Psychology news

• Feeling Loved in Everyday Life Linked with Improved Well-Being

  26-11-2019 16:19 via feeds.socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthResearchers find that people who experience higher 'felt love' -- brief experiences of love and connection in everyday life -- also have significantly higher levels of psychological well-being, which includes feelings of purpose and optimism, compared to those who had lower felt love scores.
  
  Read more

• Nighttime Heat Significantly Increases the Risk of Stroke

  22-05-2024 19:11 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthClimate change is generating more and more extreme weather events. These include extremely hot, so-called "tropical nights." Now, a study of approximately 11,000 strokes over 15 years suggests that night-time heat may come with a price. The analysis found that extreme heat at night increases the risk of stroke by 7%, and that elderly people and women are especially at risk. The report appears in European Heart Journal.
  
  Read more

• European Council Approves "Risk-Based" AI Regulations

  22-05-2024 19:11 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsThe European Council gave final clearance Tuesday far a "risk-based approach" for regulating the use of artificial intelligence. Under the Artificial Intelligence Act, the bloc will gauge use of AI, with higher risk implementations facing stricter rules. The act was described as a "first of its kind" standard, which the European Union said would encourage "safe and trustworthy" AI systems across the market in public and private sectors.
  
  Read more

• Risk for Psychosis Skyrockets Among Teens Who Use Cannabis

  22-05-2024 10:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsDoctors have long known that excessive marijuana use can trigger psychosis, especially in the young. But new research suggests the link is stronger that ever imagined before. Teens who use cannabis face 11 times the odds for a psychotic episode compared to teens who abstain from the drug, new research has found. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Psychological Medicine.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• What Scarlett Johansson v. OpenAI Could Look Like in Court

  22-05-2024 10:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google NewsIn a product demo last week, OpenAI showcased a synthetic but expressive voice for ChatGPT called "Sky" that reminded many viewers of the flirty AI girlfriend Samantha played by Scarlett Johansson in the 2013 film Her. One of those viewers was Johansson herself, who promptly hired legal counsel and sent letters to OpenAI demanding an explanation. In response, the company on Sunday halted use of Sky and denied trying to imitate Ms. Johansson's...
  
  Read more

• U.S. President Says That Israel's War in Gaza Is Not Genocide

  22-05-2024 10:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportU.S. President Joe Biden strongly defended Israel on Monday, saying that Israeli forces are not committing genocide in their military campaign against Hamas militants in Gaza, rejecting criticism from pro-Palestinian protesters. "What's happening in Gaza is not genocide. We reject that," Biden said at a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House. He described U.S. support for the safety and security of Israelis as "ironclad."
  
  Read more

• Stress Can Trigger Skin Problems, But Dermatologists Have Advice

  22-05-2024 10:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthThere are many ways mental health affects physical health, but did you know that stress can alter how our skin looks and feels? Stress releases hormones such as cortisol, which can raise oil gland production and result in acne and clogged pores. Stress can also affect your skin barrier, drying skin and leading to flares of eczema or psoriasis. And stress can break down collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles. Fortunately, dermatologists have...
  
  Read more

• Microsoft's AI Chatbot Will "Recall" Everything You Do on a PC

  22-05-2024 10:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportMicrosoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next. The software giant on Monday revealed a new class of AI-imbued personal computers as it competes with Big Tech rivals in developing generative AI technology that can compose documents, make images, and serve as a lifelike personal assistant at work...
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The big idea: the simple trick that can sabotage your critical thinking

  20-05-2024 13:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Influencers and politicians use snappy cliches to get you on side – but you can fight fire with fireSince the moment I learned about the concept of the “thought-terminating cliche” I’ve been seeing them everywhere I look: in televised political debates, in flouncily stencilled motivational posters, in the hashtag wisdom that clogs my social media feeds. Coined in 1961 by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, the phrase describes a catchy platitude aimed at shutting down or bypa
  
  Read more

• ‘I was 49 when I had my last drink’: Harriet Tyce

  19-05-2024 16:00 via theguardian.com
  
  After drinking and making a fool of herself for 35 years, the writer realised that’s not how she wanted to be rememberedHow do you know someone has stopped drinking? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. The old vegan joke comes into my mind a lot as yet again I start talking about how my life has transformed since I gave up booze. But people mostly humour me, sometimes even seek me out. It’s amazing the number of conversations I’ve had at parties where friends with whom I
  
  Read more

• Decision Making Linked to Composition of Gut Microbiota

  19-05-2024 15:21 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthThe way we make decisions in a social context can be explained by psychological, social, and political factors. But what if other forces are at work? Hilke Plassmann and her colleagues from the Paris Brain Institute and the University of Bonn show that changes in gut microbiota are associated with our sensitivity to fairness and how we treat others. Their findings are published in the May 14 issues of the journal PNAS Nexus.
  
