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.

New research has uncovered how the body clears dying cells during times of stress, shedding light on the unexpected role of classic stress-response genes. Using the model organism C. elegans, scientists tracked how these genes activate a pathway that helps remove cellular debris, a process essential for immune health and development.
Childhood trauma doesn't just leave psychological scars—it biologically reshapes the brain through chronic neuroinflammation and structural changes, increasing vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life. New research shows that early adversity can reprogram immune responses, altering lifelong mental health outcomes.
People with depressive symptoms are more likely to interpret neutral images as negative when those images are surrounded by unrelated negative visuals. This emotional “spillover” effect shows how peripheral cues—like background imagery or context—can shape our emotional responses more than we realize.
A new study has shown that just seven days of small, daily acts of kindness and gratitude can significantly improve emotional wellbeing. In the web-based Big Joy Project, nearly 17,600 participants from around the world performed micro-acts like sharing joyful moments and listing things they’re grateful for.
A large international study of over 21,000 identical twins has identified genetic variants that influence how individuals respond to life experiences, affecting traits such as anxiety, depression, and autistic traits. By analyzing genetic differences in identical twins, researchers discovered that certain genes make people more or less sensitive to environmental exposures.
New research reveals a stress-sensitive neural pathway that impairs both sleep and memory in male mice. Scientists activated neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, known for their role in stress response, which caused sleep loss and poor memory performance.
Psilocybin significantly enhances psychological well-being and spiritual insight among clergy members across major world religions. Participants reported lasting positive changes in religious practice, personal beliefs, and vocational effectiveness after two guided psilocybin sessions.
Late-life depression and bipolar disorder may be more than psychiatric conditions—they could be early warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Using advanced brain imaging and postmortem tissue analysis, researchers found that half of the participants with late-onset mood disorders showed signs of tau accumulation, a key hallmark of neurodegeneration.
Chimpanzees have been observed yawning and lying down after seeing a humanoid android mimic a yawning facial expression, indicating contagious yawning triggered by an artificial agent. This study is the first to show yawn contagion in response to an inanimate model, suggesting that yawns may serve as a rest cue in addition to a social reflex.
A new workbook offers science-backed strategies to help individuals overcome chronic nightmares and insomnia. Using proven therapeutic approaches, it teaches readers how to rewrite distressing dreams and develop healthier sleep patterns.
A new study shows that AI can create internet memes rated as funny and shareable as those made by humans—but the best jokes still come from people. Researchers compared memes made by humans, AI, and human-AI teams, using classic templates like Doge and Futurama Fry.