Articles tagged with Behavioral Psychology
A study found that adults desiring children prefer older faces over younger ones, regardless of wealth or perceived parenting skills. The researchers explored factors such as age and cultural differences to explain this phenomenon.
Research finds certain psychological disorders are associated with positive attributes like heightened creativity, empathy and resilience. People with mental illnesses may grow and develop unique strengths despite their struggles.
Research defines employee delight as a strong emotion in response to surprising events that surpass expectations. It has lasting consequences for workers and companies, fostering high-quality experiences, collaboration, and personal growth.
A new study of 500 combat soldiers found that computerized attention training significantly reduces the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The training involves identifying neutral and threatening images, gradually training soldiers to direct more attention towards potential threats.
Research found that companies with strong corporate social responsibility are more likely to be forgiven by employees for breaches, as they are seen as conscientious and socially responsible. This can help mitigate the negative consequences of psychological contract breach during times of crisis.
Researchers found a significant link between longer screen time and increased ADHD symptoms, as well as developmental abnormalities in brain structure. The study suggests that excessive screen exposure may contribute to delayed brain maturation patterns in children with ADHD.
A recent study published by the American Psychological Association found that about a quarter of U.S. service members and veterans who start psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) quit before finishing treatment. The study analyzed 181 studies covering over 124,000 military participants and discovered significant diffe...
Strong social support from family and friends leads to a reduction in unsafe firearm behaviors, such as frequent public carrying, according to Rutgers Health researchers. They found individuals with increased social support had lower odds of frequently carrying firearms and storing them unsafely.
Researchers surveyed over 4,380 participants to gather data on everyday risky choices, including job-quitting and health-related decisions. The study found that occupational risky choices are consistently the most cited, followed by health-related and financial choices.
A new book by experts highlights how the prevalence of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder has increased, but suggests it may not be due to a genuine increase in cases. The authors argue that 'typical' behavior can vary greatly among children, and that acceptance and understanding of individuality is key.
Research from Colorado State University shows that faculty sharing internal sense of unease and inadequacy can shape students' perception of professors' overall competence, likeability, and effectiveness. Students found a hypothetical professor who publicly acknowledged feelings of being an impostor to be less hirable than an equally a...
Researchers found that humans have an evolutionary tendency to bias behavior against rare but mass mortality events, leading to intense dread and avoidance. This response is favored by evolution as it protects familial structures and genetic lineage.
A new study found that individuals with narcissistic rivalry tendencies are more likely to damage team dynamics, leading to lower cohesion and poorer performance. In contrast, narcissistic admiration didn't seem to impact performance, but those individuals were increasingly viewed as less hardworking and arrogant by their teammates.
A global study of participants from six countries found that addressing psychological distance and the threat to one's way of life are most effective interventions in boosting motivation for environmental efforts. The study suggests that making climate action a patriotic duty can increase willingness to exert physical effort.
A new study reveals a connection between parents' attachment styles and the likelihood of experiencing parental burnout. The research suggests that difficulty in recognizing and understanding one's own emotions can increase the risk of burnout.
West Virginia University researchers are working with local partners to stop drug use in youth before it starts. They will expand an existing pilot project to encompass 140 schools in 36 rural counties, tailored to individual community needs.
Researchers at UTA will develop and test SJT training effectiveness with soldiers to enhance ingenuity in resource-constrained scenarios. The two-year project aims to improve a more effective force, benefiting not only military personnel but also other high-stakes professions like firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
A new empirical study by computer scientists reveals that software developers tend to scrutinize AI-generated code less critically and learn less from it. In contrast, human pairs are more likely to engage in broader discussions and critically examine each other's contributions. The study highlights the limitations of AI assistants in ...
Vrantsidis' study explores how people tend to focus on apparent causes and overlook absent ones, leading to oversimplified reasoning. Her findings highlight the importance of considering multiple factors in real-world situations.
A two-week gratitude journaling practice increased work engagement in Japanese employees, particularly in absorption and awareness of workplace resources. Journaling also showed benefits for overall well-being, life satisfaction, and competitive motivation.
Researchers found that L-DOPA increased participants' willingness to wait for larger delayed rewards by 20%, decreasing impulsivity. The study also suggests that dopamine's effect on waiting may not stem from changes in basic decision processes, but rather from future reward valuation.