  Read more

• Why are bodies of water so calming?

  19-05-2024 15:01 via theguardian.com
  
  The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical conceptsWhy are bodies of water so calming? In my experience, this is true whether they are placid or tempestuous. Mary Vogel, VancouverPost your answers (and new questions) below or send them to [email protected]. A selection will be published next Sunday. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Prof Andrea Mechelli: ‘People who live near green space are less likely to struggle with mental health issues’

  19-05-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The scientist leading a study into how the urban environment affects our wellbeing on the surprising and lasting psychological benefits of even just a small dose of natureAndrea Mechelli, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, is professor of early intervention in mental health at King’s College London. He is the project lead on Urban Mind, a research study co-developed with arts foundation Nomad Projects and landscape architects J&L Gibbons which since 2018 has been looking at ho
  
  Read more

• I have taken babies from their mothers. After my son was born I feared it was my turn to be punished | Ariane Beeston

  18-05-2024 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Four days after my child was born, I began experiencing postpartum psychosis. What I learned changed my lifeThe first time I start hallucinating I am home, alone, with my baby. Drunk from lack of sleep I watch as his features morph in and out of shape. I take photo after photo, trying to capture what I see.A few days later, while I am pushing the pram outside, it happens again. I pull the hood down to hide my baby from prying eyes. I no longer know who I can trust.I am dead, I am dead. And becau
  
  Read more

• U.S. Issues Worldwide Alert Warning of Anti-LGBTQ Violence

  17-05-2024 18:50 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - World NewsThe United States issued a worldwide alert Friday warning of "the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests." The warning is a result of intelligence citing threats by ISIS against Pride events in parts of Europe, sources told CBS News. June is PRIDE month with events and celebrations in much of the Western world, including the U.S. The last major ISIS attack was in March in Moscow,...
  
  Read more

• Former OpenAI Leader Says Safety Taking Backseat to "Shiny Products"

  17-05-2024 18:50 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportA former OpenAI leader who resigned from the company earlier this week said Friday that safety has "taken a backseat to shiny products" at the artificial intelligence company. Jan Leike, who worked alongside a company co-founder who also resigned this week, wrote that building "smarter-than-human machines is an inherently dangerous endeavor" and that the company "is shouldering an enormous responsibility on behalf of all of humanity."
  
  Read more

• Government Tells Schools in England Not to Teach About Gender Identity

  16-05-2024 09:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: BBC News - UK PoliticsSchools in England should not teach about gender identity, according to new draft guidance from government officials. Government sources told BBC News on Wednesday about plans to ban sex education for under-nines, as well as teaching about gender identity. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new guidance would ensure children were not "exposed to disturbing content," but teachers have said there is no evidence of a widespread problem.
  
  Read more

• Climate Change May Worsen Stroke, Migraine, Alzheimer's

  16-05-2024 09:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsClimate change is likely to make brain conditions like stroke, migraine, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis even worse, a new review warns. The potential effects of a changing climate is likely to be substantial on a range of neurological conditions, researchers report Wednesday in The Lancet Neurology journal. For the review, researchers analyzed data from 332 studies published between 1968 and 2023.
  
  Read more

• Gov. Ron Desantis Signs Law Erasing Climate Change From Florida Policy

  16-05-2024 09:36 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsWith summer's extreme heat and this year's hurricane season rolling into Florida next month, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation Wednesday that will erase the words "climate change" from state statutes effective July 1. The new law aims to ensure the availability of "energy for the state in a manner that promotes the health and welfare of the public and economic growth," according to the Florida House of Representatives legislative analysis.
  
  Read more

• Cognitive Decline Rates Higher Among Older Native Americans

  16-05-2024 09:36 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsHigh rates of blood vessel-damaging conditions like hypertension or diabetes may be driving up rates of cognitive decline and dementia among older American Indians, new research suggests. The study, based on data from nearly 400 participants followed more than 30 years, found that 54% of American Indians ages 72 to 95 had some form of impairment in their thinking and/or memory skills. The report appeared Wednesday in the journal Alzheimer's &..
  
