Articles tagged with Cognitive Psychology
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 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 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.
A University of Ottawa study found that trying to suppress emotions with a poker face or smile has little impact on mood and memory, contradicting past research. Instead, participants used alternative strategies like changing their perspective to cope with distressing moments.
A new study suggests there are likely to be rare individuals in the general population who possess a natural talent for visual comparison, comparable to expert forensic scientists. These 'super-matchers' may not even realise they have this skill, but researchers aim to identify and recruit them for future studies.
Researchers have uncovered how the brain processes sensory information, revealing new insights into perception and cognition. The study's findings have significant implications for understanding neurological disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and stroke, as well as targeted treatments and interventions.
Research in Sweden, Bhutan, and Turkey finds that low maternal mental health affects children's attentiveness, social understanding, and decision-making skills. Small community support and social networks can mitigate this impact.
Researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum investigated bird brains to understand working memory limitations. They found that birds and monkeys share the same central mechanisms and limits of working memory, with a capacity of about four items of information simultaneously.
Guinea baboons developed common rules for a device task in just three days, demonstrating efficient and arbitrary solutions. The conventions were stable over time and unaffected by the absence of individual interaction.
Researchers discovered that appealing to athletes' sense of 'future guilt' through psychological intervention was a more powerful initial reaction than education programmes highlighting the risks of doping. The study also found that receiving useful information about doping strengthened athletes' confidence to resist temptation.
Research using fNIRS found that young children's ability to appreciate humor varies with age and sex. The study suggests differences in brain activity between boys and girls, as well as developmental stages, when it comes to recognizing humor.
A new study by UCL researchers found that people's motivation to seek information falls into three categories: expected utility, emotional impact, and frequency of thought. Those who prioritize these factors tend to seek information more, with better mental health reported by those seeking info on frequently thought-about topics.
A study by McGill University found that those who experienced more pandemic-related worry had reduced information processing speed and ability to retain information needed for tasks. Pandemic worry also predicted individuals' tendency to distort described risk levels, which may influence decisions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Researchers analyzed historical data on games played by 25 cultures and found that cooperative games are more common in socially hierarchical cultures, while competitive games are prevalent in cultures with internal conflicts. The study suggests that games may mimic real-world behavior and help learn group norms.
A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology has identified specific facial features that can be used to distinguish children's faces from adult faces. These features include the shape of the nose and eyebrows for adult faces and the eye, jawline, and nasal bone for child faces.
A new study suggests that the brain uses a mechanism called 'repulsion' to differentiate between similar environments. Researchers found that when participants were asked about stores shared between two cities, their brains showed surprisingly different patterns of activity, indicating that they were treating these familiar locations a...
Researchers at the Missouri School of Journalism explored how people value digital news, finding that print newspapers moved to digital platforms without understanding the differences between mediums. The study identified eight affordances of digital news readers, including the importance of design elements like color and hyperlinks.
In an experiment, pet cats were found to track their owner's location using the sound of their voice. Researchers discovered that cats can mentally map the location of their owners based on the unique acoustic characteristics of their voices.
Research reveals people's psychological strategies to cope with meat consumption and animal welfare, including triggers and restorative strategies. The study finds differences in meat consumption patterns across demographics and attitudes, with men more likely to disengage from animals.
Researchers found no difference between kids exposed to language at birth, regardless of sign or speech. Children with delayed language exposure tend to struggle with executive functioning. The study suggests that 'talking' doesn't just mean speech—sign language exposure is equally nourishing for baby brains.
A study by the University of Missouri found that people are more likely to praise someone for good deeds if they know the person has also faced suffering earlier in life. This discovery sheds light on how humans process and react to positive behaviors, such as giving praise.
A team of researchers developed an algorithm that infers the communicative needs of different linguistic communities regarding colors. The study found that warm hues like reds and yellows have a higher demand for language, while less prominent colors are underrepresented.
Research reveals that salespeople conduct rational benefit–cost analyses when deciding which opportunity to pursue. They also use a calibration decision-making strategy for solution selling, which can lead to serious under- or overestimation of conversion rates. The findings highlight the importance of managing salespeople's avoidance ...
A new study by the University of Plymouth and Essex found that many adults struggle to imagine their own visual perception as a flat image, resisting the idea of 'corrected' vision. When shown two lines with different lengths, participants often judged them as equal in length, despite being able to see one as longer when viewed on camera.
A new study by NYU researchers reveals that knowledge of an individual's personality can affect facial recognition, leading to biased perceptions. The study found that when participants believed two individuals had similar personalities, their faces were perceived as more similar, even if they lacked physical resemblance.
