Articles tagged with Cognitive Psychology
Researchers studied the body ownership illusion using integrated information theory, discovering a relationship between local and global brain-body processes. This work may help explain altered states of consciousness, such as the blurring of self and non-self, leading to feelings of uneasiness.
A study by Aarhus University researchers found that expert jazz musicians store linked audio and motor representations in the brain, which are drawn upon to create improvisations. These improvisation vocabularies vary between players and exhibit stylistically appropriate and novel characteristics, hallmarks of creativity.
A new study explores how corporal punishment impacts neural systems, linking it to increased anxiety, depression, and altered brain activity. The research found that adolescents who experienced physical punishments showed a larger neural response to error and a blunted response to reward.
A systematic review found significant effects on anxiety, depression, fatigue, physical activity, quality of life, and social impairment in cancer patients who combined behavioural graded activity with psychological therapies. The effects remained significant after a period of one to three months.
Researchers at Stockholm University developed a fully automatic method to categorize English smell words into offensive, malodorous, fragrant, and edible smells. The study's findings have great potential for standardizing vocabularies in the food and perfume industries.
Researchers found that literacy has no effect on auditory processing of speech, contradicting previous studies. However, literate individuals showed improved functional connectivity between brain areas responsible for handwriting and speech sound processing.
Research suggests widely-used assessment tools measuring executive functions in US students from high-poverty communities are inaccurate. The study highlights the need for culturally representative assessments to provide effective support and understanding of diverse student needs.
Researchers at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business found no evidence to support the theory of depressive realism, which suggests that depressed individuals are more realistic in their judgments. The study replicated a 1979 experiment and found that depressed participants overestimated their control, contradicting the original results.
A study by University of Missouri researchers found that storytelling can help college students make sense of the pandemic and reduce stress. The study involved first-year college students who used stories to express personal growth during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, reporting less stress and more confidence in their schoo...
A new research paper has demonstrated that psychological factors, such as feeling unhappy or being lonely, add up to 1.65 years to one's biological age, significantly impacting overall health and longevity.
A University of Essex study found that over 90% of deaf people struggled to communicate while wearing masks, with 76% missing vital information and 59% feeling disconnected from society. The researchers hope their findings will inform public policy in future health emergencies.
Researchers found that experiencing reward enhances connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and the ventral striatum. This effect was specific to the DMN and correlated with personality characteristics related to openness. The study used data from the Human Connectome Project, a database of healthy participants.
Researchers found that adults' face processing system remains rigid and unimproved despite prolonged exposure to masked faces during the pandemic. This suggests that the adult brain's ability to process faces does not adapt over time, even in the face of extensive natural exposure.
Despite previous assumptions, researchers found no correlation between highly superior autobiographical memory and enhanced creative thinking. Instead, they suggest that these individuals may be overly focused on consolidating autobiographical events, potentially hindering creative processes.
Research suggests that super recognizers divide new faces into parts, storing them in the brain as composite images. This allows them to recognize faces better than others even when only seeing smaller regions at a time.
A meta-analysis of 22 studies found that micro-breaks (10 minutes or less) reduce fatigue and increase vigor in employees. While longer breaks may improve performance on creative tasks, their effects are unclear for cognitively demanding tasks.
Researchers discovered an inhibitory neuronal network in the brainstem that generates a synchronous rhythm, retracting mouse whiskers from their protracted positions. The oscillator consists of parvalbumin-expressing vIRt neurons firing bursts only during whisker retraction.
Researchers at WVU are using robots to analyze potential hazards and provide walkability maps in retail environments, aiming to reduce occupational injuries. The team plans to test the robots after hours in an actual retail space, combining camera data with wheel speed measurements to estimate slip risks.
A new study found that HIV-1 Tat expression accelerates age-related diseases in male mice by disrupting neuroendocrine function. Researchers discovered that Tat alters steroid hormone levels, leading to anxiety-like behavior, cognitive errors, and reduced grip strength.
A new study found that experiencing the death of a spouse due to COVID-19 may be worse for mental health than deaths from other causes. People who lost a spouse to COVID-19 were more likely to report symptoms of depression and loneliness. The study underscores the ongoing health risks posed by the pandemic, even to those who have not b...
