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Understanding feelings: When less is more

Researchers discovered a surprising paradox: as emotional expressions increase in intensity, they become more ambiguous to infer meaning from, with maximal intensity leading to decreased legibility. This challenges prevailing theories of emotion and opens new avenues for understanding affective experience and communication.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScientific Reports·DateJun 2, 2021

Parents abused as children may pass on emotional issues

Research suggests that parents with a history of childhood trauma may struggle with emotion regulation, which can harm their children's emotional development. The study found that boys are more vulnerable to emotional regulation difficulties when their parents also struggled with emotion regulation.

SourceUniversity of Georgia·JournalJournal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment·DateMay 25, 2021

Incentivized product reviews: Positive to a fault?

Researchers found that direct compensation for posting written reviews increases positive emotion, but may lead to overly glowing reviews that don't accurately reflect the experience. In experiments, incentives increased review positivity by 55%, but had unforeseen negative consequences for consumers.

SourceCornell University·JournalJournal of Marketing Research·DateMay 25, 2021

Children cannot ignore what they hear when detecting emotions

New research by Durham University reveals that young children rely heavily on auditory cues to detect emotions, rather than visual stimuli. The findings have implications for parents and educators managing home learning and may also shed light on emotional recognition in children with developmental challenges like autism.

SourceDurham University·JournalJournal of Experimental Child Psychology·DateJan 26, 2021

Using play to "school" children's emotions

A study by Université de Genève found that pretend play-based curriculum improved children's ability to recognize emotions and regulate their behavior. The program, introduced in classes aged five and six, enhances emotional vocabulary and promotes prosocial behavior.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalThe British Journal of Psychiatry·DateDec 14, 2020

Hot-button words trigger conservatives and liberals differently

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that liberals and conservatives exhibit distinct brain responses when exposed to the same political content, particularly when it involves words related to morality, emotions, and threat. The researchers discovered that neural polarization is driven by highe...

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 20, 2020

Talking alone: Researchers use artificial intelligence tools to predict loneliness

A new study uses artificial intelligence technologies to analyze natural language patterns to discern degrees of loneliness in older adults. The study found that NLP-based tools could help reconcile the differences between research assessments and an individual's subjective experience of loneliness, improving how clinicians and familie...

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry·DateSep 24, 2020

Trust me if you can

Researchers found that shared values are insufficient for mutual trust between stakeholders; beliefs and emotions play a stronger role. Improved awareness of each other's views and emotions can benefit collaboration and find solutions to the conflict.

SourceForschungsverbund Berlin·JournalEnergy Reports·DateJul 9, 2020

Responses to cyberbullying

A study of over 6,000 Japanese adolescents found that emotional competence can both protect against and worsen the negative effects of cyberbullying. The researchers suggest that intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional competence play different roles in moderating the impact of cyberbullying victimization on adolescent mental health.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalJournal of Adolescence·DateJun 29, 2020

Tennis: Losers move their heads more often than winners

A recent study by the German Sport University found that losers in tennis make more spontaneous nonverbal head movements after losing points compared to winning points. These movements include head shaking and tilting upwards or side-to-side. The analysis of nonverbal behavior can help improve an athlete's performance during competition.

SourceGerman Sport University·JournalInternational Journal of Sports Science & Coaching·DateJun 29, 2020

Just read my face, baby

A new study by the University of Rochester and University of Toronto found that couples who accurately perceive appeasement emotions, such as embarrassment, have better relationships. In contrast, couples where either partner feels negative emotions, regardless of whether those emotions are accurately perceived, have poorer relationships.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalPsychological Science·DateMay 20, 2020

Certain meditation strategies may help perfectionists

A study using high frequency heart rate variability found that mindfulness meditation sessions incorporating nonjudgment led to better recovery in perfectionists. Nonjudgment element improved mental health outcomes compared to general mindfulness sessions.

SourceWiley·JournalPsychophysiology·DateFeb 5, 2020

The 'place' of emotions

A study by IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca found that a specific region of the right temporo-parietal junction can represent various affective states. The researchers used fMRI data and found smooth transitions in this region, which allows the brain to map emotions in a single patch of cortex.

SourceIMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 24, 2020