Jim Coan – Our Social Baseline

In this episode, Wendy speaks with psychologist and affective neuroscientist Jim Coan. Jim is a leading researcher on how social connection impacts our minds, brains, and bodies, and he's also pushing the boundaries of impactful science communication. This conversation covers many topics, including: studying relationships and emotions in the brain; how a confusing research finding changed his career; how holding hands impacts our bodies and minds; understanding energy regulation and prediction; social baseline theory; the prefrontal cortex and self-regulation; implications for the default mode network; social support as energetic resources for the body; effects of hand holding on pain processing; introversion and social support; the two things all his students must memorize; the costs and benefits of social interactions; implications for loss of relationship; sense of self, belonging, and the importance of supporting others; communicating science through comics; and surviving—even flourishing—through climate change. Full show notes and resources

You can listen to Jim Coan – Our Social Baseline online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Jim Coan – Our Social Baseline is an episode from Mind & Life by Mind & Life Institute.

This episode is 65:35 long.

This episode was published on Dec 12, 2024.

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