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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.

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TikTok Misinformation May Distort ADHD Perceptions

A new study found that popular ADHD-related content on TikTok often misaligns with clinical guidelines, potentially influencing how young adults perceive the disorder. Researchers analyzed the top 100 ADHD videos and found that less than half of the claims matched professional diagnostic criteria.

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Higher Depression Risks for Night Owls

A new study finds that staying up late, known as having an “evening chronotype,” is associated with a higher risk of depression. Researchers analyzed data from 546 university students and found that this link is influenced by sleep quality, alcohol consumption, and mindfulness levels.

Early-Life Adversity Reshapes Brain Development and Behavior

Early-life adversity affects over half of children worldwide, increasing the risk of cognitive and mental health issues later in life. A new review highlights how unpredictable sensory experiences, beyond traditional stressors like abuse and neglect, can disrupt brain development.

Rubber Hand Illusion Reduces Pain Perception

A new study shows that the rubber hand illusion can reduce the intensity of pain caused by heat. Researchers found that when participants viewed a rubber hand being illuminated while their hidden hand received a heat stimulus, they reported feeling less pain.

Bystander PTSD Alters Brain Differently Than Direct Trauma

New research reveals that witnessing trauma triggers unique brain changes, distinct from those caused by experiencing trauma firsthand. The study found that indirect trauma leads to different protein degradation patterns in key brain regions involved in fear memory.

Verbal Fluency Might Predict Human Longevity

A recent study reveals a surprising link between longevity and verbal fluency—the ability to effectively recall and utilize vocabulary. Researchers analyzed cognitive data from the Berlin Aging Study, involving over 500 elderly participants tracked for nearly two decades, assessing verbal fluency alongside memory, perceptual speed, and verbal knowledge.

“Mental Booster Shots” Strengthen Resistance to Fake News

New research reveals that short, memory-focused interventions can help individuals resist misinformation more effectively and retain these skills over extended periods, acting as "psychological booster shots." The study evaluated text-based messages, videos, and interactive games that teach people how to spot and resist misleading information. Memory-focused interventions showed the greatest long-term effectiveness, suggesting regular psychological "boosters" could enhance misinformation resistance.

Childhood Abuse Doubles Psychiatric and Health Risks

New research finds that adults who experienced both physical and sexual abuse in childhood are about twice as likely to suffer chronic physical and mental health issues, such as depression, arthritis, asthma, and heart conditions. Even experiencing one type of abuse significantly increased the odds of adverse health outcomes in adulthood.

Eating Seafood Linked to Kinder, More Socially Skilled Young Children

Children who regularly eat seafood at age 7 exhibit more positive social behaviors—such as sharing, helping, and interacting kindly—by ages 7 and 9, compared to those who rarely consume seafood. This finding, from a large study tracking nearly 6,000 children, underscores seafood’s role in supporting behavioral and social development during childhood.

Social Media Linked to Increased Risk of Delusion-Based Disorders

New research indicates a strong link between high social media use and psychiatric disorders involving delusions, such as narcissism and body dysmorphia. Conditions like narcissistic personality disorder, anorexia, and body dysmorphic disorder thrive on social platforms, allowing users to build and maintain distorted self-perceptions without real-world checks.

Prenatal Stress Timing Shapes Infant Stress Response

New research reveals that the timing of stress during pregnancy has gender-specific effects on infants, altering how boys and girls respond to stress differently. Scientists found mid-pregnancy stress has a stronger impact on girls' stress reactivity, while boys are more sensitive to stress experienced in late gestation.

Psychological “Noise” May Reveal More About Human Thought Than Expected

A new study challenges the idea that variability in human behavior, often seen as "noise," is simply an error to be minimized. Researchers argue that noise provides valuable insights into cognitive processes, from decision-making to moral reasoning.