It’s not that you look—it’s when: The hidden power of eye contact

A groundbreaking study from Flinders University reveals that it's not just making eye contact that matters, but precisely when and how you do it. By studying interactions between humans and virtual partners, researchers discovered a powerful gaze sequence that makes people more likely to interpret a look as a call for help. Even more surprising: the same response pattern held true whether the "partner" was human or robot, offering insights into how our brains instinctively process social cues.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250716000854.htm

Transition point in romantic relationships signals the beginning of their end

The end of a romantic relationship usually does not come out of the blue but is indicated one or two years before the breakup. As the results of a psychological study have demonstrated, the terminal stage of a relationship consists of two phases. First, there is a gradual decline in relationship satisfaction, reaching a transition point one to two years before the dissolution of the relationship.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250321163543.htm

The dangerous pursuit of muscularity in men and adolescent boys

Men and adolescent boys are increasingly at risk of resorting to the dangerous use of anabolic steroids in a bid to achieve the desired muscular build modeled on social media, warn body image experts. A new review that focused specifically on men found that exposure to social media posts depicting ideal muscular male bodies is directly linked to a negative body image and greater odds of resorting to anabolic-androgenic steroid use.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241030150853.htm

Horses 'mane' inspiration for new generation of social robots

Interactive robots should not just be passive companions, but active partners -- like therapy horses who respond to human emotion -- say researchers.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528214222.htm

Overimitation begins in infancy but is not yet linked to in-group preference

A new study examines the emergence of overimitation in infants aged between 16 and 21 months to see if and how it is linked to social affiliation and other forms of imitation. The researchers found that young children engaged in low rates of overimitation and that it was not driven by in-group preference -- meaning they were not acting to please someone similar to themselves. This suggests that overimitation for social affiliation reasons may emerge later. But they did find that other types of imitation associated with memory and cognition were closely correlated.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162544.htm

Study sheds light on how autistic people communicate

There is no significant difference in the effectiveness of how autistic and non-autistic people communicate, according to a new study, challenging the stereotype that autistic people struggle to connect with others.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514111351.htm

Social drinking also a well-worn path to alcohol use disorder

When picturing a 'typical' alcoholic, people tend to imagine a person drinking at home alone. But that focus overlooks the social origins of many serious alcohol problems.

from Relationships News -- ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250506105351.htm