Max Planck Institute for Human Development

International study finds profound changes in the style of digital journalism 

Researchers use the video game Minecraft to study social learning 

Longitudinal data of the Berlin Aging Study show that verbal fluency is a strong predictor

New replication study examines the influence of digital media on democracy  

Neuroimaging study on the processing of pain signals in the brain

Social media shapes public debate, sways elections, and frames how we see the world. While some demand tighter regulation, others push for less. An interdisciplinary team is investigating how the EU is governing the digital public space—and pushing for stronger diversity measures along the way.

Genes, environment, society – these are factors we cannot freely choose, but that nonetheless shape us and interact with one another in remarkable ways. Traumatic experiences and life circumstances influence how our genes function. Laurel Raffington at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin studies how genetic predispositions and early social disadvantage interact – and what can be done to mitigate the negative effects.

Max Planck researchers co-operate with partners in more than 120 countries. Here they write about their personal experiences and impressions. Marwa Kavelaars from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin travelled to wintry Scandinavia for three weeks. She investigates human decision-making behavior and talks about her work with Finnish ice fishers.

The first self-driving cars are already on the road. Yet the technology is not yet fully developed, and certain ethical issues remain unsolved. It is also high time to think about how the new technology can promote sustainable transportation in the future.

Studies show that the louder political minorities shout on social networks, the quieter the democratic majority becomes. Hate, hate speech, and propaganda thrive in echo chambers and distort perceptions in political discourse. Researchers investigate this phenomenon from the perspective of social science, law, and mathematics.

Cognitive scientist Ralph Hertwig and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin are investigating why people consciously choose not to take note of certain information – and why this can sometimes be advantageous for orientation in our complex world.

We use the term plasticity to describe the potential of organisms to structurally alter behaviorally relevant neuronal structures in response to environmental demands. Our research combines animal models with human studies to better understand the mechanisms of plasticity in humans. The animal models we propose use both microscopic and macroscopic methods, hence increasing the interpretability of the latter, which can also be used in humans. In the long term, this integrative approach may provide the basis for targeted therapies of neurological diseases.

For the Communist Party, work was the “first necessity of life” and at the same time duty, it was fulfilment and the path to communism. But what did the people who had to do the work, day after day, actually think of it?

The Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development investigates how our environment influences our behaviour and our brain. It has been known for some time that our behaviour, and especially factors such as sport, diet and hobbies like video games, can alter our brains. Until now, however, the question of whether the environment that surrounds us on a daily basis also influences the human brain has remained largely unanswered. 

Machines powered by artificial intelligence take on ever more social roles. To study this new class of actors, their behavioral patterns, and ecology, Researchers of the Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin describe Machine Behavior—an emerging approach that applies concepts and methodologies from across the behavioral sciences to intelligent machines. They review available empirical evidence on how machine behavior can corrupt human morals and evaluate the risks of AI agents acting as bad role models and AI advisors.

It is essential to carefully plan a scientific study to maximize the chance of its success. The planning phase typically includes considerations of statistical power, which is the probability that the study will show a hypothesized effect if it exists. Often, sample size is considered as the primary parameter. Particularly in longitudinal studies, however, there are numerous other parameters, such as the number of measurements and their distribution over time, which have a significant impact on the success and also the budget of a study.