Field: Psychology
The next era of psychedelics may be precision-designed states of consciousness
A look inside Mindstate Design Labs' effort to design drugs that reliably produce specific states of consciousness.
Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”
The "Goldilocks hypothesis" asks parents to think beyond screen time and consider the habits that teens build around technology use.
Oxytocin’s effects aren’t just about love
At last, neuroscientists are learning how the hormone shapes social behaviors such as pair-bonding and parental care. It’s more complicated than they thought.
Psychedelic drugs and the law: What’s next?
The push to legalize magic mushrooms, MDMA, LSD, and other hallucinogens is likely to heighten tensions between state and federal law.
How much stress is too much? A psychiatrist explains
Some stress is good for you, but toxic stress, on the other hand, wears down your stress response system in ways that have lasting effects.
Trapped in routine? Here’s how to “dishabituate” and rediscover joy
Neuroscientist Tali Sharot shares two ways to "dishabituate" yourself from your routine: take a break or make a change.
The hunger-boredom paradigm explained by scientists
True hunger builds gradually and can be satisfied by any source of food, but emotional eating (including eating out of boredom) is insatiable.
How cognition changes before dementia hits
Language-processing difficulties are an indicator of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a risk factor for dementia.
Serotonin plays a key role in patience and impulse control, research says
Evidence suggests that there is in fact a neurological factor to the brain's ability to control impulses and manage patience.
Running or yoga can help beat depression, research shows – even if it’s the last thing you feel like
Exercise can be just as impactful in treating depression as therapy, but it matters what type of exercise you do and how you do it.
Robots who share your accent are more trusted, study shows
What makes a robot seem competent and trustworthy might be different for different people.
The 3 myths of mindfulness
Mindfulness is hugely popular today, but one philosopher has argued that certain unchecked types of mindfulness are deeply flawed.
Why is anxiety spiking in young people but not older adults?
Anxiety among adults 18 to 25 nearly doubled in that time period, but remained stable for adults 50 and older.
Focus on right now, not the distant future, to stay motivated and on track to your long-term health goals
Research highlights three effective strategies to help you achieve your goals, including prioritizing short-term consequences.
How to find success with the 4 conditions of “intelligent failure”
Intelligent failure occurs in a low-risk environment and leads to growth or new knowledge. To fail intelligently, follow five strategies.
Scientists scrutinize happiness research
Scientists dig into the research on happiness and find there isn’t always sound evidence behind recommended strategies for achieving it.
Will AI companions help or hurt the “loneliness epidemic”?
About a third of people are lonely. Three scholars consider whether AI can help, or if it'll just make things worse.
“Resilience”: How a genocide scholar faces history’s darkest moments
Genocide historian Omer Bartov says studying his particularly challenging subject has made him more mentally resilient.
Are anxiety and depression social problems or chemical disorders?
As antidepressants will soon be a $16B industry, the chemical imbalance theory suits business interests better than health interests.
Research: inflammation and mortality may be caused by low “psychological well-being”
Researchers looked at the link between life purpose and mortality and found that people who felt they had no purpose in life tended to die earlier.
Partnering up can help you grow as an individual – here’s why
The science makes it abundantly clear that couples with more self-expansion are better relationships. Here's why.
Why is the value of money for happiness increasing?
While the old adage says that money can’t buy happiness, studies have determined that the more your income increases, the happier you are.
Does caffeine harm your decision-making?
A small study showed caffeine lessens decision-making. While preliminary, it raises questions about caffeine affects our "higher" cognitive functions.
How music therapy benefits the autistic brain
While the benefits of music therapy are well known, more in-depth research explores how music benefits children with autism.
Your “circadian rhythm peak” can affect your mental performance
What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and even avoid scams.
Move over, agony aunt: study finds ChatGPT gives better advice than professional columnists
Researcher found that people preferred the AI-generated responses over those given by a professional advice columnist, and couldn't tell which was which.
How language and social status change the developing brain
Research shows that a child's early environment and socioeconomic status (SES) impact their language development and processing skills.
A new study reveals we can no longer tell AI-generated faces from real human faces
Looking at a face without a life.
How do researchers study the prevalence of mental illnesses?
Data on mental health is essential to understand the scale of mental illnesses. How do researchers collect this data, and is it reliable?
Human sleep patterns appear to change with the seasons
Researchers observed the sleep of 188 subjects to see if their slumbers would change in duration and structure along with the seasons.
Want to feel better? Science says to care for your dog
Research shows that caring for your pets can improve your well-being, and that the act of caring provided more improvements than mere companionship
Solitude, without loneliness, can have mental health benefits
Spending some time alone (chosen or not) can be a chance to hit the reset button on your mental health — for the better.
How do stimulants actually work to reduce ADHD symptoms?
Stimulant drugs are thought to alter the activity of key neuotransmitters, dopamine and noradrenaline, in the brains of people with ADHD.
