Researchers at Emory University used MRI scans to study the brains of grandmothers They measured empathetic responses to images that included their own grandchild their own adult child and one anonymous child The study showed that grandmothers have a higher empathy toward their own grandchild than even their adult child This is attributed to what they call the ldquo cute factor rdquo mdash their own grandchild being more ldquo adorable rdquo than the adult Before we say ldquo Well duh rdquo we might consider the words of James Rilling who conducted the study ldquo If their grandchild is smiling the [... more]