The Science of Social Decision Circuits
A NeuroNote collection that lets you explore UCLA-curated research in a new way. Ask big questions at any level of understanding.
Why We Help
How connection, empathy and cooperation are built in the brain
Social behavior is central to being human, but we know very little about its biology. My lab asks what happens in the brain when we choose to help others and when we decide not to. We also study how trust, empathy and cooperation arise, and what changes when those circuits fluctuate.
Shifts in social engagement are often among the earliest signs of neurological and psychiatric conditions. If we understand the circuits that drive them, we can catch disease sooner and target care more humanely and effectively.
This collection features talks, papers and plain-language explainers on multi-brain dynamics, translating animal-circuit insights to human behavior, and neuroscience-informed AI for socially intelligent, ethically aligned systems. I invite you to engage with it here.
Dr. Weizhe Hong
A Place for Infinite Curiosity
Here’s how it works:
- Sources are curated by UCLA Health and Dr. Weizhe Hong.
- Ask a question and the collection provides answers only from these sources.
- Open any paper, talk or explainer to go deeper.
Try Asking Questions Like:
What does this research say about empathy?
How does this lab measure cooperation?
Explain to me like I’m ten: How do findings from animal studies map onto human behavior?
What is hyperscanning in plain language?
Why does this research matter?
