Psychology news

• Chris Gathercole obituary

  08-05-2025 18:49
  
  My father, Chris Gathercole, who has died aged 87, was a pioneering clinical psychologist. He was an advocate for people with learning disabilities being involved in decisions about themselves and for them to be independent.He worked at large hospitals in Glasgow, Liverpool, North Wales and Lancashire, where he introduced innovative American concepts such as “social role valorisation”. The idea behind it was to improve the lives of those with disabilities, emphasising the importance
  
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• Scientists Discover Reason Why Mental Disorders So Often Overlap

  04-01-2026 08:09 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA massive global genetics study is reshaping how we understand mental illness—and why diagnoses so often pile up. By analyzing genetic data from more than six million people, researchers uncovered genetic connections across 14 psychiatric conditions, showing that many disorders share common biological roots. These findings, published in Nature, help explain why depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and other disorders so frequently occur...
  
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• Rise of Deepfake Cyberbullying Poses Growing Problem for Schools

  04-01-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourSchools are facing a growing problem of students using artificial intelligence to transform innocent images of classmates into sexually explicit video and photo "deepfakes." This problem was highlighted recently when AI-generated nude images swept through a Louisiana middle school. Two boys ultimately were charged, but not before one of the victims was expelled for starting a fight with a boy she accused of creating the images of her and her...
  
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• Hidden Brain Problem May Be Early Warning for Alzheimer's

  04-01-2026 08:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthResearchers have discovered that clogged brain "drains" show up early in people at risk of Alzheimer's disease. These blockages, easily seen on standard MRI scans, are tied to toxic protein buildup linked to memory loss and cognitive decline. In some cases, they may signal Alzheimer's earlier than other commonly used brain markers, which could help physicians detect the disease before irreversible damage sets in. The findings appear in the...
  
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• Elon Musk's Grok AI Is Stripping Women and Minors, Review Finds

  04-01-2026 08:02 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - World NewsElon Musk's xAI is under international scrutiny over allegations that it is filling its platform with sexualized, AI-generated images of women and minors. A review of content on X, xAI's social media platform, found more than 20 cases in which women—and some men—had images digitally stripped of clothing using the AI company's chatbot, Grok. Ministers in France said in a statement Friday that the "sexual and sexist" content was "manife
  
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• Masculine Personality Traits Predict Drinking After Romantic Fights

  04-01-2026 07:54 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostA new study has found that personality traits associated with masculinity may influence alcohol use following romantic conflicts. The findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of masculine orientation—regardless of their biological sex—are more likely to drink alcohol after a disagreement, largely due to the intense negative emotions they experience. The findings appear in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
  
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• Psychologists’ Expanding Role in Prescribing Medication

  04-01-2026 07:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA MonitorThe number of psychologists who can prescribe medication is growing rapidly. Since New Mexico became the first state to allow licensed psychologists to prescribe in 2002, the field has grown from a few dozen to more than 300 today, with another 1,500 psychologists also holding master's degrees in clinical psychopharmacology. This growth has prompted the American Psychological Association to update its guidelines related to the prescription of...
  
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• A Weak Body Clock May Be an Early Warning for Dementia

  04-01-2026 07:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA new study suggests that disruptions in the body's internal clock may be tied to a higher risk of dementia. Research published on December 29, 2025, in the journal Neurology found that people with weaker and more irregular circadian rhythms were far more likely to develop dementia than other people. The study also showed that individuals whose daily activity levels peaked later in the day faced a higher risk than those who peaked earlier.
  
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• The secret to being happy in 2026? It’s far, far simpler than you think …

  03-01-2026 07:00
  Stop stressing about self‑improvement or waiting until you’re on top of everything. This year give yourself permission to prioritise pleasureI have a proposal to make: 2026 should be the year that you spend more time doing what you want. The new year should be the moment we commit to dedicating more of our finite hours on the planet to things we genuinely, deeply enjoy doing – to the activities that seize our interest, and that make us feel vibrantly alive. This should be
  
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• I taste words. ‘Bob’ is like a milk chocolate Easter egg on my tongue

  02-01-2026 15:00
  Monique Todorovski, a clinical administrator, shares her experience of lexical-gustatory synaesthesiaRead more in the way I feel seriesWhen I met my husband and found out his name was Philip, I felt conflicted. I liked him as a person but his name tasted like crunchy green pears and I don’t like green pears at all. My compromise was to call him Phil, which tastes more like stewed pear – sweeter and not as crunchy. It’s just a nicer-tasting name in my mind.Fortunately I was 30 b
  
