Articles tagged with Emotions
Researchers studied gift-giving, focusing on picky recipients, who are less motivated to shop for. Gift cards hit a sweet spot as a flexible alternative to cash. Personalized gifts can be problematic if they're not versatile; givers should focus on recipient preferences rather than traits.
Michigan State University researcher Kelly Klump found a link between women's monthly hormonal changes and intensified body obsession, increasing the risk of eating disorders. The study suggests that cultural perceptions of increased food intake as negative can be detrimental, particularly during holidays.
Researchers at SISSA found that faces displaying emotionally significant expressions can modify motor action trajectories, even when unrelated to the action. The study tested reaching movements and found that emotionally charged faces were more distracting than neutral ones.
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London studied goats' physiological, behavioral and vocal indicators to understand their emotional states. They found that goats exhibit subtle positive emotions through ear position and call stability, paving the way for improved animal care.
Babies as young as five months old can recall positive emotional interactions with caregivers, but struggle to remember negative ones. Researchers used eye-tracking tests to measure infant memory, finding that happy voices and emotions significantly improved shape recognition and recall.
Researchers found that people with strong emotion recognition skills are perceived as more socially and politically skilled by colleagues and supervisors. They also earn significantly higher incomes. The study controlled for various factors affecting employee income and replicated its findings in a second study.
A new study found that mothers tend to use more emotional words and content when conversing with their daughters than sons. This may lead to girls growing up more attuned to their emotions, having an edge in expressing themselves and coping with emotions.
Yale psychologist Oriana Aragon's study reveals that people cry when they're happy to restore emotional balance. Individuals who express negative reactions to positive news can better moderate intense emotions.
A new study reveals that emotional awareness training can significantly improve food choices, even without nutritional knowledge. Trained participants were more likely to opt for healthy snacks and experienced weight loss over three months.
A new study demonstrates that people with multiple sclerosis often have trouble recognizing emotions conveyed by facial expressions, and now shows similar difficulties with emotions expressed through body posture. The research suggests that this difficulty is unrelated to identifying one's own emotions, a disorder known as alexithymia.
A new study found that consumers who feel guilty focus on concrete details, while those feeling ashamed consider the bigger picture. This insight can help companies tailor their ads to avoid negative effects.
A new NYU study suggests that focusing attention on a specific target during exercise can reduce perceived distance and increase walking speed. Participants who focused their attention on a finish line walked 23% faster and reported less physical exertion than those who looked around their surroundings.
A recent study found that expressive suppression is effective in reducing negative emotion in Chinese culture, even faster than cognitive reappraisal. The study used high temporal-resolution Event-Related Potentials and a rigorous experimental design to compare the effectiveness of both techniques.
A study from Oregon State University psychology professor Kathleen Bogart found that people with facial paralysis are perceived as less happy and sad because they can't communicate through facial expressions. The research highlights the importance of facial movement in everyday communication.
A new software emotion detector uses a three-phase approach to analyze facial features and associate them with emotional states, achieving a 94% success rate. The technology has the potential to enhance human-computer interactions and improve security checks at airports.
Research finds that brain regions associated with learning and emotion regulation are activated when people perceive control over setbacks, promoting persistence. This knowledge has implications for education and treatment programs.
A new study from Rutgers University-Newark reveals that the ability to persist in the face of personal setbacks may depend on how the news is delivered. The study found that when individuals perceive a loss of control, activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex is necessary to promote persistence.
A study by Sami Abuhamdeh and colleagues found that players' enjoyment of games is linked to suspense and uncertainty, not just winning. Participants preferred playing games with close margins over those with predictable outcomes. This suggests that games with unpredictable outcomes can be more engaging and enjoyable for some players.
The study reveals that the hippocampus can freely associate with either positive or negative emotions, while the amygdala is hard-wired for specific experiences. This flexibility may help explain the success of behavioral therapy for phobias and PTSD, and suggests novel treatments for depression and other disorders.
Researchers found that negative emotions like anger can be used as a force for good when motivated by moral standards, while excessive positivity can lead to complacency and superficiality. In some team situations, negativity can actually enhance discussion and effectiveness.
