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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.

How Previous Food Choices Influence Future Decisions

Research shows that when rating food for appeal or calorie content, judgments are influenced by the food choices we’ve made just before. This effect, known as serial dependence, causes people to rate the next food similarly to the previous one, whether it’s more appealing or less.

This shows a clock and a shadow of a person walking.

Why People Are Better at Guessing the Past Than Predicting the Future

A new study shows that people are better at inferring past events than predicting future ones when watching scenes from TV dramas. The researchers found that participants were more accurate in guessing what had happened earlier in the story because characters tend to talk about their pasts more often than their futures.

Friendships Drive Happiness for Single Young Adults

A new study of single Americans aged 18 to 24 highlights the key role that satisfying friendships play in overall happiness. Researchers divided participants into five subgroups based on levels of happiness and five predictors: satisfaction with family, satisfaction with friends, self-esteem, neuroticism, and extraversion.

Dolphins’ “Smile” Reveals Playful Intentions

Bottlenose dolphins use an "open mouth" expression, similar to a smile, during playful interactions with other dolphins. This expression is a signal of fun and playfulness, preventing misunderstandings as aggression.

New Therapy Improves Depression in Fathers

A new study shows that a group parenting intervention significantly reduces male postpartum depression (PPD) in Pakistani fathers, with over 70% of participants experiencing full remission of symptoms. The program, "Learning Through Play Plus Dads," also improved child development and strengthened relationships within families.

Cannabis Pill Reduces Agitation in Alzheimer’s Patients by 30%

A new study reveals that dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC, can reduce agitation in Alzheimer’s patients by 30%. Unlike current medications, dronabinol showed fewer side effects, such as delirium or seizures, making it a safer alternative.

Humans Slow Speech to Help Dogs Understand

A new study reveals that humans naturally slow their speech when talking to dogs, which helps dogs better understand commands. Researchers analyzed speech rates and brain responses in 30 dogs and 27 humans across five languages, finding that humans speak at around three syllables per second to their pets, compared to four syllables when talking to other humans.

Reduced Brain Response to Visual Cues Linked to Psychosis in Parkinson’s

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) who experience visual hallucinations have reduced brain responses to unexpected visual changes, a marker known as visual mismatch negativity (vMMN). Using EEG, researchers compared brain activity in PD patients with and without hallucinations and discovered that those with hallucinations showed weaker vMMN signals.

This shows a painting of a springbok with a tracking collar.

Wildlife Tagging Alters Behavior for Days

A new study reveals that the stress of capturing and tagging wildlife affects their behavior for several days, altering their activity levels and movement patterns. By tracking 1,585 individuals from 42 species fitted with GPS collars, researchers found that predators tended to reduce their activity while herbivores often increased movement post-release.

Teen Attention Deficits Signal Greater Risk of Substance Use

New research shows that lower sustained attention in adolescence can predict a higher likelihood of cigarette and cannabis use by young adulthood. The study, which analyzed brain imaging data from over 1,000 participants, found that reduced attention at age 14 was linked to increased substance use by age 23.

AI Detects Depression Through Eyes and Facial Cues

Researchers are developing AI-driven smartphone applications to detect signs of depression non-invasively. One system, PupilSense, monitors pupillary reflexes to identify potential depressive episodes with 76% accuracy. Another tool, FacePsy, analyzes facial expressions and head movements to detect subtle mood shifts, with unexpected findings like increased smiling potentially linked to depression. These tools offer a privacy-protective, accessible way to identify depression early, leveraging everyday smartphone use.

This shows people looking at screens with True and False written on them.

Extreme Political Views Drive Higher Belief in Misinformation

A new study reveals that users with extreme political views are more likely to encounter and believe online misinformation. The research shows that misinformation spreads across the political spectrum, but its impact is most pronounced among those with conservative or liberal extremes.