Research finds that pre-teen children in Singapore associate brilliance with men more than women, with the stereotype strengthening as they grow older. This bias can lead girls to doubt their abilities, limiting their interests and career aspirations.
A study by Universitat Oberta de Catalunya links long covid-related fatigue to anxiety, depression, and apathy in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Fatigue is characterized by excessive tiredness and physical/muscular weakness.
A study by UC Davis researchers found that cultural habits around waiting to eat (emphasized in Japan) and waiting to open gifts (emphasized in the US) shape distinct profiles of delaying gratification. Japanese children waited three times longer for food, while U.S. children waited nearly four times longer for gifts.
A new study by the University of Exeter found that people's perceptions of crime prevalence can significantly impact their legal judgments, with women and men holding different views on the frequency of certain crimes. The research emphasizes the importance of addressing these biases to ensure more informed verdicts.
Research by University of Cambridge academics found that children as old as five or six struggle to reconcile inference and perspective, leading to difficulties in conversations. Combining these skills is crucial for understanding 'implicatures' - inferences made in conversation when people mean more than they say.
Researchers found that people with higher grit scores showed different patterns of cognitive performance, characterized as cautious control, but not necessarily enhanced cognitive ability. Grit was linked to low impulsivity and high mindfulness, related to self-regulation.
A joint UC Riverside and UC Irvine study found that people who show near transfer in brain training are more likely to experience far transfer, meaning improved focus and problem-solving skills. The research suggests that working memory training can be effective for certain individuals, but its impact on fluid intelligence remains deba...
A new study suggests that losing a grandmother may have a significant impact on adolescent boys, leading to a 50% increase in depressive symptoms. The researchers also found that the loss of a grandparent can be a risk factor for teen depression and other negative outcomes.
Children who excel at playing well with others in pre-school tend to enjoy better mental health as adults. Research analyzing data from over 1,700 children found a clear link between peer play ability and reduced signs of poor mental health.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers fresh insights into infant word learning. Researchers found that infants between 7 and 11 months old learn words by building up memory representations over time, rather than through repeated connections between words and objects.
A straightforward questionnaire, called the Attentional Failure during Driving Questionnaire (AFDQ), has been developed to assess older drivers' ability to drive safely. The study found that repeated attentional challenges were a key predictor of crashes among older drivers.
A naturalistic study using eye-tracking technology found that intensive care unit nurses experience a higher level of mental workload, especially during the start of shifts, with shorter fixation and more sporadic gaze behavior in stressed nurses.
A new study found that children with older siblings are less likely to develop behavioral problems, suggesting a positive impact of sibling relationships on child development. The study also highlights the importance of early intervention policies to reduce maternal stress and promote healthy child development.
Researchers found that listening to groove music enhances executive function and activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex in familiarized participants. The study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure changes in cognitive function before and after listening to music.
A UNIGE team found that car owners systematically underestimate electric driving ranges to meet their daily needs. To overcome this, researchers suggest providing personalized information to increase drivers' willingness to adopt electric vehicles.
A research team developed a model that mimics human judgment to distinguish between reflective and transparent materials. The model outperformed humans in accuracy but struggled to identify image clues.
A Swedish study of over 9,000 children found that playing video games increased their intelligence by 2.5 IQ points compared to TV-watching or social media. The study controlled for genetic differences and socioeconomic background, suggesting a positive effect of video games on cognitive abilities.
Researchers at Kessler Foundation found significant improvement in processing speed among individuals with MS after a five-week training intervention. The treatment effect was maintained six months later, with dosage correlating with improved outcomes.
A study by Carnegie Mellon University researchers found that lawyers who view negotiation as a game, with arbitrary rules, are less willing to disclose honest information. Lawyers with higher moral character are more likely to adopt an ethical approach, while those with lower moral character are more prone to game framing.
New research reveals that infants as young as 4 months can differentiate between speech and song based on acoustic features such as pitch and rhythm. The study also found that exaggerated pitch is related to better neural tracking of infant-directed speech.