The centipede’s dilemma: Why overthinking is killing productivity
The centipede's dilemma refers to the phenomenon where becoming aware of one's own ability or competence can lead to tripping up.
Bad trips: Study examines the long-term adverse effects of psychedelic drugs
New research suggests that some users face long-term difficulties following psychedelic use, including emotional and social challenges.
Mindfulness: New age craze or science-backed solution?
Research shows mindfulness can be an effective wellness practice, yet the effect sizes found in studies tend to be moderate.
Insomnia and mental disorders are linked, but exactly how is still a mystery
The relationship between insomnia and mental disorders is complex. It’s not just a case of “which comes first"?
The psychedelic DMT causes the brain to become hyperconnected, scans reveal
Researchers gave 20 healthy subjects potent, intravenous doses of the psychedelic DMT and observed their brains. Here's what they found.
Dumbing down or wising up: how will generative AI change the way we think?
Artificial intelligence tools are now managing huge swathes of information on our behalf, potentially changing what and how we think.
A short history of insomnia and how we became obsessed with sleep
Insomnia is big business and getting bigger. When did sleep become so important, so elusive, and so expensive?
MIT study shows AI conversations are more positive if users think AI is empathetic, negative if they think it’s nefarious
Study shows users can be primed to believe certain things about an AI chatbot’s motives, which influences their interactions with it.
After studying 850 hours of footage, this paper offers 3 rules for a great conversation
Good conversations leave a lasting impression. They are rewarding and enriching. Here's how to have more of them.
Study finds exactly how long people want to live: it isn’t forever
Most people prefer a shorter life if they have dementia, chronic pain, or are a burden to their families.
ChatGPT forces us to ask: how much of “being human” belongs to us?
Large language models have been trained on massive amounts of “natural” human language — just like us. Does this make the robots part human?
Molecule reduces inflammation in Alzheimer’s models
A potential new Alzheimer’s drug represses the harmful inflammatory response of the brain’s immune cells, improving cognition in tests.
An enormous study links intelligence and personality in surprising ways
A database containing over 1,300 studies from across the world establishes reliable relationships between personality traits and cognitive abilities.
A magnetic therapy for depression gains precision
Approved over a decade ago, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) could be effective if the treatment was tailored to individual brains.
20% of Americans have anxiety. NYU expert’s “consciousness theory” explains why.
Sensations of anxiety evolved to protect us. This system goes awry when you perceive immediate danger that isn’t really there.
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
According to neuroscientist Amishi Jha, 12 minutes of mindfulness training a day strengthens your attentional systems.
“5 stages of grief” is a myth — and knowing that helps us better cope with loss
The “monomyth” model of grieving offers closure and recovery, but in most traditional cultures the dead never leave the living.
“I’ve been here before”: DMT study explores a strange memory phenomenon
DMT can induce a sense of profound familiarity, making users feel as if they have entered an alternate reality they have visited before.
What lies beneath our irrational decisions
In new book, an MIT scholar examines how game-theory logic underpins many of our seemingly odd and irrational decisions.
Almost everyone fears death — but not in the same ways
Fear of death may be the most primal, normal human fear, but it's one we all experience differently.
Neuroscience research triggers revision of a leading theory of consciousness
A brain scanning study on unconsciously processed visual information disrupts a leading theory of consciousness: global workspace theory.
Viktor Frankl: The doctor who prescribed the meaning of life to his patients
Not having a meaningful life can be dreadful, and one psychologist thought it was the root of many neuroses. His ideas became Logotherapy.
Sooner or later we all face death. Will a sense of meaning help us?
An awareness of our mortality can, paradoxically, move us to seek – and, if necessary, create – the meaning that we so desperately crave.
New AI-based theory explains your weird dreams
A new paper suggests that dreaming helps us generalize our experiences so that we can adapt to new circumstances.
Nasal drops might prevent PTSD
New research shows that nasal drops of neuropeptide Y triggers extinction of fear memories in an animal model of PTSD.
Eastern philosophy says there is no “self.” Science agrees
Neuroscience aligns with Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism, that argue the self is an illusion, a byproduct of our thought processes.
Viewing abstract art causes notable cognitive changes
Abstract art causes the viewer to place more psychological distance between themselves and the art than with more typical works.
Generate brilliant ideas by relaxing your cognitive filters
Theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers three strategies for relaxing your cognitive filters to give your brilliant ideas time to shine.
Brain scans hint that lonely individuals process the world differently
A study finds that the brains of people who score higher in loneliness react in unique ways when viewing video content.
Ketamine is as effective as ECT for depression, study shows
A trial of patients with treatment-resistant depression found ketamine to be at least as effective as electroconvulsive therapy.
Nope, coffee won’t give you extra energy
You might feel like coffee gives you the energy to get through the day – but chances are, you're not getting as much as you think.
To be a happier, more successful person, get off the “hedonic treadmill”
Eudaimonic pursuits are outwardly focused, whereas hedonic activities are concerned with self-centered fulfillment.
