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“They yell and I yell back”

A new study by Uppsala University found that pre-school children aged 3–6 years can describe their feelings and family relationships in detail. The research suggests that children seek comfort from others when experiencing conflicts with parents, but also have positive experiences of making up after a fight.

SourceUppsala University·JournalJournal of Child and Family Studies·TypeObservational study·DateOct 5, 2023

Software can detect hidden and complex emotions in parents

Researchers developed a software that can accurately detect intricate details of emotions in parents, even in everyday family life. The study uses machine learning techniques to analyze facial expressions from videos taken at home, providing potential early intervention opportunities for mood and mental health disorders.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalFrontiers·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 4, 2023

New study sheds light on the impact of in-stream video advertising on ad information encoding

A recent study published in Journal of Advertising sheds light on the effects of in-stream video advertising on ad information encoding. The research found that mid-roll ads elicit negative emotions but do not affect viewers' purchase intention. In contrast, pre- and post-roll ads have a significant impact on memory formation, highligh...

Posttraumatic brain activity predicts resilience to PTSD

A study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging found that greater activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus predicts better recovery from early PTSD symptoms. This breakthrough suggests a potential role for cortical/cognitive regions in regulating fear and PTSD development.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging·TypeImaging analysis·DateSep 21, 2023

Socializing boosts mood more than screentime

A new study from the University of Georgia found that people generally enjoy conversation over smartphone use, with a significant emotional boost from talking to strangers. In contrast, sitting alone was found to be the least preferred task, even when participants were given a choice.

SourceUniversity of Georgia·JournalThe Journal of Social Psychology·DateSep 12, 2023

Experiencing negatively-perceived emotions might prompt people to withdraw from a social group - specifically, shame for individualistic societies, but anger for more collectivistic cultures

A recent study published in PLOS ONE reveals that experiencing shame leads to disidentification in individualistic societies, while anger triggers this effect in collectivistic cultures. The findings highlight the distinct emotional responses to social withdrawal in different cultural contexts.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateSep 6, 2023

Researchers predict film scores by the activity of facial muscles

A study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that the activity of zygomaticus major, heart rate variability, and EEG indicators can predict film scores. The researchers used a machine learning model to analyze physiological data from 21 participants who watched short films and rated them on a scale from 1 to 10.

SourceNational Research University Higher School of Economics·JournalFrontiers in Neuroscience·DateAug 31, 2023

Why do we articulate more when speaking to babies and puppies?

Scientists studied vocal behavior of ten mothers and found they articulated better and expressed more positive emotions when speaking to their babies or puppies. This hyperarticulation led to clearer pronunciation of words and easier processing for infants.

SourceCNRS·JournalJournal of Child Language·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 30, 2023

People in power who are guilt-prone are less likely to be corrupt

A study by UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Hongbo Yu found that individuals prone to guilt in their everyday lives are less likely to take bribes. The research suggests that anticipatory guilt may make people think twice before engaging in corrupt behavior, particularly when they can see the potential harm to others.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·DateJun 26, 2023

Here comes the sun

A recent study suggests that songs with high energy and positive emotions are more likely to match prevailing weather conditions, influencing listener preferences. The research found a strong association between energetic and positive music and warm and sunny weather, but only for popular songs.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·TypeMeta-analysis·DateJun 19, 2023

Computational model mimics humans’ ability to predict emotions

Researchers at MIT have designed a computational model that can predict other people's emotions, including joy, gratitude, and regret. The model uses insights into human intuition, incorporating factors such as desires, expectations, and observation of actions to make predictions.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 6, 2023

Childhood maltreatment predicts adult emotional difficulties

A new meta-analysis suggests a strong link between childhood maltreatment and adult alexithymia, with three types of child maltreatment - emotional neglect, physical neglect, and sexual abuse - being particularly predictive. This can lead to difficulties in identifying and describing emotions, harming social and intimate relationships.

SourceStanford University·JournalPsychological Bulletin·DateJun 5, 2023

Activity sessions in daycare already nurturing emotional skills by 10 weeks

Researchers from the University of Helsinki found that daycare centers using SAGA and Pikkuli interventions strengthened children's ability to help others, reduced internalising problems, and advanced social orientation. The studies showed positive experiences among early childhood educators, leading to further development of the methods.

SourceUniversity of Helsinki·JournalScandinavian Journal of Educational Research·TypeObservational study·DateMay 24, 2023

Are you prone to feeling guilty? You may be less likely to take a bribe

New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that guilt-prone people are less likely to accept bribes, especially when the act would cause obvious harm to other people. The study highlights the importance of assessing candidates' guilt proneness in personnel selection, particularly for leadership positions.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalSocial Psychological and Personality Science·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 22, 2023

Mental imagery a helpful way to distract teens from negative thought patterns, OSU study finds

A recent study from Oregon State University found that refocusing on mental imagery is a more effective distraction than verbal thoughts for adolescents stuck in negative thought spirals. The study, led by Hannah Lawrence, suggests that mental imagery can help break up the thought spiral and seek help from a therapist or support system.

SourceOregon State University·JournalJournal of Affective Disorders·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 27, 2023

Emotion-focused therapy for bipolar disorder targets the amygdala

A new study found that emotion-focused therapy increased activation and connectivity of the amygdala in patients with bipolar disorder, leading to improved emotion processing. In contrast, cognitive-behavioral therapy showed increased activation of brain regions related to social function but not altered amygdala activity.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 17, 2023

Art evokes feelings in the body

A study of over 1,186 participants from various countries found that art evokes positive emotions, often despite dealing with sad or scary topics. The researchers discovered that human figures in art pieces can elicit empathy and mirroring, which contributes to the emotional experience.

SourceUniversity of Turku·JournalCognition & Emotion·DateMar 27, 2023

Positive emotion drives disinformation ads on Facebook

Research by University of Florida researchers found that disinformation ads on Facebook use a clear recipe with short ad buys, familiar language, and big budgets to reach more people. The most engaging ads were full of positive feelings encouraging good emotions about one's own groups rather than bad emotions towards others.

SourceUniversity of Florida·JournalJournal of Interactive Advertising·TypeContent analysis·DateMar 9, 2023

Highlight facts or appeal to feelings? The psychology of persuading individuals to contribute to a collective goal

Researchers find that fact-based appeals are more effective when the goal is near completion, while affect-based appeals match people's feelings-oriented psychological state and are better suited for shorter-term goals. The study advances understanding of persuasive messages in collective goals and provides key insights for marketers.

SourceAmerican Marketing Association·JournalJournal of Marketing·DateMar 8, 2023

Placebo reduces feelings of guilt

Researchers at the University of Basel found that placebos can significantly reduce feelings of guilt in healthy subjects. Participants who received open-label placebos showed a significant decrease in guilt, even when they knew they were receiving a placebo.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 12, 2023

Do the negative ways that others treat us contribute to later self-harm?

A new longitudinal study examines neural-based correlates and risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. The study found that greater amygdala reactivity during anticipation of social punishment predicted NSSI engagement one year later, particularly in those with lower peer-nominated social preference.

SourceElsevier·JournalBiological Psychiatry·TypeObservational study·DateJan 5, 2023

Cheerful chatbots don’t necessarily improve customer service

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology found that AI chatbots' positive emotional displays have no effect on customer service evaluations when the source is a bot, but improve when human agents exhibit emotions. The study suggests businesses should be cautious about equipping AI agents with emotion-expressing capabilities.

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalInformation Systems Research·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 21, 2022