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• The best way to get round a difficult problem? Do nothing about it | Gaby Hinsliff

  01-01-2026 16:51
  From Agatha Christie doing the dishes to the cancer surgeon inspired at the theatre, an idling brain suddenly seems able to join the dotsIf you really want to solve a problem, try doing nothing about it. Fold some laundry. Stir a risotto. Go for a run, watch a film, try to entertain someone else’s baby: anything that involves pottering about in an undemanding yet still vaguely engaged way, which absolutely couldn’t be classed as work but isn’t totally vegetative either. It may
  
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• New 2026 State Laws Are Among the First of Their Kind

  31-12-2025 12:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourTourists celebrating the new year in Hawaii could become the first to be taxed to address the consequences of climate change. In Utah, people who get caught driving drunk could be among the first to have their driver's licenses striped red with the label: "No Alcohol Sale." And motorists in Georgia could become the first to display the stylings of President Donald Trump with a special "America First" vehicle license plate.
  
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• Healthy-Sounding Buzzwords Could Be Hiding Added Sugar in Plain Sight

  31-12-2025 12:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourMany consumers feel pride in avoiding the glazed pastries in the supermarket and instead opting for "all natural" granola packed with extra protein. Same goes for low-fat yogurts and bottled "superfood" smoothies. But buyer beware: food buzzwords often cover up a high amount of sugar, which is linked to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. People should get no more than 10% of their calories from added sugar—a bit more than what's in a single...
  
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• Shocking Headlines Spark Initial Doubt But Eventually Build Belief

  31-12-2025 12:36 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostWhen headlines begin with attention-grabbing words like "Shocking," readers initially tend to doubt the accuracy of the information presented. However, new research finds that this skepticism fades over time, leading people to eventually believe the claims made in those headlines. These findings, published in the journal Communication Research, suggest that clickbait-style language might be effective at planting information that people later...
  
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• The perfect evening routine: how to prepare for bed – from blue light to baths

  31-12-2025 12:00
  Whether you go for an easy jog or actively limit your screen time, studies show there are tried and tested ways to wind down and be sure of a good night’s sleep• Sign up here to get the whole series straight to your inboxAfter a hard day at work, the last thing you want to do is fritter away your precious downtime slumped on the sofa in a dazed doomscroll. Yet, in the absence of a better plan, it happens with depressing ease. How we spend the hours between shutting down the laptop and
  
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• Computational Brain Model Matches Animal Experiments in Learning Task

  30-12-2025 15:40 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthA new computational model of the brain has not only learned a visual category learning task as well as lab animals, but even enabled the discovery of counterintuitive activity by a group of neurons that researchers working with animals to perform the same task had not noticed before, reports a team of scientists in the journal Nature Communications. Notably, the model produced these achievements without ever being trained on data from animal...
  
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• In 2025, Earth Pushed Past the Key Climate Change Mark of 1.5C Degrees

  30-12-2025 15:39 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - ScienceA heavy reliance on fossil fuels has now pushed earth beyond the three-year temperature average set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius since preindustrial times. Experts have said for more than a decade that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees could prevent catastrophic environmental destruction around the globe. Extreme weather events already kill thousands of people annually and are projected to...
  
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• Mini-Brains Reveal Neural Signals in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

  29-12-2025 09:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthResearchers have grown pea-sized "mini-brains" in the lab that are offering an unprecedented look at how neurons behave in cases of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Such studies reveal distinct electrical firing patterns that could identify these conditions with high accuracy, opening the door to more precise diagnoses and personalized drug testing. Instead of guessing medications, doctors may one day see what works before treating the...
  
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• How to Lower the Risk of Unhealthy Teen-Chatbot Interactions

  29-12-2025 09:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: NPRTeen use of AI chatbots is growing, and experts are now warning that extended chatbot interactions may affect kids' social development and mental health. These concerns have also been fueled by recent U.S. Senate testimony about two teenagers who killed themselves after chatbots encouraged them to carry out suicide plans. Here's what parents should know to help kids use the technology safely.
  
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• OpenAI Hiring for Head Safety Executive to Mitigate AI Risks

  29-12-2025 09:00 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsOpenAI is seeking a new "head of preparedness" to guide the company's safety strategy amid mounting concerns over how artificial intelligence tools could be misused. According to the job posting, the new hire will be paid $555,000. "This will be a stressful job," CEO Sam Altman wrote in an X post over the weekend. He added, "models are improving quickly and are now capable of many great things, but they are also starting to present some real...
  
