Psychology

  1. 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.

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  2. 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.

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  3. 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.

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  4. 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

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  5. 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.

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  6. 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.

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  7. 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.

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  8. 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.

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  9. Psychology

    The pandemic may be stunting young adults’ personality development

    People typically become less neurotic and more agreeable with age. The COVID-19 pandemic may have reversed those trends in adults younger than 30.

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  10. Neuroscience

    Sleep deprivation may make people less generous

    Helping each other is inherently human. Yet new research shows that sleep deprivation may dampen people’s desire to donate money.

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  11. Anthropology

    Demond Mullins climbed Everest to inspire more Black outdoor enthusiasts

    Mullins hopes his successful Mount Everest summit will encourage more Black people to experience the great outdoors.

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  12. Psychology

    The idea that many people grow following trauma may be a myth

    Studies of posttraumatic growth are fundamentally flawed and can contribute to toxic cultural narratives, researchers say.

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