Pandemic-exposed preschool children demonstrated improved problem-solving skills, fine motor abilities, and vocabulary at 2-5 years old compared to non-exposed peers. They also showed enhanced cognitive performance in visual memory and overall cognitive abilities.
A digital detox for a week had mixed effects on mood, with no increase in desires to use social media platforms. The study found that reducing social networking site use led to decreases in both positive and negative emotions in users.
A meta-analysis of studies found guilt has only a small persuasive effect, making it less effective than previously thought. Existential guilt appeals better for broader issues like environmental and educational topics, while personal responsibility-based guilt is less effective in health communications.
Listening to preferred music reduces pain intensity and unpleasantness, while emotional responses play a key role in predicting its effect. The study found that moving or bittersweet emotional themes are associated with lower pain ratings.
A team of researchers has developed an AI system that can recognize emotions from human body movements, using a dataset of 1,600 video clips annotated with Laban Movement Analysis. The approach leverages deep neural networks to analyze motor elements and improve emotion recognition.
A recent study from the University of Kansas found that testimonials about a person's lived experience can increase receptivity to opposing views on polarizing issues. Participants who read testimonials were more willing to consider alternative perspectives than those who read informative articles.
Researchers found that training expectant mothers can improve their ability to recognize happy baby expressions, leading to fewer signs of depression. This new approach aims to promote healthier emotional development for both mother and child.
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.
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.
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...
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
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.
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.
Researchers from Sophia University found that simulating absence of benefits does not increase beneficiaries' gratitude. Beneficiaries who didn't expect a gift or imagined not receiving it showed similar levels of gratitude as those who did, contrary to previous hypotheses.
A new study led by Anglia Ruskin University found that positive body image is strongly associated with better psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction. The research involved 56,968 participants in 65 nations and discovered that body appreciation was higher in single individuals and those living in rural areas.
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.
A study from the University of Notre Dame found that recalling dreams and finding meaning in them can elicit feelings of awe, making subsequent work stressors seem less daunting. The researchers suggest promoting the 'awe experience' at work to increase productivity.
A study published in Computer in Human Behavior found that people experience emotions and perceive intentions when viewing computer-generated artworks. Participants rated human-made art more positively than AI-generated art, even if they were told the latter was created by a person.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University developed an AI system to identify social norm violations using GPT-3 and zero-shot text classification. The system characterized ten social emotions, including competence, politeness, and trust, with empirical success on massive datasets.
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
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.
A peer support group intervention has been shown to be feasible and acceptable among undocumented Latinx immigrants with kidney failure. The study found that the intervention built camaraderie and provided emotional support, which is particularly important for socially marginalized uninsured populations.
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.
A study analyzed emoji and emoticon use in secure clinical texting systems, finding they primarily convey new and interactionally significant information. The results suggest that emoji use may not undermine professionalism as much as initially thought.
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.
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.
Researchers at the University of Arizona studied the impact of grief on heart function and found a significant association between grief severity and elevated systolic blood pressure response. Grief can cause a marked rise in blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiac events.
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.
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.
Researchers found that the brain's auditory cortex responds strongly to positive human sounds coming from the left, but not from the right or front. This bias may have an evolutionary advantage, as it could help detect potential threats or predators.
People who consumed kind acts after a terrorist attack reported fewer negative emotions and more positive perceptions. Lighthearted news also showed an emotional buffering effect. The study suggests that positive news can mitigate the negative impact of bad news, promoting good mental health.
A recent study investigated social media posts of emergency medicine physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing key thematic shifts in language related to anxiety, anger, depression, and loneliness. Social media was found to provide a real-time landscape for evaluating emotional well-being among healthcare workers.
A study found that visitors who received more detailed descriptions of artworks spent more time viewing them, exhibited physical signs of excitement, and reported higher comprehension and positive emotions. This suggests that providing more information about modern art can lead to a more satisfying aesthetic experience.
