The Social Benefits of Biases: Understanding the Role of Visual Field Bias in Cooperation and Social Difficulties

Recent research suggests that the biases humans possess, which are not unique to our species, may provide social benefits when aligned with the majority. A study published in Scientific Reports identified one such bias as the visual field bias, where individuals are faster and more accurate in recognizing identities and emotions on one side of their visual field compared to the other. This bias is believed to develop early in childhood.

The study found that the presence of a bias, rather than its direction (left or right), is what matters for performance. However, it remains unclear why many people have a right-hand bias for motor tasks and a left visual field bias for face processing. The study suggests that aligning with the majority during cooperative tasks could have social advantages as animals that align with their group are less likely to be singled out by predators.

Interestingly, individuals with a standard bias for motor tasks and face processing were not necessarily better socially compared to those with a non-standard bias. However, those with a reversed bias were more likely to experience social difficulties and be diagnosed with conditions like autism or ADHD. While the study doesn’t establish a causal relationship between the reversed bias and these conditions, it does open up opportunities for further research to investigate biases as potential early markers for autism and ADHD.

Overall, this research sheds light on how biases can impact cognitive and social abilities in humans, highlighting the importance of understanding these biases in our everyday interactions.