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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.

LLMs Mimic Human Cognitive Dissonance

A new study reveals that GPT-4o, a leading large language model, displays behavior resembling cognitive dissonance—a core human psychological trait. When asked to write essays either supporting or opposing Vladimir Putin, GPT-4o’s subsequent “opinions” shifted to align with its written stance, especially when it “believed” the choice was its own.

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Boredom Is Good for You: Why Embracing It Calms the Brain

Boredom, often seen as a negative state to avoid, may actually serve an important role in emotional regulation and brain health. When we're bored, the brain shifts away from external attention networks and activates introspective systems like the default mode network, encouraging creativity and self-reflection.

Chronic Stress Quietly Raises Your Stroke Risk

Chronic stress is increasingly recognized as a contributor to stroke risk by intensifying conditions like high blood pressure, inflammation, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. While stress isn't as easily measured as cholesterol or blood pressure, long-term exposure to it can set the stage for vascular damage and increase both ischemic and, less commonly, hemorrhagic stroke risk.

Stress Hampers Emotional Regulation in Anxiety, Depression & BPD

New research reveals that acute stress can impair key brain functions involved in emotion regulation, particularly in individuals with distress-related disorders like depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. The study found that executive functions—such as working memory, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility—are more likely to be disrupted in these individuals during high-stress moments.

Married Minds: Oral Microbiota May Mediate Shared Anxiety

A new study suggests that oral microbiota transmission between newlywed couples may influence the onset of depression and anxiety symptoms. Researchers observed that healthy spouses of partners with insomnia, depression, and anxiety developed similar mental health symptoms and microbiota profiles within six months of marriage.

Boosting Ketamine’s Antidepressant Effects to Last Two Months

Ketamine is a fast-acting antidepressant that can relieve symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) within hours, even in treatment-resistant cases. However, its effects typically last only a week, and frequent dosing poses risks like dissociation or addiction.

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Smart Floss Measures Stress Hormone for Easy, Real-Time Monitoring

Engineers have developed a novel dental floss device that can detect cortisol—a hormone linked to stress—through saliva, offering a painless, real-time method for stress monitoring. The device uses electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers (eMIPs), which act like custom molds to recognize specific molecules.

This shows people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Why People Trust Those Who Grew Up With Less

New research reveals that people are more likely to trust others who grew up in lower-income households than those from privileged backgrounds. Across multiple experiments, participants consistently showed greater behavioral trust toward individuals with modest upbringings, seeing them as more moral and trustworthy.

Overimitation May Not Signal Social Bonding in Toddlers Just Yet

Overimitation, the tendency to copy unnecessary actions, has been observed in older children but was previously unstudied in toddlers under two. A new study found that 16–21-month-olds showed low rates of overimitation, and it wasn’t driven by a desire to affiliate with people similar to themselves.

Rethinking Brain Drain: Emigration Fuels Global Prosperity

A recent study overturns the conventional idea that skilled emigration harms developing countries by showing it can actually enhance economic development and innovation. Researchers found that when people have the opportunity to migrate to higher-income countries like the U.S., it motivates greater educational investment in their home countries. es shared prosperity rather than loss. With current immigration restrictions tightening in the U.S., experts warn this mutual benefit could be at risk.

Brain Activity Linked to Implicit Suicidal Thoughts

For the first time in Veterans, researchers have identified brain regions activated during subconscious associations between the self and suicide-related concepts using the Suicide Implicit Association Test (S-IAT). These brain areas are part of networks responsible for self-processing and identifying significant stimuli, offering potential targets for future treatment.