3 key activities will make you “antifragile”
Resilience is vital for dealing with failure, and stems from three traits: self-esteem, psychological flexibility, and emotional regulation.
Amish gene study finds clues to mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder
Researchers have turned to this unique genetic population to find insights into how our genes play a role in mental health.
Potential way to treat anorexia found in microbiome
New research links the gut microbiome, an ecosystem of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, to the development of anorexia nervosa.
LSD flashbacks and a psychedelic disorder that can last forever
LSD flashbacks have been studied for decades, though scientists still aren't quite sure why some people experience them.
More Americans than ever have no friends. Here are 5 steps to make more friends.
The last decade has seen a steep drop in adult friendships and a worrying increase in loneliness. Is this the cost of our modern life?
The vicious cycle of food and sleep
More than a third of Americans don’t log enough hours in bed, provoking serious health impacts. Diet is an important, under-recognized reason.
“Relationships 5.0”: Are people going to start dating AI?
Online dating is so mainstream that you’re an outlier if you haven’t met your partner on an app — so why not AI?
Emotions get better with age
As people grow older, they gain greater control of their feelings. How do they do that — and can they teach young people a thing or two?
How frontotemporal dementia, the syndrome affecting Bruce Willis, changes the brain
What is FTD, the type of dementia that leads to inappropriate social behavior, impulsivity, and loss of empathy?
The imagination effect: A history of placebo power
The famous placebo effect has a long, rich history — it certainly had an outsized role in the medicine of centuries past.
Dignity therapy: Making the last words count
Guided conversations with the terminally ill are popular with patients, families and doctors. But are they truly beneficial?
Macaque monkeys shrink their social networks as they age — just like elderly people
Macaque monkeys reduce their social networks as they get older – research suggests evolutionary roots of the same pattern in elderly people.
The secrets of cooperation
Most people care what others think of them. In many situations, that can be leveraged for the common good — cooperation.
The case for viewing depression as a consciousness disorder
A new hypothesis explains depression as an altered state of consciousness, which could help researchers make an objective diagnostic test.
Large language models are biased. Can logic help save them?
MIT researchers trained logic-aware language models to reduce harmful stereotypes like gender and racial biases.
AI isn’t close to becoming sentient, we just think it is
To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies? AI will be the test.
Psychedelics open a new window on the mechanisms of perception
Some neuroscientists think psychedelics and the hallucinations they induce could help reveal how we generate our perceptions of the world.
Here’s how your sleep affects your immune system
Researchers found that patients who slept less than six hours a night were 27% more likely to have an infection.
“Digital detoxes” don’t work. Try these 4 skills instead
Digital distractions have become a ubiquitous part of work and life. But these distractions begin with emotional discomfort.
Space travel will radically change human psychology and spirituality
We are living in a period of living and traveling in space. If we continue on this trajectory, we will develop new spiritual views.
Psychedelics are helping dying patients overcome their existential distress
End of life patients face existential and spiritual challenges other patients do not. Psychedelics may be uniquely suited to helping them.
Will “The Singularity” rescue us from death?
In transhumanism, "The Singularity" promises possibility of uploading your consciousness into silicon, guaranteeing a kind of immortality.
Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice
Researchers have begun to study yoga's effects and are finding that it has great benefits for both mental and physical health.
Mindfulness can slow down the brain’s aging and more
The benefits of practicing mindfulness carry over into everyday life – even when you aren’t actively meditating.
Why changing your mind is a feature of evolution, not a bug
Reasoning by yourself is a much weaker tool than contributing your reasoning to a group and being flexible to changing your mind.
The most undervalued problem-solving tool? Lateral thinking.
Lateral thinking is a way of approaching problems. It deliberately forgoes obvious approaches in favor of oblique or unexpected ones.
Study suggests that exercise should be prescribed to mental health patients
Researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed to patients with mental health issues before psychiatric drugs.
Neuroscientists recommend more carbs and less coffee to combat seasonal depression
Taking small steps to help your circadian rhythm adjust to winter could mean happier times during what are literally the darkest days.
AI-based theory explains your weird dreams
Researchers suggest that dreaming helps us generalize our experiences so that we can adapt to new circumstances.
How exercise changes your brain biology and protects your mental health
A psychiatrist and neuroscientist began to think of prescribing exercise as telling patients to take their “exercise pills.”
“Personalized curriculums” could get kids to care about school again
Personalized learning has to potential to prepare learners who are self-regulating and self-motivated for life beyond school.
Anxiety treatment in early childhood can lower long-term mental health risks
Some anxiety is normal and, in fact, necessary and helpful. But what happens when it interferes with a child's daily functioning?
A new class of antidepressant works in 2 hours
Most types of antidepressants work by increasing neurotransmitter levels throughout the brain, which take weeks. A new drug takes hours.
Parents: Don’t focus on happiness, help build resilience instead
Happiness emerges from resilience, which helps children regulate difficult emotions and stressful situations.