Psychology

More Stories in Psychology

  1. A close up photo of detail on a building showing the sculpture of a head with a blindfold covering the person's eyes.
    Science & Society

    Deliberate ignorance is useful in certain circumstances, researchers say

    The former East German secret police, the Stasi, spied on people for years. But when given access to the Stasi files, most people didn’t want to read them, researchers found.

    By Sujata Gupta
  2. An overhead photo of a small dog sitting on the lap of a person in a yellow long sleeve shirt working on a laptop.
    Health & Medicine

    Pets and people bonded during the pandemic. But owners were still stressed and lonely

    People grew closer to their pets during the first two years of COVID. But pet ownership didn’t reduce stress or loneliness, survey data show.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  3. A photo of a man and a woman sharing a pair of headphones while listening to music on a handheld device.
    Psychology

    Native language might shape musical ability

    People who speak tonal languages, where pitch alters meaning, are better at perceiving melody but worse at rhythm than speakers of nontonal languages.

    By McKenzie Prillaman
  4. A photo of a small brown mouse running across a gray floor.
    Neuroscience

    In mice, anxiety isn’t all in the head. It can start in the heart

    Scientists used optogenetics to raise the heartbeat of a mouse, making it anxious. The finding could offer a new angle for studying anxiety disorders.

    By Bethany Brookshire
  5. An illustration of a person's head in profile created with words.
    Health & Medicine

    A chemical imbalance doesn’t explain depression. So what does?

    The causes of depression are much more complex than the serotonin hypothesis suggests

    By Laura Sanders
  6. A large family sits around a table sharing a meal.
    Science & Society

    We prioritize family over self, and that has real-world implications

    Two studies show how family bonds improve personal and mental health, suggesting policy makers should shift away from individualistic mindsets.

    By Sujata Gupta
  7. A woman wearing a face mask stands inside a home, looking out through a window
    Health & Medicine

    Brain scans suggest the pandemic prematurely aged teens’ brains

    A small study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have aged teen brains beyond their years.

    By Freda Kreier
  8. A photo of a women asleep in a bed
    Psychology

    A new treatment for debilitating nightmares offers sweeter dreams

    A new study combines standard nightmare disorder therapy with a memory-enhancing technique to create happier dreams and bring greater, lasting relief.

    By Jackie Rocheleau
  9. an illustration with young adults in various poses standing on white circles against a teal backdrop
    Psychology

    The pandemic shows us how crises derail young adults’ lives for decades

    Age matters for when we experience calamities, such as pandemics. Young adults are especially vulnerable to getting thrown off their life course.

    By Sujata Gupta