First they recruited 24 adults and split them into two groups - one of which pulled an all-nighter, while the other slept normally. Then they got everyone to answer a series of questions, such as "I would offer my seat on a crowded bus to a 60-year-old woman", and perform a social cognition task, while their brains underwent an MRI scan. Finally, they replayed the experiment, swapping the groups.
What did they find? That sleep deprivation really does make us meaner. Indeed their paper, "Sleep loss leads to the withdrawal of human helping across individuals, groups, and large-scale societies", found that 78% of participants "demonstrated a reduction in the desire to help others" after staying awake all night. Surprisingly, that applied to their friends as well as complete strangers.
There was something else, too. When the experts looked at the MRI scans they found this unwillingness to help out others "was associated with the deactivation of key nodes" in the brain, which related to considering the "mental state, emotions, and personal needs" of other people.
Can I make a suggestion to the Centre for Human Sleep Science, which conducted this fascinating study? Please book an immediate flight to Melbourne.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 22, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 22, 2024-Ausgabe von The Guardian.
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