Infants born to bilingual mothers show different language preferences than monolingual infants. Bilingual babies exhibit equal interest in both languages, suggesting prenatal bilingual exposure prepares them for multilingualism. Discrimination between languages helps prevent confusion, enabling young bilinguals to navigate two languages.
Researchers found that fa'afafine men in Samoa exhibit stronger kin selection, allocating resources to their nieces and nephews, potentially enhancing their own evolutionary prospects. This supports the kin selection hypothesis as a potential explanation for the persistence of male same-sex attraction.
A new study found that elevation can lead to actual helping behavior, as participants who watched uplifting videos were more willing to volunteer for another study. The researchers also observed that elevation increased the amount of time participants spent helping in a subsequent experiment.
Recent studies found a link between low-level lead exposure and ADHD symptoms, including hyperactivity and impulsivity. Lead is thought to disrupt brain activity, causing altered psychological processes supported by these neurons.
Research from Psychological Science found that attachment styles can affect how individuals remember relationship events, with anxious and avoidant individuals recalling experiences based on their needs and goals. The study's results suggest that attachment styles influence how we interpret memories of interactions with our partners.
A study published in Psychological Science found that directed prayer can spark forgiveness in both the person praying and their wronged partner. Praying for a close friend also increased selfless concern, which boosted forgiveness. The researchers believe prayer shifts attention from the self back to others, allowing resentments to fade.
A new study suggests that sex differences in jealousy are rooted in individual personality traits rather than evolutionary origins. Men with a dismissing attachment style tend to be more upset by sexual infidelity, while securely attached individuals find emotional betrayal more distressing.
A study found that individuals with higher blood glucose levels tend to be more future-oriented, while those with lower glucose levels focus on the present. Fluctuations in blood sugar may affect our decisions for immediate versus delayed rewards.
A study by University of Aberdeen researchers found that mentally traveling through time can physically move us. Engaging in chronesthesia, or mental time travel, resulted in movements corresponding to the metaphorical direction of time.
A new study found that low socioeconomic status affects cortisol levels in children over time, with nearly doubling the cortisol levels of high-SES children. The research suggests a biological explanation for why low-SES children may be more vulnerable to developing psychiatric and physical illnesses later in life.
A recent study published in Psychological Science found that when people desire an object, they tend to perceive it as being closer, which motivates them to take action to acquire it. This bias is thought to encourage perceivers to engage in behaviors leading to the acquisition of the desired object.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that men's testosterone levels increase when exposed to scents from women who are ovulating. The research suggests that this response may promote mating-related behavior in males. This study provides direct evidence of the influence of olfactory cues on male biological responses.
A study published in Psychological Science found that labels can influence people's attitudes towards certain policies. In a study, participants were offered the choice between two identical items with different prices, one labeled as a carbon offset and the other as a carbon tax. The results showed that Democrats supported the offset ...
A study in Psychological Science reveals that hand amputation distorts visuospatial perception of the action space. Participants with amputations underestimated distances relative to their intact limbs. The research suggests losing a hand may 'shrink' the action space, leading to permanent spatial perception distortions.
The study found that when gesture and speech convey the same information, they are easier to understand than when they convey different information. This suggests that gesture and speech form an integrated system that helps us in language comprehension.
Research from the Kellogg School of Management explores 'moral hypocrisy' in powerful individuals, finding that power makes them stricter in moral judgment of others while being less strict of their own behavior. Power also leads to a disconnect between public judgment and private actions.
A study found that acetaminophen reduced self-reported social pain and neural responses to social rejection in brain regions associated with physical pain. The findings suggest that acetaminophen may mitigate the distress of social rejection, potentially reducing antisocial behavior.
Regular gamers outperform non-gamers in visual processing tasks, including mental rotation, spatial memory and divided attention. Training with video games enhances these skills, potentially reducing gender differences and age-related cognitive decline.
A recent report by a team of researchers finds that numerous studies on learning styles fail to satisfy key criteria for scientific validity. As a result, the widespread use of learning-style tests and teaching tools is considered a wasteful use of limited educational resources.
A study by Kirby Deater-Deckard et al. found that mothers with poorer working memory skills were more prone to reactive negativity towards their children, leading to increased child abuse and adverse behavior. The research suggests that enhancing working memory skills in parents can lead to improved parenting outcomes.
Research suggests that pushing toddlers to develop self-control too early may hinder brain development. Toddlers rely on brute-force competition to learn social conventions like language acquisition. Their immature brains are better equipped for learning through trial and error, allowing them to pick up skills effortlessly.
A comprehensive analysis of 17 studies involving over 35,000 participants found a strong, reliable link between parental monitoring and reduced marijuana use in adolescents. Female-only studies showed the strongest effects.
A study by Eva Pomerantz and Qian Wang found that parental control in Western countries can have negative effects on children's psychological development, while in East Asia, it may be more accepted due to cultural differences. The researchers recommend limiting parents' intrusiveness in their children's lives for both regions.
Aging population faces limitations with technology due to age-related changes such as vision and hearing difficulties, motor control issues, and cognitive decline. Psychologists propose web design improvements like larger fonts, navigation aids, and instructional support to alleviate stress and improve usability.
