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Association for Psychological Science


Across cultures, people share beliefs on how children’s minds grow

Researchers surveyed participants from six countries and found a consistent pattern in how people perceive children's mental development, dividing it into two dimensions: experiential and perceptual, and reflective and evaluative. This framework aligns with the nature-nurture debate, suggesting a universal view of human mind development.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateAug 19, 2026

The new midlife crisis: Mental and cognitive health in middle-aged Americans is declining

Research by Arizona State University professor Frank Infurna reveals a decline in middle-aged Americans' mental and cognitive health, with increasing loneliness, depression, and memory problems. Financial vulnerabilities, including income inequality and limited safety nets, contribute to these issues.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateApr 15, 2026

Could psychotherapy work by changing how we navigate our own minds?

Researchers suggest that becoming aware of unrecognized psychological and behavioral challenges can be a crucial mechanism in conversation-based psychotherapy. By framing introspection as a process of expanding one's cognitive map, therapists may help patients reframe their thoughts and change pathological ways of thinking.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPerspectives on Psychological Science·DateNov 13, 2025

Is overconfidence avoidable?

A study in Psychological Science found that chess players with lower Elo ratings exhibited greater overconfidence, even after receiving regular, accurate, precise, and public information about their skill. This suggests that overconfidence can be a universal aspect of human psychology.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·DateOct 8, 2025

Science explains how children best learn math—and yes, timed practice helps

A new report in Psychological Science in the Public Interest reveals that children learn best when instruction combines factual grounding, brief timed practice, and discussion to deepen knowledge. The researchers propose an evidence-based approach to foster arithmetic fluency, which is essential for future math skills and success.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science in the Public Interest·DateApr 29, 2025

Searching for structure and purpose in disordered behavior

A recent special issue of Perspectives on Psychological Science delves into the study of individual variability, or 'noise,' in human behavior. Researchers argue that noise is not an error to be minimized but rather a source of information that can provide insights into psychological processes. By analyzing distributions of noise, scie...

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPerspectives on Psychological Science·DateMar 4, 2025

Cultural differences account for starkly different responses to COVID-19

The study highlights cultural defaults, such as individualism and social choice, which led to divergent COVID-19 responses in the US and East Asian countries. These cultural factors contributed to massive variations in COVID-related deaths, with East Asian countries experiencing significantly lower death tolls.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science in the Public Interest·TypeLiterature review·DateDec 19, 2024

Teens who view their homes as more chaotic than their siblings have poorer mental health in adulthood

A new study reveals that teenagers who perceive their households as more unstructured and disorganized than their siblings develop more mental health problems in early adulthood. The findings suggest that psychologists could develop interventions to modify adolescents' perceptions of their home environments.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 8, 2024

Detention fails to help young lawbreakers avoid further offenses, report shows

A new report from the Association for Psychological Science finds that youth who receive therapy, life-skills training, and other rehabilitative help are less likely to reoffend than those who face legal punishment. The study suggests that minimizing formal processing and expanding diversion programs can improve community safety.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science in the Public Interest·TypeLiterature review·DateJan 23, 2024

Psychological aspects of erectile dysfunction deserve more attention, health scientists say

Research highlights personality traits and mental health problems as key causes of erectile dysfunction (ED), with biological components often overlooked. The study calls for better integration of psychological and biological treatments for ED, including couples therapy and diverse population research.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·TypeLiterature review·DateSep 27, 2023

Water-scarce cultures value long-term thinking more than their water-rich neighbors do

Cultures from water-scarce environments tend to prioritize long-term thinking and less indulgence compared to their water-rich counterparts. This finding is supported by four studies examining the effects of water scarcity on decision-making processes, including a natural test case in Iran's Yazd and Shiraz cities.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 24, 2023

Presenting information about mental health in a second language could help counter cultural norms against treatment

Bilingual individuals from cultures where mental health is stigmatized may be more open to treatment when presented with information in their second language. Studies found participants recommended therapy more strongly in English compared to Chinese, suggesting a potential counteractive effect of cultural norms.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalClinical Psychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 25, 2023

Black women’s childhood symptoms of disordered eating predict symptoms in adulthood

A new study finds that childhood symptoms of disordered eating are predictive of symptoms in adulthood for both Black and white women. Black women's symptoms were predicted by earlier ages compared to white women, suggesting cultural and psychological factors may influence symptom presentation.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalClinical Psychological Science·TypeMeta-analysis·DateApr 12, 2023

Diversity training for police officers: one-and-done efforts aren't enough

A recent study found that diversity trainings for police officers are ineffective in changing behavior, as intentions to use strategies decrease over time. The researchers recommend embedding lessons with other organizational initiatives and providing 'super-tailored strategies' to address specific daily work activities.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2023

Psychological stress impedes performance, even for Olympic athletes

A study by Yunfeng Lu and Songfa Zhong found that high contactless real-time heart rates are associated with poor performance in elite archers. Athletes' age and gender did not significantly influence the relationship between stress and performance, but factors like competition ranking and score influenced the results.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 15, 2023

Events serve as “stepping stones” en route to retrieved memories

A recent study published in Psychological Science suggests that people use event boundaries as 'stepping stones' to scan their memories when recalling specific facts or information. By analyzing participants' responses to questions about film events, researchers found that individuals can scan an entire event in just 1 second and skip ...

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 26, 2023

Fear of professional backlash may keep women from speaking up at academic conferences

A recent study published in Psychological Science found that women are less likely to participate in Q&A sessions at academic conferences due to anxiety about receiving professional backlash. Despite this, men were also found to hold back questions, but for different reasons, highlighting the need for structural changes to create a mor...

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalPsychological Science·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 30, 2022