A systematic review synthesizes clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive-compulsive behaviours, revealing consistent anti-compulsive effects in human patients and validated animal models. Single doses of psilocybin led to rapid symptom reductions in clinical populations.
Researchers found that voluntary running exercise mitigates cafeteria diet-induced behavioral changes via hormonal and microbial pathways. The study revealed specific metabolites, such as anserine and indole-3-carboxylate, were decreased by the cafeteria diet but partially restored by exercise.
A recent study found that most users cannot identify AI bias in training data, unless it affects their own group. Researchers created 12 versions of a prototype AI system to detect facial expressions and tested how users might detect bias in different scenarios.
Recent psychological research from Washington University in St. Louis found that anger, not fear, contributes to shifts in political attitudes. Anger causes people to lash out and seek retribution, leading to a shift towards conservative views on issues related to the threat. However, this effect is narrow, with no impact on unrelated ...
A new study published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues found that nearly half of Australians are unfamiliar with the term 'coercive control' or its meaning. The research highlights a critical need to increase public awareness, particularly among younger adults and those with lower educational attainment.
Researchers have identified a rapid physiological marker that predicts which patients with major depression will respond to magnetic brain stimulation therapy. Patients whose heart rates slowed within 45 seconds of starting treatment showed significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms six weeks later.
New University of Virginia research explores the most common and effective types of counseling and support for people who have had a near-death experience. The study found that acceptance and validation, as well as support from groups or online sources knowledgeable about NDEs, are key to successful support.
A new study found that implicit biases impact how much effort individuals, both autistic and non-autistic, put into charitable behaviors. While explicit biases were not a factor, participants showed self-bias in decisions, prioritizing their own efforts over others.
A UBC study found that young adults identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+ receive less affirming and inclusive sexual health education than their peers. Despite this, they demonstrate higher levels of sexual health literacy. The research highlights a gap in educational content and a wider public health issue.
A new survey of over 6,000 Europeans reveals that trusting politicians is crucial for accepting climate policies, especially those involving taxes. Regulations and subsidies tend to receive more support than environmental taxes or bans.
A new study at Bournemouth University found that people with horse experience were more accurate at recognizing pain in horse faces, while those with social anxiety were better at detecting pain in human faces. The findings aim to improve animal welfare by helping owners recognize changes indicating pain in horses.
A study by Osaka Metropolitan University found that pairs outperformed individuals in a robotic arm-transporting task when roles naturally emerged. Role specialization was key to superior performance, rather than paired interaction. The research has implications for human-robot collaboration and rehabilitation settings.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine conducted a scoping review on AI-driven systems designed to deliver motivational interviewing. The study found that most used AI tools were chatbots, with varying levels of fidelity to core principles like empathy and autonomy.
A recent study published in Social Development found that firstborn behavioral problems can predict the quality of their sibling relationship over time. Maternal reflective functioning plays a crucial role in mitigating negative outcomes, particularly for children exhibiting internalizing behavioral problems. The researchers suggest th...
The American Counseling Association has launched the Counseling Compact, enabling thousands of professional counselors to practice across state lines. This mutual recognition model allows counselors to work in person or via telehealth, providing access to mental health services for millions of Americans.
A new strategy to increase low-emission food consumption has been found effective in controlled choice experiments with 3,000 participants. The 'nudge by proxy' approach highlights consumer motivations rather than environmental impacts, significantly outperforming traditional carbon footprint labelling.
A University of Bath study shows many parents are deeply worried about the climate crisis and their children's future, but struggle to live low-carbon lives. Despite feeling a strong responsibility to safeguard their children's future, most parents find it difficult to consistently model low-carbon behaviors at home.
Research by Mass General Brigham reveals association between witnessing neighborhood violence and insufficient sleep in adolescents, leading to increased violent behaviors such as carrying a weapon. The study analyzed data from over 40,000 teenagers, finding strong links between sleep loss and exposure to violence.
A new study published in Psychology & Health found that two-thirds of our daily behaviors are initiated by habit, rather than conscious choice. The research suggests that people often form habits to support their personal goals, but may also disrupt habits that conflict with them.
The study aims to identify better ways to predict which children with ADHD will benefit from medication treatment. Researchers will examine how the brain processes reward and frustration to understand why some children show improvements with ADHD medication while others do not.
