Scientists have finally figured out what causes humor – and they cracked the code by deliberately putting their volunteers in embarrassing situations.
In a new unusual study, published on July 17 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers asked 40 young girls and women to sing karaoke while being filmed. The volunteers sang four difficult songs: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey; “All The Things You Said” by tATu; “Hello” by Adele; and “Let It Go” from Disney’s “Frozen.”
After the recording session, the researchers scanned the volunteers’ brains using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures brain activity indirectly by measuring blood flow in the brain. a member. During the fMRI, the participants were shown recordings of themselves singing, as well as of another participant who sang in the same style as them. They also watched recordings of a great singer of the same age singing.
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To make things even more difficult, the researchers also told the participants that the audience would be watching their recordings as well.
In addition to monitoring the activity of neurons in participants. brainthe researchers measured how much the volunteers’ cheek temperature increased – an indication of their level of embarrassment.
The group found the volunteers were more depressed when they were looking at themselves compared to other people who were singing. And in general, the more embarrassed a person is, the greater the activity of the neurons in their cerebellum. The cerebellum is the area of the brain it controls movement and coordination. However, recent research suggests that it may be affected emotional process, among other activities. In particular, the researchers saw increased activity in a part of the cerebellum called lobule V, which was previously shown to play a role. emotional involvement.
Another area of the brain that lit up in participants who felt embarrassed while looking at themselves was involved in the early stages of visual processing. The researchers say this suggests that blushing is not only related to emotional processing but also to brain circuits that help direct a person’s attention. In other words, embarrassing videos of a particular person seemed to attract that person’s attention more than videos of others.
On the other hand, the team did not find a connection between embarrassment and the activation of the so-called higher brain regions – parts of the brain that enable us to perform complex mental tasks, including and. considerate of self and others.
“Based on this we have come to the conclusion that thinking about the thoughts of others may not be necessary for shame to occur,”‘ Milica Nikolicassistant professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Amsterdam, he said a statement. “Embarrassment may be part of the normal feeling you feel when exposed and has something to do with you,” said Nikolic.
The researchers added in their paper that embarrassment may “cause a sudden rise in social exposure.” They argued that it may be a spontaneous feeling rather than something that results from higher self-evaluations, such as thinking strongly about how others see you.
The team has acknowledged several learning disabilities. For example, they assessed embarrassment simply by looking at changes in cheek temperature. Using additional metrics, such as measuring blood flow to the face, can provide more information about this process.
Next, the group wishes to study blushing under different conditions and in different groups. Another possible way to conduct research would be to see if the same findings can be replicated in young children who have not yet developed complex cognitive skills.
Understanding more about how shame can also shed light on why some people with anxiety disorders develop a fear of shame, they said.
“When we understand the mechanisms of shame, we can target the fear of shame even more,” Nikolic said.
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