How TV drama shapes social maps in brain, and why conflict stands out

Article excerpt

When watching a drama, we quickly learn who is friends with whom, and, just as importantly, who stands against whom. But how does the brain organize this web of alliances, rivalries and conflicts? Researchers from the University of Osaka have shown that social relationships learned through a television drama are reflected in patterns of brain activity, especially when those relationships are antagonistic. These findings were published in Communication Psychology.