  Read more

• 90% of Floridians Believe Climate Change Is Happening

  16-05-2024 09:36 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyThe latest "Florida Climate Resilience Survey" found that 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is happening. Belief in human-caused climate change has surged among Florida Independents while slipping to 40% among Republicans, down from 45% last fall. The survey also found that 68% of respondents want state government to do more about climate change, and 69% want the federal government to do more.
  
  Read more

• AI, algorithms and apps: can dating be boiled down to a science? – podcast

  16-05-2024 06:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Last week the founder of the dating app Bumble forecasted a near future dating landscape where AI ‘dating concierges’ filter out prospective partners for us. But does AI, or even science, really understand what makes two people compatible? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Amie Gordon, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, to find out what we know about why two people go the distance, and why she’s designing her own dating app to learn more.Clips: BloombergR
  
  Read more

• One bad rumour can affect how children view each other, study finds

  15-05-2024 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Seven-year-olds trusted good gossip if it came from multiple sources but the bad only had to be heard onceIn the ruthless world of the primary school playground, one bad rumour is enough to make children wary of another, new research suggests.Psychologists who studied gossip in seven-year-olds found that the children trusted good rumours when they came from several sources, but could be swayed by bad rumours they heard only once. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Celebrate, remember and reframe: the therapy sessions healing South Africa’s women

  14-05-2024 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  As the trauma of apartheid, crime and violence continue to ripple through society, a counselling initiative by Tree of Life creator Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilois helping ease the painRed curtains and ceiling drapes create a pink-tinged glow inside the run-down community centre, an hour south of Johannesburg, where Palesa Hlohlolo tells her neighbours about her experiences of domestic violence.“I’m not a punching bag and I’ll never be one. For anyone,” she says, grabbing a tissue
  
  Read more

• OpenAI Launches GPT-o, With New Humanlike Capabilities

  13-05-2024 17:53 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportOpenAI's latest update to its artificial intelligence model can mimic emotional human speech and even detect people's moods. The effect conjures up images of the 2013 Spike Jonze movie "Her," in which a man falls in love with an artificially intelligent operating system, leading to some complications. The new system, dubbed GPT-4o (the o is short for "omni"), works faster than previous GPTs and can reason across text, audio, and video in real...
  
  Read more

• Illness Took Away Her Voice. AI Cloned a Replica She Carries in Her Phone

  13-05-2024 17:52 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportThe voice Alexis "Lexi" Bogan had before last summer was exuberant. The 21-year-old loved to belt out Taylor Swift ballads in the car and debate politics with friends over a backyard fire pit. In high school, she was a soprano in the chorus. Then, in August, doctors removed a life-threatening brain tumor, and her voice was gone. But last month, she got it back—not her original voice, but a clone generated by artificial intelligence.
  
  Read more

• Internet use is associated with greater wellbeing, global study finds

  13-05-2024 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Researcher cautions against ‘one-size-fits-all solutions’ amid growing debate over impact, particularly on young peopleSpending time online is often portrayed as something to avoid, but research suggests internet use is associated with greater wellbeing in people around the world.The potential impact on wellbeing of the internet, and social media in particular, has become a matter of intense debate. “Our analysis is the first to test whether or not internet access, mobile inter
  
  Read more

• If a chronic health condition is making you feel guilty for not being ‘perfect’, try some self-compassion | Gaynor Parkin and Amanda Wallis

  12-05-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ask yourself how you would respond if your best friend were in the same situation. You wouldn’t think any worse of her, would you?The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work“I was so looking forward to the night out and celebrating with my friends. The restaurant reassured me over and over the food was gluten free, and then came back to say the noodles weren’t after I’d already eaten some! I was really freaked out;
  
  Read more

• If a chronic health condition is making you feel guilty for not being ‘perfect’, try some self-compassion | Gaynor Parkin

  12-05-2024 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ask yourself how you would respond if your best friend were in the same situation. You wouldn’t think any worse of her, would you?The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work“I was so looking forward to the night out and celebrating with my friends. The restaurant reassured me over and over the food was gluten free, and then came back to say the noodles weren’t after I’d already eaten some! I was really freaked out;
  
  Read more

• ‘Money pervades everything’: the psychotherapist delving into our deep anxiety about finances

  12-05-2024 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Do you find it hard to budget or, conversely, difficult to spend? Vicky Reynal reveals what our financial choices reveal about our psyches – and what can be done to ease our money worriesI am a generous tipper. I’ve always thought, to the extent that I have thought about it at all, that this is a positive trait. Recently, however, I’ve begun to wonder. Is it normal to feel a deep sense of anxiety after ordering a takeaway pizza, then realising there is no change in the house? D
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Psychology on Twitter!