Research finds approximately one-third of the population experience sensitivities when seeing others fidget, leading to emotional and social impacts. Individuals with misokinesia report difficulty in social situations, work environments, and learning spaces, with impacts increasing with age.
A team of researchers found that people rate cloned faces as eerier and more improbable than those with different faces, due to the violation of the one-to-one correspondence between face and identity. The 'clone devaluation effect' was stronger when the number of clone faces increased.
A new study suggests some people choose to avoid feeling compassion, citing it as mentally taxing. However, when choosing to feel compassion towards close family members, the experience is easier and less challenging.
A new WVU study found that psychological capital, including self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resiliency, can help employees cope with the stress of working during a pandemic. Workers who used adaptive coping strategies fared better, but those relying on maladaptive behaviors experienced higher levels of stress.
Research suggests COVID-19 pandemic fuels antisystemic attitudes and motivations for political violence, with no correlation to peaceful activism. The study found that in the US, those experiencing higher psychological burden were more likely to engage in violence during Black Lives Matter protests.
A new study by UBC researchers found that people perceived as being less real and having 'less mind' when appearing within a photo. This discovery has implications for digital communication, particularly in online trials, healthcare, and education, where the perception of a person's mind can influence moral judgement.
Researchers present a framework for effective altruism, suggesting donors split contributions between emotionally appealing and impactful charities. They advocate for expert evaluations and tangible details about charity intervention strategies.
A Brigham Young University study found that mobile night shift functions do not improve sleep quality, contrary to manufacturer claims. Researchers tested 167 emerging adults and found no significant differences in sleep outcomes between those using phones with Night Shift enabled or disabled.
The study found that face masks hinder recognition of familiar faces slightly more than sunglasses, but have a minimal impact on accuracy. Super recognisers, who have an exceptional ability for face recognition, performed better even when looking at concealed faces.
Research found that patients with anorexia nervosa unconsciously assess their proportions to be larger than they actually are, leading to a distorted body schema. Virtual reality and cognitive behavioral therapy may help correct this distortion by influencing the representation of the body.
A newly described behavior, known as reciprocity in conversation, helps balance the scales of collaborative interactions. By incorporating small talk into work settings, teams can achieve higher levels of task enjoyment and better outcomes.
Research by Universidad Complutense de Madrid found that ayahuasca's DMT promotes neurogenesis, forming new neurons and other cells like astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. This capacity suggests great therapeutic potential for various neurological diseases.
A new study by psychologists at Zhengzhou Normal University found that effective risk communication mitigates emotional contagion and anxiety, while inconsistent findings suggest a reciprocal correlation between anxiety and risk communication. The study analyzed data from January to February 2020 and showed that prevention activities w...
Researchers found that attributing a mind to an android and then 'dehumanizing' it leads to the uncanny valley phenomenon. The study suggests that at first sight humans anthropomorphize an android, but within milliseconds they detect deviations and dehumanize it.
Researchers detect lower levels of a protein found in brain connections in people with schizophrenia, which could underlie cognitive difficulties and provide targets for new treatments. The study's findings suggest that loss of synapses may be linked to the development of schizophrenia.
Researchers discovered that supernatural beings are attractive due to mind-based abilities, ambiguity, and the potential for eliciting both love and fear. This finding has implications for understanding the psychology of belief and devotion in religious contexts.
A new study published in Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) tailored for IBS can provide effective, long-term relief despite patients having no further therapy. The research indicates that easily accessible treatment could be provided to a large number of patients with IBS.
A study published in Scientific Reports found that the human brain perceives women less humanity and more like an object when they are dressed in a swimsuit or underwear. This perception might trigger treatments typically observed in interactions with objects, leading to gender violence.
A new study finds that successful CPAP therapy requires personalized patterns of behavior and adaptations to physical, psychological, and cognitive factors. External assistance and advice can improve use, particularly in the home setting.
Four Brown University assistant professors, Lorin Crawford, Kathryn Mann, Brenda Rubenstein, and Amitai Shenhav, have been awarded two-year $70,000 fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to further their research in biostatistics, mathematics, chemistry, and cognitive sciences. The fellowships support groundbreaking projects t...
Researchers developed a brief training program, ROC-T, to improve healthy food choices by focusing on positive aspects of nutritious foods. The program significantly increased the number of healthy foods chosen and reduced calorie consumption in adults.
Researchers developed an image averaging method to enhance low-quality CCTV footage, significantly improving human and computer facial recognition accuracy. The technique allows for a standardized way to create digital snapshots from multiple camera angles, aiding law enforcement in suspect identification.