Research presents a promising path forward for early identification and intervention of Alzheimer's disease through the study of executive function and biomarkers. A link to genetics research is also being explored to better understand genetic and environmental factors that influence cognitive and brain aging.
A new online program has been shown to improve health-related quality of life among adult stroke survivors. The study found that participants who received access to the program had higher scores on health-related quality of life and reported fewer problems with personal care and daily activities.
The 29th annual CNS meeting will feature scientific talks, posters, and receptions, with a focus on the latest advances in cognitive neuroscience. Registered press members will have access to these sessions, as well as a quiet Press Room, while COVID safety protocols are in place.
Researchers at Radboud University found that as Zoom call video quality degrades, people start shouting and using more gestures to compensate. The study tracked participants' speech and gestures over 40 minutes of calls with deteriorating video quality.
A new study by Penn State researchers found that engaging in meaningful and challenging activities during free time can significantly reduce people's loneliness and increase their positive feelings. The researchers identified that flow, a state of being fully engaged and focused on an activity, is crucial to reducing loneliness.
A new Penn State study found that people are more likely to choose empathy for an animal over a human, but only when the choices are not in competition. When context matters, people's willingness to engage in human empathy decreases, while their interest in animal empathy increases.
Researchers at Kyoto University found that chimpanzees exhibit a preference for faces and skulls of their own species, similar to previous studies with African elephants. This suggests the presence of a face module in chimpanzee brains that detects and processes facial cues.
A new study measures the happiness benefits of US city parks in the 25 largest cities, finding a powerful effect from urban nature on users. Park size and accessibility emerged as key predictors of happiness.
Researchers found that VR users who experienced odor-enhanced environments showed increased sense of presence and physiological responses compared to those without scent. The study suggests a potential new approach to enhancing virtual reality experiences.
A recent study found that child abuse investigations by Child Protective Services (CPS) do not necessarily prevent poor sexual health outcomes in adolescent girls. In fact, the researchers discovered that girls who underwent investigation were more likely to experience adverse sexual health outcomes, including STIs and pregnancy, befor...
A study by researchers at the University of Quebec in Montreal found that mindfulness meditation can help people cope with internal conflicts. The experiment involved 121 volunteers who underwent either a mindfulness body scan or read magazines for 15 minutes, then completed a questionnaire about their emotional state.
Researchers found that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) helps individuals with depression develop self-compassion, leading to a state of safety and relaxation. Participants who received MBCT showed increased self-kindness and reduced threat responses compared to those in an untreated control group.
Researchers found that alpha oscillations are involved in two distinct processes: one related to observation accuracy and the other to internal representation of sensory events. Increasing or decreasing alpha speed and amplitude can independently modulate perception accuracy.
Researchers have created a groundbreaking dataset of ultrasonography scans of three major arteries supplying blood to the brain in children. The dataset consists of 821 participants, allowing for the development of machine learning models that can accurately predict a child's age and cognitive abilities based on their ultrasounds.
A study published in Scientific Reports found that individuals in happier countries who perceive societal pressure to be happy report poorer wellbeing. The relationship between societal pressure and poor wellbeing was almost twice as strong in countries with higher World Happiness Index scores.
Researchers found that archerfish can recognize unfamiliar insects as animals based on six essential features. The fish use these features, including shape and texture, to distinguish between animals and plants, similar to human face recognition strategies.
A new study published in Psychological Science challenges the idea that humans have an innate system of thinking about and organizing numbers. The research finds that language is integrally tied to numerical cognition, with Tsimane' participants being able to only match exact number of objects within their known number words.
A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that women score higher on compassion-related items and self-reflection, whereas men score higher on cognitive-related items and emotional regulation. Both genders demonstrated an association with increased mental well-being and resilience.
Research shows that couples who took Family Foundations classes 10 years ago had more positive family relationships during the pandemic. They reported lower levels of negative mood, behavior problems, and sibling conflict in their children.
New research reveals the brain's flexibility in multitasking while walking, improving stability and performance. The study uses a Mobile Brain/Body Imaging system to record brain activity while participants walk on a treadmill or perform cognitive tasks.