Common Behavioral Bias in Animals and Humans: How Aligning with the Majority Can Benefit Survival and Social Interactions

A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports has shed light on a common behavioral bias that exists in both humans and animals. This bias, known as the visual field bias, affects how individuals recognize identities and emotions on one side of their visual field compared to the other. While thought to develop early in childhood, this trait is not exclusive to our species.

Research has shown that biases are common and beneficial, as they help animals conserve brain resources and improve their efficiency at survival tasks. The study found that the presence of a bias, rather than its direction (left or right), is what affects performance.

The study also suggests that aligning with the majority in terms of biases may have social advantages. Animals that align with their group during cooperative behavior are less likely to be singled out by predators. However, individuals with a reversed bias (left-handedness for motor tasks, right visual field bias for face processing) were more likely to experience social difficulties and be diagnosed with autism or ADHD.

While the study does not establish a causal relationship between the reversed bias and these conditions, it does open up opportunities for further research to explore if bias profiles could potentially be used as early markers for autism or ADHD.