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.

A new study reveals that multiplayer online gaming can enhance workplace skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Researchers found that gamers with years of experience apply their in-game behaviors to professional settings, developing patience, self-confidence, and coaching abilities.
Research shows that scientists who exhibit intellectual humility—admitting their knowledge may be incomplete—earn greater public trust. Across five studies, participants rated intellectually humble scientists as more trustworthy and were more likely to believe their findings on polarizing topics like climate change and vaccinations.
Artificial intelligence is becoming a pivotal force in human lives, prompting questions about its evolutionary effects. A new study explores how AI may influence human evolution through everyday interactions, likening human-AI dynamics to ecological relationships such as predation or competition. Potential evolutionary shifts include changes in brain size, attention spans, personality traits, and social behaviors, particularly through AI's impact on relationships and decision-making.
Researchers found that confined environments, like the International Space Station, alter the way people perceive food aromas, with emotions significantly coloring their responses. Using virtual reality to simulate space conditions, participants reported stronger smells for most aromas, except lemongrass, compared to a microgravity posture.
A new study explores how robots can model and test aspects of the human sense of self, offering new insights into this complex phenomenon. Robots can simulate processes like body ownership and agency, or be used in experiments to study how humans perceive robots as social entities.
Self-consciousness about one’s body affects the ability to learn and perform movement tasks, according to new research. Participants recalling body-related embarrassment performed worse on motor tasks compared to those recalling pride, with the negative impact being stronger in men than women.
Depression disrupts the body's stress systems, causing physical health risks like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, and reducing life expectancy by 7-10 years. The condition triggers brain structure changes, such as a 40% reduction in subgenual prefrontal cortex volume, and disrupts hormone systems involving CRH, norepinephrine, and cortisol.
Researchers have discovered how stress disrupts memory specificity, leading to generalized aversive memories—a hallmark of PTSD. Stress increases endocannabinoid release, enlarging memory engrams in the brain, which triggers fearful responses to unrelated, safe situations.
Adolescents are known for making less optimal, noisy decisions, but a recent study reveals that these tendencies decrease with age and are linked to improvements in complex decision-making skills. Researchers found that decision noise, or variability in choices, mediates age-related gains in goal-directed behaviors and adaptability.
How young people use social media impacts their mental health more than how much time they spend on it. Researchers found that reducing harmful comparisons and fostering meaningful connections online can improve mental well-being, reducing loneliness, anxiety, and depression.