A UCLA study suggests that excessive digital media use is linked to declining social skills in children, as they spend less time engaging in face-to-face interactions. The research found that sixth-graders who went device-free for five days showed significant improvements in recognizing human emotions compared to their peers.
Research at the Center for BrainHealth found that risk-taking teens exhibit hyperconnectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, indicating an imbalance in emotional regulation. This imbalance may be associated with increased activity in the nucleus accumbens, a center linked to reward sensitivity.
A new study found that marital tension between parents can harm their child's relationship with both of them. Dads are particularly affected by negative emotions from their marriage, leading to poorer interactions with their child, while moms tend to compartmentalize and improve their bond over time.
Researchers found that people value predictability in goal attainment and experience muted emotions when good news follows an unexpected outcome. The study's findings suggest that the fragility of positive emotion may contribute to this phenomenon.
Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that the human brain uses fine-grained patterns of neural activity to represent emotions in a standardized code. This code allows individuals to share similar emotional experiences, regardless of personal perspectives or cultural backgrounds.
Researchers found that high blood glucose levels increase neurotransmitter associated with depression and alter brain connections in patients with Type 1 diabetes. The study suggests a biological mechanism for the increased risk of depression in these individuals.
A recent KU Leuven study reveals that suppressing positive emotions plays a significant role in the development of postpartum depression. The study found that women who downplayed or suppressed happy feelings were more likely to experience depressive symptoms postpartum.
Researchers found that individuals cooperated more with computer counterparts expressing positive emotions after cooperation and negative emotions after exploitation. This study highlights the importance of managing facial expressions in business interactions to achieve cooperation.
A study published by the American Academy of Neurology found that people with apathy symptoms have smaller brain volumes than those without apathy. Apathy is a lack of interest or emotion, and the findings suggest it may be an indicator of accelerated brain aging.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo found that men and women are equally accurate in gauging their partners' sexual satisfaction. The study identified good communication and emotion recognition as key factors predicting accuracy in gauging partner's satisfaction levels.
A computer vision system can distinguish between real and faked expressions of pain more accurately than humans, with an 85% accuracy rate. This ability has potential uses in uncovering pain malingering and detecting deceptive actions in various fields.
A study by Northeastern University and colleagues found that feelings of gratitude automatically reduce financial impatience. Participants who wrote about an event making them feel grateful showed more patience, particularly when considering larger future rewards.
A study published in Legal and Criminological Psychology found that law students perceive child victims as more credible when expressing emotions. The researchers emphasize the importance of considering the credibility of a child's testimony without being influenced by stereotypes or emotional reactions.
Research from Oregon State University reveals two distinct pathways for the connection between religion, spirituality, and health. Formal religious affiliation and service attendance are linked to better health habits, while meditation and private prayer regulate emotions and physiological effects.
A computer system has been developed that can detect real or faked expressions of pain more accurately than people, with an 85% accuracy rate. The system uses pattern-recognition abilities to identify subtle differences between involuntary and voluntary facial movements.
A joint study found that a computer system can detect fake facial expressions of pain more accurately than humans. The research team developed a pattern-recognition algorithm that identifies distinctive dynamic features of facial movements, which are often missed by human observers.
Research suggests shame is a destructive emotion that hinders social connections. Professor Thomas Scheff argues that shame can manifest in larger conflicts like wars due to the reaction to it being hidden behind rationality. A good laugh is suggested as a way to resolve hidden shame, according to Scheff.
A study analyzing over a billion Facebook status updates found that positive posts beget positive ones, while negative posts lead to negative ones. The researchers discovered that emotional contagion spreads online and is stronger for positive expressions.
Researchers identified individuals with specific musical anhedonia, a condition where people can't experience pleasure from music. They found that these individuals show no autonomic responses to music but respond to monetary rewards, suggesting different ways to access the reward system.
A recent study revisits the phenomenon of 'gaydar' in women, finding that lesbians are better at detecting sexual orientation, while straight women excel at identifying emotions and thoughts. The research also highlights differences in judgments between lesbian and straight judges.
