Brain Benefits of Being Social

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You’ve heard it before and will probably hear it again: we are social animals.

Evolution-wise, social ties improve humans’ ability to survive and procreate. In fact, it can be argued that the relatively large size of our brains is mostly due to our need to communicate and cooperate with others.

The importance of human interaction is especially evident in babies, who, even with all of their physical needs met, can die if deprived of human contact. Studies also show that social neglect of children often results in serious problems in cognitive development.

On the other end of the lifespan, there is also increasing evidence to indicate that social support and engagement can reduce symptoms of dementia while helping to maintain cognitive abilities as people age.

Being social engages and exercises a wide variety of mental processes which are self perpetuating, including but not limited to:

  • Listening for subtle speech cues of intonation and cadence
  • Reading facial expressions
  • Making sense of conversations
  • Manipulating thinking towards the formation of responses

Enabling these processes are very specific neurons called mirror neurons that activate both when we ourselves take action and when we observe others taking action. The ability of mirror neurons to reflect external activity internally has been implicated in learning through observation, developing language skills, and the ability to feel empathy for others.

In terms of reaping the cognitive benefits of being social, research indicates that the size of one’s social entourage isn’t as important as the quality of the relationships in it. It seems that at least part of the benefits of having social support may be due to the stress relief friends and family can provide.

Some suggestions for staying social include:

  • Host pot-luck/dinner parties
  • Watch television and use the internet less
  • Participate in group activities (hiking, dancing, festivals etc.)
  • Call friends and family periodically
  • Join a club or dating site
  • Invite people to see a concert or go to the theatre
  • Play a team sport

References:

Barnes, L. L., Mendes de Leon, C. F., Wilson, R. S., Bienias, J. L., & Evans, D. A. (2004). Social resources and cognitive decline in a population of older African Americans and whites. Neurology, 63(12), 2322-6.

Bassuk, S. S., Glass, T. A., & Berkman, L. F. (1999). Social disengagement and incident cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly persons. Annals of Internal Medicine, 131(3), 165-73.

Bednarek, S., Absil, G., Vandoorne, C., Lachaussae, S., & Vanmeerbeek, M. (2009). [Neglected children: birth, life and survival.]. Presse Medicale (Paris, France: 1983).

Green, A. F., Rebok, G., & Lyketsos, C. G. (2008). Influence of social network characteristics on cognition and functional status with aging. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23(9), 972-8.

Krueger, K. R., Wilson, R. S., Kamenetsky, J. M., Barnes, L. L., Bienias, J. L., & Bennett, D. A. (n.d.). Social engagement and cognitive function in old age. Experimental Aging Research, 35(1), 45-60.

Luethi, M., Meier, B., & Sandi, C. (2008). Stress effects on working memory, explicit memory, and implicit memory for neutral and emotional stimuli in healthy men. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2, 5. doi: 10.3389/neuro.08.005.2008.

Munhoz, C. D., García-Bueno, B., Madrigal, J. L. M., Lepsch, L. B., Scavone, C., & Leza, J. C. (2008). Stress-induced neuroinflammation: mechanisms and new pharmacological targets. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research = Revista Brasileira De Pesquisas Maodicas E Biolagicas / Sociedade Brasileira De Biofasica … [et Al, 41(12), 1037-46.

Oberman, L. M., Pineda, J. A., & Ramachandran, V. S. (2007). The human mirror neuron system: A link between action observation and social skills. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2(1), 62-66.

Rizzolatti, G., & Fabbri-Destro, M. (2008). The mirror system and its role in social cognition. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 18(2), 179-84.

Wilson, R. S., Krueger, K. R., Arnold, S. E., Schneider, J. A., Kelly, J. F., Barnes, L. L., et al. (2007). Loneliness and risk of Alzheimer disease. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(2), 234-40.

Ybarra, O., Burnstein, E., Winkielman, P., Keller, M. C., Manis, M., Chan, E., et al. (2008). Mental exercising through simple socializing: social interaction promotes general cognitive functioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(2), 248-59.

Yeh, S. J., & Liu, Y. (2003). Influence of social support on cognitive function in the elderly. BMC Health Services Research, 3(1), 9.

Zunzunegui, M., Alvarado, B. E., Del Ser, T., & Otero, A. (2003a). Social networks, social integration, and social engagement determine cognitive decline in community-dwelling Spanish older adults. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58(2), S93-S100.

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