A study found that left- and right-handed individuals have distinct body maps in the brain, influencing how they perceive their physical bodies. Left-handers estimated both arms as equal length, while right-handers consistently perceived their right arm as longer.
Research found that public sneezing triggers an increased fear of all health threats, even ones unrelated to germs. This phenomenon also influences policy preferences, shifting spending priorities towards flu vaccine production over green jobs.
A recent study found that a person's facial width-to-height ratio can be used to predict their tendency towards aggression. Volunteers rated the aggressiveness of male faces and found high correlation between the rating and the face's WHR, suggesting that subtle differences in face shape may affect personality judgments.
A new report calls for reform of clinical psychology training programs and accreditation system to ensure mental health clinicians use evidence-based treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective for PTSD with fewer side effects, yet many psychologists do not use it.
A study by psychiatrist Szabolcs Kéri found a clear link between neuregulin 1 gene variant and increased creativity. Volunteers with the specific variant scored higher on creativity assessments and reported greater lifetime creative achievements.
Research found that native English speakers who learned Hindi or Zulu as children retained the ability to quickly relearn and correctly identify phonemes from these languages, even if they didn't speak them anymore. Exposure to foreign languages in childhood has a lasting impact on speech perception.
Research suggests that reading surreal literature like Kafka's 'The Country Doctor' can enhance implicit pattern learning and accuracy. Participants who read the nonsensical story performed better on an artificial-grammar task than those who read a rewritten version with a logical plot.
A new study finds that cognitive stress can significantly impact decision making, leading participants to overlook information predicting negative outcomes. Under pressure, individuals may rely on past rewards rather than rational considerations, resulting in irrational biases.
A study by psychologists found that individuals with strong moral convictions tend to distrust authorities' decisions, while those with high religiosity trust them. Participants based their trust on gut reactions rather than thoughtful deliberation.
A new study found that priming affiliation in infants as young as 18 months increases their tendency to be helpful. Infants who saw images of two dolls facing each other were three times more likely to spontaneously offer help than those who saw different background images.
A study published in Psychological Science found that carrying a heavy clipboard increased volunteers' judgment of the value of foreign currencies and the importance of social justice issues. The researchers propose that this effect may be linked to embodied cognition, where bodily experiences shape mental processes.
A recent study published in Psychological Science found that bilinguals cannot completely 'turn off' a language, as knowledge of a second language affects native-language reading. Bilingual students read sentences with control words and cognates, showing shorter fixation times on cognates than controls.
Researchers found that reading emotion verbs activates specific facial muscles, even if the reader is unaware of it. This phenomenon was replicated in another experiment where subliminal presentation of emotion words influenced cartoon ratings.
Research shows that individuals tend to overestimate their ability to control impulses, leading to a greater likelihood of indulging in impulsive or addictive behavior. The study found that people in a 'cold state' underestimate the influence of impulsive states on their behavior.
The Rorschach Inkblot Test's reliability has been called into question due to inconsistent literature and scoring discrepancies. The test may be useful in identifying patients with certain psychological disorders, but its use should be cautious and based on empirical support.
Researchers found that loyalists who were most devoted to their school were also the most cooperative and helpful when confronted with injustice. However, this loyalty was short-term and may fade if the group continues to exhibit unfairness.
Research by Nansook Park and Christopher Peterson highlights the importance of experiencing positive emotions, having close interpersonal relationships, and finding meaning in life. The authors suggest that psychology has made progress in understanding human problems but still lacks a formula for achieving a good life.
Research suggests that stress can damage our immune system, leading to weaker responses to vaccines, increased risk of infections, and delayed wound healing. Chronic stress may also accelerate the aging process, increasing the risk of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Type II diabetes.
A larger cortex is associated with greater intellectual capacity, according to new research. Cortical modules, vertical columns of interconnected neurons, vary in number and diversity across the cerebral cortex.
The study of self-knowledge has expanded beyond determining internal states to include memory and predicting the future. Psychologist Timothy D. Wilson suggests that becoming an excellent observer of oneself and considering multiple perspectives can help individuals gain a better understanding of themselves.
Psychologist Neal J. Roese and computer scientist Eyal Amir predict that by 2060, androids will be able to mimic human-like voices, facial expressions, and emotions, but still struggle with understanding natural language and forming conclusions from visual input.
Researchers found that counting money reduced social distress and physical pain compared to counting paper, while thinking about finances increased these negative reactions. The study suggests that the mere idea of money has considerable psychological power.
A new study found that a specific gene, DRD4, is linked to children's temperament and brain activity, with those having the long version of the gene exhibiting more soothable behavior. However, when this gene was combined with increased right frontal cortex activity, it led to attention problems in children.
A recent study in Psychological Science found that repeating positive self-statements can have the opposite effect on individuals with low self-esteem. Those with high self-esteem experienced slight improvements, while those with low self-esteem felt worse about themselves. The researchers suggest that unreasonably positive self-statem...
Researchers compared views of outside observers with perspectives of New Orleans residents who rode out the storm. Despite negative stereotypes, survivors saw themselves as connected to their neighbors and community-oriented.
Research reveals that people tend to view products grouped close together as 'contagious' and prone to quality spreading, known as the 'group-contagion effect.' This phenomenon influences decisions in both gain and loss domains.