Brain reaction is different when mentioning the names of real and fake friends, experts found.
Scientists from Sigmund Freud University have found that human brain activity is different when mentioning the names of loved ones and celebrities, despite the attachment to their idols. The study was published in the journal Brain Sciences.
The experiment involved 28 volunteers, with an average age of 22. All subjects provided lists of names of celebrities, friends, relatives and acquaintances. After that, the study participants were shown the listed names in a random sequence, and their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG).
The name of a loved one triggered the same reactions in the brain as one's own name. However, the signals when hearing the name of a celebrity or a real friend were significantly different.
According to the Austrian scientists, most users of social networks show a strong sense of sincere friendship and trust to the celebrities they are signed up to.
However, this study proves that the human brain can distinguish a celebrity with whom a person has a one-sided friendship from a close person in real life.