A recent study has revealed that human and dog brains share dedicated 'voice areas', suggesting a long evolutionary history of this neural mechanism. The research used fMRI scans to compare brain activity between humans and dogs in response to voice and emotional sounds.
A new study from the University of Toronto Scarborough finds that human emotion is felt more intensely under bright light, affecting decision-making. Participants rated stimuli under different lighting conditions, showing a preference for brighter lights to amplify positive and negative emotions.
Research from INSEAD and The Wharton School found that mindfulness meditation can counteract the sunk-cost bias, a behavior where people hold on to losing stocks or bad relationships. By cultivating awareness of the present moment, mindfulness meditation reduces negative emotions and facilitates rational decision-making.
A study published in Psychological Science found that infants can pick up on their mother's stress and show corresponding physiological changes. Infants of mothers who received negative feedback during an evaluation session showed significant increases in heart rate relative to baseline.
A Boston University study found that children from two cultures exhibited surprisingly similar ideas about the time before conception, suggesting a hard-wired bias toward immortality. The research indicates that children's emotions and desires are central to their concept of an eternal essence.
A Loyola University Chicago study found that medical students are concerned about becoming insensitive when dealing with a dying patient and their family. The study highlighted the importance of compassionate presence, communication, and emotional support in end-of-life care.
A study published in The BMJ found a significant increase in births in Catalonia nine months after FC Barcelona won three major football trophies. Births rose by 16% in February 2010, with some areas experiencing even higher increases, although the findings fall short of earlier media reports.
Researchers analyzed Wagner's operas for clues on his debilitating migraines, finding characteristic pulsating patterns and intense pain descriptions. The composer's creative use of music to convey suffering may have influenced future generations.
Researchers have identified a specific region of the brain that responds to electrical stimulation by inducing feelings of determination and motivation. This region, the anterior midcingulate cortex, is linked to emotions, pain, and decision-making, and its stimulation can help individuals anticipate challenges and overcome them.
A study found that blacks experience more positive emotions in the workplace than whites, contrary to expectations. The percentage of minority workers in a workplace affects the friendships of whites, with more minorities leading to fewer close white friends.
Researchers found a stark contrast in sexual regret between men and women, with women more likely to regret casual sex due to potential reproductive costs. The study suggests that regret can play a functional role in guiding adaptive sexual decisions.
Researchers found that playing computer games enhances facial muscle reactions and brainwave synchronization between players, particularly in competitive situations. This effect can aid in anticipating opponents' actions and compensate for a faltering social bond while competing.
Researchers identify five types of boredom, including apathetic boredom, which resembles learned helplessness or depression, in a study published in Motivation and Emotion. The findings show that people tend to experience one type of boredom at a time, rather than randomly switching between different types.
Research from University of Southampton reveals that nostalgic thoughts increase optimism and self-esteem, providing a positive outlook on the future. The studies also highlight music's role in evoking nostalgia, further supporting its capacity to promote psychological comfort.
A study by UC Berkeley researchers found that wives' ability to calm down during disputes is linked to higher marital satisfaction. Constructive communication by wives helps couples resolve conflicts, while husbands' quick problem-solving mode often leads to disagreements.
A recent study published in Emotion journal found that mindful individuals show less neural response to positive feedback compared to their less mindful peers. This suggests that mindful individuals may be less affected by immediate rewards and exhibit improved self-control.
Dogs exhibit asymmetric brain organization, with left-brain activation linked to right-tail wagging and right-brain activation tied to left-tail wagging. This difference affects emotional responses in dogs, who display anxious behavior when seeing a dog with a left-tail wag and relaxed responses when seeing a dog with a right-tail wag.
A study published in Psychological Science found that cognitive reappraisal can actually have negative effects on psychological health when dealing with controllable stressors. This challenges the long-held notion that reappraisal is always beneficial for emotional well-being.
Researchers found that emotionally intelligent individuals are more likely to manipulate others' decisions based on their own intentions. They can either facilitate or hinder retaliation, depending on their own goals.
A study published in the journal Emotion found that a specific gene variant, 5-HTTLPR, plays a crucial role in determining how much emotions affect relationships. Individuals with two short alleles of this gene tend to thrive in good relationships and suffer in bad ones.