Is Mentalizing Essential to Predict Human Network Size? Reexamining the Social Brain Hypothesis From a Social Network Perspective

One central question in social science and evolutionary anthropology is how humans can form maintain large networks. The brain hypothesis argues that use their mentalizing ability to read others’ minds for the development of dyadic relationships layered However, previous empirical studies have not directly examined association between size active network located at outermost layer. By introducing a perspective, we predicted individuals only but also belong multiple communities, which indirectly expands size. We collected data from undergraduates Japan (N = 175) examine linked online Mentalizing was positively associated with number dyads communities These findings suggest has limited validity, there need more careful explanations surrounding psychological structural underpinnings human