A recent study from the University of Portsmouth found that young adults who prefer to stay up late are more prone to developing problematic technology use, such as smartphone and social media addiction. The researchers identified loneliness and anxiety as primary contributors to this association.
A new study from the University of Surrey found that exposure to body-positive imagery and humorous parody content on social media improves young women's body satisfaction. The research also reveals a link between viewing this type of imagery and women's engagement in online activism, including intentions to promote diverse representat...
A new study found that people are more likely to cheat when delegating tasks to AI systems, especially with ambiguous interfaces. Researchers warn of a rise in unethical behavior as AI agents become increasingly accessible.
Research from the University of Copenhagen shows that exercising in nature improves mood, reduces stress levels, and boosts heart rate. Participants who exercised outdoors reported greater joy, satisfaction, and optimism than those who exercised in urban or indoor environments.
This cohort study found that receiving encounters with behavioral health clinicians and psychotropic prescriptions was associated with reduced psychosocial symptoms. The results suggest that expanding integrated pediatric behavioral health care could improve outcomes among vulnerable child populations.
Researchers found that more interactive mobile apps and AI chatbots foster a sense of playfulness, lowering privacy concerns. However, this interactivity can also distract users from thinking about the information they share with the system.
A new, free screening tool was designed to help kindergarten teachers quickly identify students who need extra academic or social-emotional support. The tool takes just 10-15 minutes per class and provides a baseline of what each student might need, helping teachers pinpoint areas for additional resources and training.
Research shows that when parents model their own values and show understanding, teens are more likely to heed warnings about risky behavior. However, authentic parental values do not alone lead teens to stop their risky behaviors, but rather reduce defiance. When parents demonstrate their values in daily life, teens experience their wa...
Researchers found that at-home blood pressure cuffs and texted reminders can significantly improve blood pressure control in patients struggling with hypertension. The study involved mailing cuffs to patients and providing them with texted reminders, resulting in a 35% improvement rate compared to 21% for those without home cuffs.
A study found that adolescents become highly motivated to seek rewards after just a few hours of social isolation, which can be beneficial in driving them towards social interaction. However, limited opportunities for connection may lead to pursuing less healthy rewards.
A new study found that 89% of children and young people play video games, with loot box purchases linked to enhancement, distraction/compulsion, and FOMO. The yRAFFLE scale validated the motivations of children and young people who buy chance-based items in games.
A new diagnostic system has been developed to identify ADHD-like symptoms in family dogs. The system combines owner-rated questionnaires with a short behavioral test to assess inattention, excessive activity, and impulsivity levels.
Researchers observed mother-infant interactions in UK and rural Ugandan communities, finding that cultural context shapes maternal soothing strategies. While UK mothers responded quickly, Ugandan infants recovered faster when soothed with tactile contact like breastfeeding.
A new study has identified the deeply personal reasons that suicidal adolescents give for wanting to live, with family connections being the most common reason. Young people also spoke about personal dreams, simple joys, and meaningful activities, such as getting a tattoo, as reasons to keep living.
A study found that intense competition for four years significantly reduced helpfulness and trust among students, affecting their personality development. The researchers suggest changing the rules of competition or creating cooperation instead to potentially counteract these negative consequences.
The Center for BrainHealth has welcomed 20 new advisory board members for 2025-2026, bolstering its depth of talent and expertise. The new board members will champion the center's mission to advance cognitive neuroscience research and promote brain health across the lifespan.
A new study by Tulane University's Newcomb Institute found a measurable link between prolonged extreme heat and increased domestic violence-related emergency calls in New Orleans. When temperatures stayed above the top 10% for five consecutive days, calls rose by 7%. The researchers recommend integrating domestic violence prevention in...
A new Rice University study finds hormonal contraceptives shape how women experience emotions in the moment and remember emotional events later. Women on hormonal contraceptives showed stronger emotional reactions and remembered fewer details of negative events when using emotion regulation strategies.
The Center for BrainHealth's Charisma Virtual Social Coaching has been selected as a Top 3 Finalist for the 2025 GIMI Innovation Award. The platform offers real-time social-emotional coaching, immersive role-play, and data tracking to help youth and young adults build social confidence and perspective.