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.
Researchers found that bad medical news can make patients more likely to choose brand name drugs over generics, resulting in increased healthcare expenditures. The study suggests that simply reminding patients of the equivalency of generic drugs via text message could improve their decision-making.
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
Despite emotional challenges like negative affect and fatigue, response inhibition can enhance divergent thinking by partially mediating the relationship between emotional states and creative potential. Frustration, when handled differently, can be a catalyst for invention and creativity.
Four to eleven-year-olds deemed Alexa more human-like, but neither robot deserved to be harmed or yelled at. As kids advanced towards adolescence, the feeling dwindled, and older children reported it was slightly more acceptable to attack technology.
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.
A new study by University of Houston psychologist Adam Fetterman found that neighborhood apps are associated with inaccurate perceptions of higher local crime rates. The frequent use of such services by a large portion of the population suggests important implications for perceptions and behaviors related to people's neighborhoods.
A new study explores how language shapes attention and engagement, finding that easier-to-process language and emotional triggers like anxiety, excitement, and hope encourage readers to persist. Language, meanwhile, can discourage readers from continuing to read.
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.
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.
Researchers found that the heart influences our sense of time, causing it to stretch or shrink with each heartbeat. The study used electrocardiography to measure heart activity and showed that temporal wrinkles in time perception are synchronized with heartbeats.
A new study by researchers from Penn and Princeton reveals that, on average, larger incomes are associated with ever-increasing levels of happiness. However, an unhappy cohort within each income group shows a sharp rise in happiness up to $100,000 annually before plateauing.
Researchers found that people use emojis to soften negative expressions and express positive feelings in online interactions. However, this can lead to emotional exhaustion if the dissonance between experienced and expressed emotions is too great.
A study by Princeton University researchers found that children are more likely to know an emotion label when they also know many related valenced words. Parents can support young children's learning of emotion labels by surrounding them with related words, such as
A recent UK study found that participating in nature-based 'citizen science' projects improves both participants' well-being and their connection to nature. The research involved 500 volunteers who completed a range of activities, including wildlife recording, and showed increased scores in wellbeing and pro-nature behaviour.
A study by the University of Bath found that close friends can expect a like regardless of previous posts, while acquaintances must reciprocate to earn a like. The study explores how relational closeness affects user behavior on social media.
A study of nearly 2 million Tweets in London and San Francisco identified specific events and locations associated with different emotions. The analysis showed that certain locations, such as hotels and restaurants, were linked to higher levels of joy, while train stations and transportation sites were linked to disgust.
Research identifies significant barriers in ER care for patients with mental health and substance use disorders, including emotional, diagnostic, and logistical challenges. Broad changes are needed to improve emergency care for this patient population.
Research suggests that avoiding or withdrawing from tough conversations can lead to emotional distress, bad feelings about the relationship, chronic inflammation, and lowered immune function. Couples who exhibit negative communication patterns report fewer positive emotions and slower wound healing.
Research from the University of Houston suggests that digital technology can enhance learning in young children by leveraging mind-wandering moments. When toddlers exhibit attentiveness and persistence while playing educational apps on an iPad, it leads to positive creative problem-solving skills and improved learning outcomes.
A new behavioral model, TRIBE, explains why clinicians and family dynamics drive excessive end-of-life care. The model highlights the emotional pressures on doctors and complex family dynamics that provoke unnecessary treatment efforts.
A study by University of Essex and University of Reading found that controlling tones made students' self-esteem plummet, while supportive voices inspired connection to the teacher. The research aimed to influence teacher training and boost classroom results.
Research published by the American Psychological Association finds that following daily political news can negatively impact people's mental health and well-being. Disengaging from politics also comes with a cost, as it reduces motivation to take action on political causes.
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.
Researchers found no correlation between daily mood and confidence markers, but mood-related states and confidence level fluctuated at different time scales. Mood changes occurred faster than confidence level changes.
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.
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.