Latest

Psychology News

These research articles involve many aspects of psychology such as cognitive psychology, depression studies, mental health, stress, happiness and neuropsychology, Scroll below for more specific categories.

This shows a woman standing alone in a crowd

Lonely People’s Divergent Thought Processes May Contribute to Feeling Alone in a Crowded Room

Lonely people's neural responses differ from their less lonely peers, suggesting lonely people may see the world differently from those around them, even if they have a large social network, and this may contribute to feeling lonely.

Do Altered Gut Microbes Affect Risk of ADHD?

The Candida albicans species of gut bacteria are abundant in children with ADHD. Candida albicans increase the permeability of cells lining the intestines. This may create a "leaky gut" that allows bacteria to flow into the bloodstream and ultimately results in inflammation throughout the body and brain.

How Prozac Increases Brain Plasticity

Fluoxetine (Prozac), a common antidepressant, was found to enhance the erasure of learned fear responses and facilitate spatial pattern learning in mice. The study also found the TrkB receptor in PV+ interneurons plays a crucial role in these effects, which may offer new possibilities for the development of psychiatric treatments targeting brain plasticity.

Rodents Seem to Make the Same Logical Errors Humans Do

Like humans, rats fall prey to conjunction fallacies, or the incorrect assumption that if two events sometimes occur at the same time, they are more likely to occur together than either event is to occur alone.

This shows a woman standing alone by a window

Tired of Being Alone: How Social Isolation Impacts on Our Energy

A new study found people who experienced social isolation for eight hours reported higher levels of tiredness. The findings suggest low energy may be a basic human response to a lack of social communication.

Overwhelmed? Your Astrocytes Can Help With That

New research reveals a newly discovered brain circuit that involves astrocytes, a type of brain cell that tunes into and moderates the chatter between overactive neurons. This discovery could hold the key to treating attention disorders like ADHD, and sheds new light on how the brain processes information when overwhelmed.

Left-Leaning People Are More Altruistic

Findings from a study of more than 46,000 people from 68 different countries reveal those who share more left-wing political views are more generous and altruistic than those who follow right-wing ideologies.

Harsh Discipline Increases Risk of Children Developing Lasting Mental Health Problems

Children who experience harsh parenting are 1.5 times more likely to have mental health systems that are considered high-risk by age nine.

Happy Songs: These Are the Musical Elements That Make Us Feel Good

Listening to your favorite music has a positive effect on your emotional and psychological health. Researchers say music impacts the endocrine system, increasing levels of dopamine and decreasing the stress-associated hormone, cortisol.

The Cognitive Benefits of Psychedelics

Researchers are investigating the benefits of psychedelics on cognition from memory malleability to cognitive creativity.

Analyzing Brain Signals Can Help Categorize Different Types of Depression

A new method determines, with 91% accuracy whether a person is suffering from anxious or non-anxious depression from brain signals while the eyes are closed.