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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.

Purpose in Life by Day Linked to Better Sleep at Night

Researchers at Northwestern University report older adults who suffer from sleep disturbances such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome might enjoy a better night's sleep by cultivating a purpose in life.

Brain Training Has No Effect on Cognitive Function or Decision Making

Over the past few years, brain training programs have grown in popularity with claims of helping to improve memory and cognitive function. However, a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience reports a popular commercial brain training system had no effect on cognitive function beyond practice effects on the training tasks. They system also had no effect on decision making.

Image shows the location of the prencueus in the brain.

Bulimic Brains Respond Differently to Food Cues Following Stressful Events

According to a new study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, the brains of women with the eating disorder Bulimia Nervosa respond differently to images of sugary and high-fat foods following a stressful situation than those without the disorder. Brain scans reveal bulimic women have decreased blood flow to the precuneus, an area of the brain associated with self-criticism, when presented with images of food following a stressful math test. The findings provide support to current theories that binge eating may provide an alternative focus to negative self-reflections.

Your Hands May Reveal the Struggle to Maintain Self Control

A new study reports your hands could reveal whether you are disciplined or lack self control before a physical decision is made. The findings could shed new light on how our cognitive processes unfold to allow us to resist temptation.

$Image shows a child writing math equations.$

Brain Stimulation May Help Children With Learning Difficulties

An exploratory study reveals a brain stimulation method previously suggested to help adults learn math may also help children with mathematical learning difficulties.

Gene That May Play Key Role In Depression Identified

Researchers have identified a gene that appears to be implicated in depression in both animal and human models of the disorder. The gene, Slc6a15 can either amplify or reduce stress, depending on its level of activity.

Marijuana Can Increase a Teenager’s Risk of Psychosis

According to researchers, teens who frequently use marijuana have a 159% increased risk of developing recurrent psychotic-like experiences. The new study also reflects on the effects of cannabis use with cognitive development.

Probing Psychopathic Brains

Taking a mobile neuroimaging system on the road to prisons, researchers look at the brain activity of those considered to be psychopaths and discover their brains are wired in a way that leads them to over-value immediate rewards while neglecting future consequences.

Can Our Faces Reveal Whether We Are Rich or Poor?

Could it be possible to judge a person's socioeconomic status by simply looking at their face? A new study revels that people can accurately assess whether a person is rich or poor, but only when the person displays a neutral face that is void of a smile or emotion.

Image shows a fat mouse and a thin mouse.

Can the Smell of Food Make You Fat?

According to a new study, your sense of smell could be responsible for weight gain. Using mice, researchers noticed that those who lost their sense of smell also lost weight, while those mice with a super sense of smell gained more weight on a high fat diet than mice with a regular sense of smell. Findings suggest odor may play an important role in calorie burning processes; if you can't smell your food, you may burn it rather than store it.

Picture Overload Hinders Child’s Ability to Learn New Words in Storybooks

When it comes to teaching children new words and how to read, less is more for illustrations. Researchers find having more than one illustration per page hinders children's ability to learn new words.

What Are the Outcomes in Later Life For High School Football Players?

A new study looks at the long term neurological and mental health outcomes of people who participated in high school football teams. Researcher report playing football appears to not adversely affect cognition or depressive symptoms later in life. They acknowledge the findings may not be generalized for modern players due to changes in play style, protective equipment and improved safety measures.