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• Law Requires Social Media Platforms to Display Mental Health Labels

  27-12-2025 15:29 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraNew York state will require social media platforms with infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds to display warning labels about their potential harm to young users' mental health, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Friday after signing the bill into law. "Research shows that social media exposure overstimulates reward centers, creating pathways comparable to those of an individual experiencing substance use or gambling addictions," the...
  
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• U.S. Strikes What It Calls "Terrorist Targets" in Nigeria

  27-12-2025 15:28 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesPresident Donald Trump said he had ordered the U.S. military to launch "powerful and deadly" strikes against targets of the so-called Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria. The strike comes after months of Trump threatening military action against what he labeled an "existential threat" to Christianity in Nigeria, a claim that the country's government rejects. The U.S. said the strike had been conducted at the request of the Nigerian...
  
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• Why we get hooked on rubbish TV series | Letter

  26-12-2025 17:58
  Prof Craig Jackson explains Imogen West-Knights’ compulsion to view 177 episodes of a TV show she doesn’t even likeImogen West-Knights’ TV viewing habits are more common than many realise (I hate this TV series I’m binge-watching, yet I’m on track to complete all 177 episodes. Why am I doing it?, 15 December). Media is consumed like any other product, and streaming platforms make this process easier than ever. Progress is meticulously logged on screen, offering a se
  
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• Spouses Share Psychiatric Diagnoses Above Chance Levels, Study Finds

  25-12-2025 07:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostThe concept of romantic partners sharing a psychiatric diagnosis is not new. Indeed, between 1964 and 1985 several studies that explored the role of psychiatric diagnoses in romantic choices. However, large cross-cultural investigations have been noticeable absent. Now, a study of more than 6 million people in three countries, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, has found robust evidence of spouses sharing the same psychiatric...
  
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• How Much of Project 2025 Has the White House Achieved This Year?

  25-12-2025 07:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourBefore he was elected president in 2024, Donald Trump said that he had nothing to do with Project 2025, a Christian-nationalist blueprint to remake the U.S. federal government. As this year draws to a close, advocacy organizations, labor unions, and a crowd-sourced effort estimate that his administration has implemented roughly half of the goals laid out in the document's 920 pages, including many related to race, gender, equity, and diversity.
  
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• Revisited: is curiosity the key to ageing well? – podcast

  25-12-2025 06:00
  Psychologists have typically believed that we become less curious as we age, but recent research has shown curiosity actually becomes more targeted and specific in our later years. In this episode from September, Madeleine Finlay hears from Dr Mary Whatley, an assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, and Dr Matthias Gruber of Cardiff University’s Brain Research Imaging Centre to find out why we change in this way, and how maintaining broad curiosity into older age
  
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• Why the Holidays Can Be a Dangerous Time for Victims of Partner Violence

  24-12-2025 09:52 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsThe holiday season can be joyous and foster togetherness, but it can also be difficult for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence, say experts. "Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean that every single person is OK," explains Jennifer Dunn, director of the London Abused Women's Centre. During the holidays, more people are home with free time, which can increase monitoring and control behaviors, leading to more opportunities for.
  
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• Cruise Passengers Face New Climate Change Tax After Court Ruling

  24-12-2025 09:52 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsA federal judge's ruling clears the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help pay for the impacts of climate change, set to begin at the start of 2026. In the nation's first such levy to help cope with a warming planet, Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed legislation in May that is estimated to generate nearly $100 million annually to deal with eroding shorelines, wildfires, and other climate problems.
  
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• Seven Mysterious Languages That Have Yet to Be Deciphered

  24-12-2025 09:51 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesDo you enjoy solving puzzles? What would you do if given a foreign code to decipher but no dictionary or guide to grammar? That is exactly the problem faced by archeologists and linguists with regard to a number of ancient writing systems that remain a mystery to this day. Nor has artificial intelligence been able to crack these codes, because AI usually requires large amounts of data for pattern recognition.
  
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• U.N. Experts Call U.S. Blockade of Venezuela "Illegal Armed Aggression"

  24-12-2025 09:45 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraFour United Nations human rights experts have condemned the partial naval blockade of Venezuela by the United States, describing it as illegal and asking the U.S. Congress to intervene. "There is no right to enforce unilateral sanctions through an armed blockade," the U.N. experts said in a joint statement on Wednesday. "It is also expressly recognized as illegal armed aggression under the General Assembly's 1974 Definition of Aggression," they...
  
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