Brain Patterns Predict Who Becomes Friends |
Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt as though they would be your best friend? This may be attributed to something deeper than just common interests; it may have to do with a similarity in how you perceive reality. New research from UCLA and Dartmouth shows that long before words are exchanged, the brain may already recognize who feels familiar.
A group of graduate students received functional magnetic resonance imaging of their brains while they watched short films. Eight months later, those whose brain activity patterns matched most closely became friends. The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, suggests that the roots of friendship lie in how we think and feel rather than in chance encounters.
During the brain activity scans, participants watched an assortment of videos: comedies, debates, and documentaries. Each film stirred a unique blend of thought and feeling. Some viewers might have laughed while others might have reflected. How each person’s brain responded was measured to determine what is called “