Structure deep within the brain may contribute to a rich, varied social life

In my chapter INSIDE THE BRAIN I point out the importance of the amygdala, alongside other brain structures, for social intelligence - or the processing of information and stimuli of a particularly social relevance. In this article, several Boston-based brain researchers have correlated amygdala size with the number and complexity of an individual's social networks. As the final paragraph says:

"A member of the the Martinos Center at MGH, Barrett also notes that the results of the study were consistent with the "social brain hypothesis," which suggests that the human amygdala might have evolved partially to deal with an increasingly complex social life. "Further research is in progress to try to understand more about how the amygdala and other brain regions are involved in social behavior in humans," she says. "We and other researchers are also trying to understand how abnormalities in these brain regions may impair social behavior in neurologic and psychiatric disorders.""