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Psychology

·July 17, 2025·3 min read

Toxoplasma Parasite Influences Personality and Aggression

New research highlights how parasitic infections can alter brain chemistry and behavior in humans. Toxoplasma gondii, among others, appears to manipulate dopamine and immune responses, increasing risk-taking, impulsivity, and aggression.

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·July 17, 2025·5 min read

Music Shows Promise in Easing Distress in Dementia

A new study highlights how music therapy can help ease severe distress in dementia patients on hospital wards. The MELODIC approach embeds a music therapist to deliver sessions and create personalized musical care plans for patients.

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·July 16, 2025·5 min read

When Tears Seem Honest: Context Shapes How We Judge Crying

New research reveals that our perception of others’ tears as sincere or manipulative depends heavily on context. Tears were judged more honest when shed in non-manipulative situations and by those less expected to cry, such as men or individuals perceived as less warm.

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·July 16, 2025·4 min read

How Eye Contact Builds Connection

A new study reveals that the sequence of eye movements—not just eye contact itself—plays a key role in how we interpret social cues, even with robots. Researchers found that looking at an object, making eye contact, then looking back at the object was the most effective way to signal a request for help.

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·July 16, 2025·7 min read

Do Supplements Work for Depression? Some Do, Study Says

A comprehensive review of over 23,000 studies identified 64 over-the-counter (OTC) supplements and herbal products evaluated in clinical trials for depression. St John’s Wort, saffron, probiotics, vitamin D, and omega-3s showed the strongest evidence, while others like lavender, zinc, and chamomile showed promise but need more research.

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·July 16, 2025·5 min read

How Dopamine Shapes Risky Reward Behaviors

Not all animals respond to reward cues the same way — some fixate on the cue itself, while others head straight for the reward. New research reveals that “sign trackers,” animals drawn to the cue, rely on dopamine in a specific brain region to form these associations, unlike “goal trackers,” who use a dopamine-independent mechanism.

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·July 16, 2025·5 min read

Your Brain Registers Others’ Feelings Even When You Don’t

A new fMRI study reveals that our brains encode both what others intend to express emotionally and how we consciously infer their feelings—two distinct processes. Researchers trained machine-learning models on brain activity to separately predict the speaker’s self-reported emotions and the observer’s inferences.

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·July 15, 2025·7 min read

Tiny Brain Region Orchestrates How We Segment and Remember Life Events

Our memories don’t flow like a continuous stream—they’re divided into meaningful events, thanks to a tiny brain region called the locus coeruleus. New research shows this region acts like a “reset button,” activating at event boundaries to signal the hippocampus to store distinct memories.

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·July 15, 2025·3 min read

Childhood Emotional Trauma Linked to Later Social Distress

A new study reveals that childhood emotional trauma increases social avoidance and distress in adolescents, but resilience can help mitigate these effects. Surveying 577 junior high students, researchers found resilience acted as a buffer, enabling traumatized teens to engage more positively with peers.

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·July 15, 2025·7 min read

Hepatitis C Found in Brain Lining Linked to Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Researchers have discovered hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the brain lining of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, suggesting a possible link between infection and psychiatric symptoms. The study found HCV specifically in the choroid plexus, a structure producing cerebrospinal fluid, but not inside brain tissue itself.

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·July 13, 2025·2 min read

Oxytocin Protects Mood During Sleep Loss

New research suggests oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone,” may help protect women from mood disturbances caused by sleep disruption and hormonal changes during postpartum and menopause. In a controlled study, women with higher oxytocin levels before sleep fragmentation reported fewer mood symptoms the following day.

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·July 12, 2025·5 min read

Maternal Depression Linked to Weaker Bonds

A comprehensive global review confirms that maternal depression undermines parenting, impairing mother-infant bonding and reducing sensitivity to a child’s needs. Researchers analyzed nearly a decade of observational studies, finding consistent links between depressive symptoms and lower involvement, commitment, and emotional connection.