Subscribe now

Mind

We may use distinct parts of our brain to think about close friends

Brain scans show that different areas are active when we contemplate our five most intimate relationships compared with other friends

By Jason Arunn Murugesu

22 August 2022

Group of friends having fun time at music festival

Our closest friends may activate different parts of our brain

Andor Bujdoso / Alamy

We may think about our closest friends and family using different parts of the brain than we do for the rest of our social circle, brain scans suggest.

Previous research by Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford suggests that we have several tiers of friendship and that we spend most of our time and effort on those in our most intimate circle, which consists of around five people.

To see if these various layers of friendship are processed differently in the brain, Moshe Roseman

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop