – sometimes called distinctive-matching – you need to make certain statistical corrections that separate out the normative component. When you do this, across all 35 traits, you get significant – but pretty modest – effects, in the .10-.20 range. I interpret these effects to mean ‘If I think you match my particular unique preferences across 35 traits, I feel a little more positively about you.'”
“3. If you care about single attributes in isolation (i.e., do people who have a higher ideal for ‘attractiveness’ actually desire ‘attractive’ partners more?), these effects are tiny on average, and they’d be very hard to detect in a typical study. Some are larger (religious is notable in this respect), and some are no different from zero (i.e., warmth/trustworthiness). I interpret these effects to me: ‘If I say I desire a particular trait like attractiveness more than you do, that doesn’t mean very much.'”
The study also found some expected gender differences. Men generally placed a higher value on traits related to physical attractiveness—such as being attractive, having a nice body, and being sexy—while women prioritized traits associated with earning potential, including ambition, financial security, and having a good job. These findings align with traditional gender stereotypes and previous research that suggests men are more focused on physical appearance and women on resource-related traits when considering potential partners.
However, the researchers also analyzed “revealed preferences,” which reflect the actual impact of these traits on participants’ romantic evaluations of specific individuals. This analysis revealed a more nuanced picture. While men and women differed in their stated preferences, these differences were less pronounced.
In practice, both men and women tended to rate partners more positively if they were physically attractive, though women underestimated the importance of physical attractiveness in their stated preferences more than men did. Similarly, while women’s stated preferences indicated a strong preference for partners with high earning potential, this trait was less influential in their actual romantic evaluations compared to what their stated preferences suggested.
“Because matching effects for single attributes in isolation are tiny (#3 above), this fact explains the lack of gender differences in revealed preferences,” Eastwick explained. “If the people who say they like attractiveness don’t especially desire attractive partners (relative to people who say they don’t like attractiveness), then you can’t expect to find that men (i.e., a group of people who say they like attractiveness) especially desire attractive partners (relative to women, a group of people who say they don’t like attractiveness). Those tiny single-attribute matching effects are a mathematical constraint that render gender differences more or less impossible to detect.”
Despite its large scale and rigorous methodology, the study had some limitations. “Even though our sample is very large and diverse in terms of world region, most of them had at least some amount of post high school education,” Eastwick noted. “So we can’t claim that this sample is representative of the world in that sense.”
Additionally, the study relied exclusively on self-reported data collected at a single point in time, which limits the ability to draw conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. To fully understand the causal impact of ideal partner preferences, future research will need to incorporate experimental approaches.
“I’m also very interested in what ideals do causally – do ideal partner preferences actually cause any of the outcomes that we attribute to them? So we’re developing manipulations in my lab to address this major challenge, too,” Eastwick said.
The study, “(https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/fe56h) A Worldwide Test of the Predictive Validity of Ideal Partner Preference-Matching,” was authored by Paul W. Eastwick, Jehan Sparks, Eli J. Finkel, Eva M. Meza, Matúš Adamkovič, Peter Adu, Ting Ai, Aderonke A. Akintola, Laith Al-Shawaf, Denisa Apriliawati, Patrícia Arriaga, Benjamin Aubert-Teillaud, Gabriel Baník, Krystian Barzykowski, Carlota Batres, Katherine J. Baucom, Elizabeth Z. Beaulieu, Maciej Behnke, Natalie Butcher, Deborah Y. Charles, Jane M. Chen, Jeong Eun Cheon, Phakkanun Chittham, Patrycja Chwiłkowska, Chin Wen Cong, Lee T. Copping, Nadia S. Corral-Frias, Vera Ćubela Adorić, Mikaela Dizon, Hongfei Du, Michael I. Ehinmowo, Daniela A. Escribano, Natalia M. Espinosa, Francisca Expósito, Gilad Feldman, Raquel Freitag, Martha Frias Armenta, Albina Gallyamova, Omri Gillath, Biljana Gjoneska, Theofilos Gkinopoulos, Franca Grafe, Dmitry Grigoryev, Agata Groyecka-Bernard, Gul Gunaydin, Ruby Ilustrisimo, Emily Impett, Pavol Kačmár, Young-Hoon Kim, Mirosław Kocur, Marta Kowal, Maatangi Krishna, Paul Danielle Labor, Jackson G. Lu, Marc Y. Lucas, Wojciech Małecki, Klara Malinakova, Sofia Meißner, Zdeněk Meier, Michal Misiak, Amy Muise, Lukas Novak, Jiaqing O, Asil A. Özdoğru, Haeyoung Gideon Park, Mariola Paruzel, Zoran Pavlović, Marcell Püski, Gianni Ribeiro, S. Craig Roberts, Jan P. Röer, Ivan Ropovik, Robert M. Ross, Ezgi Sakman, Cristina E. Salvador, Emre Selcuk, Shayna Skakoon-Sparling, Agnieszka Sorokowska, Piotr Sorokowski, Ognen Spasovski, Sarah C. E. Stanton, Suzanne L. K. Stewart, Viren Swami, Barnabas Szaszi, Kaito Takashima, Peter Tavel, Julian Tejada, Eric Tu, Jarno Tuominen, David Vaidis, Zahir Vally, Leigh Ann Vaughn, Laura Villanueva-Moya, Dian Wisnuwardhani, Yuki Yamada, Fumiya Yonemitsu, Radka Žídková, Kristýna Živná, and Nicholas A. Coles.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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