Psychology news

• How can we explain conspiracy theorists? We have some theories | Letters

  10-05-2024 17:59 via theguardian.com
  
  George Monbiot’s conversation with Jason Liosatos got Patrick Cosgrove and Alison Carter thinkingLike George Monbiot, I am puzzled by the contradiction of likeable, otherwise rational people who promote conspiracy fantasies (‘You’re going to call me a Holocaust denier now, are you?’: George Monbiot comes face to face with his local conspiracy theorist, 4 May). George’s explanation that they lack rigour in trying to make sense of the world is a good one, but on its o
  
  Read more

• Stress bragging: why workload boasts are bad for you – and your colleagues

  03-06-2024 15:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Are you in the habit of telling everyone how overstretched you are? A new study has found that it might make you less likable and less competent, while undermining your co-workersName: Stress bragging.Age: As a tactic, ancient; as a term, about three months old. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• How learning about the science of shyness helped me

  02-06-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  I’ve managed to conquer my fears and build great friendshipsOn the day I received an offer from my first-choice university, I expected to feel elation and excitement. I had spent years preparing for this moment, and yet when it came, I felt only dread at the thought of freshers’ week and all the social challenges this would inevitably involve.I had always been something of a shrinking violet and the fact that I now had a close group of friends at school did not helped to assuagemy so
  
  Read more

• Free AI Website Matches Patients with the Most Effective Antidepressant

  02-06-2024 11:33 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA free AI-powered website, www.MeAgainMeds.com, provides clinicians with evidence-based recommendations on the optimal antidepressant for their patients. "Many people with depression must try multiple antidepressants before finding the right one that alleviates their symptoms. Our website reduces the number of medications that patients are asked to try," said Farrokh Alemi, principal investigator and professor at George Mason University.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Admission Criteria for Graduate Psychology Programs Are Changing

  02-06-2024 11:33 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA MonitorOver the last few years, graduate psychology degree programs, both at the master's and doctoral levels, have shifted their admission criteria from an emphasis on standardized testing to components that reflect applicants' experiences. According to the most recent edition of Graduate Study in Psychology, doctoral programs placed the highest importance on letters of recommendation (85%), personal statements (84%), and interviews (74%).
  
  Read more

• Climate Activist Defaces Monet Paining in Paris

  02-06-2024 11:32 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA climate activist has been arrested for defacing a Monet painting at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris to draw attention to climate change, authorities said Sunday. A woman representing Riposte Alimentaire (Food Response) was apprehended after sticking a poster on the French impressionist painting. The poster showed a barren red landscape, and the activist warned that this is what Monet would be painting in 2100 if climate change isn't radically..
  
  Read more

• Impact of Psychology Association's Apology to Indigenous Peoples

  02-06-2024 11:31 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA MonitorWhen APA leaders publicly apologized for psychology's contribution to the harms suffered by Native people, many Native and non-Native psychologists were moved to tears. It was at the 2023 convention for the Society of Indian Psychologists, and those in attendance were experiencing the result of a lengthy effort to change the way APA takes responsibility for its impact on Indigenous people. A year later, significant change finally seems on its...
  
  Read more

• Mediterranean Diet Cuts Mortality Risk by 23%, Study Finds

  01-06-2024 19:19 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthThe Mediterranean diet has long been regarded as a heart-healthy option, but a new study has found the diet may also help lower the risk of death. The study, published in JAMA Network Open Friday, examined 25,315 women over 25 years, finding a higher adherence to the diet—focused on fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains—was linked to a 23% reduced risk of death as well as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• LGBTQ+ Pride Month: Celebrations, Protests, and More

  01-06-2024 19:19 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthPride Month, the worldwide celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights, kicks off Saturday with events around the globe. But this year's festivities in the United States will unfold against a backdrop of dozens of new state laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender young people. Here are some things to know about pride celebrations, their history, and the politics related to them.
  
  Read more

• Vermont Becomes 1st State to Force Oil Firms to Pay for Climate Change

  01-06-2024 18:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Huff Post Environment Vermont has become the first U.S. state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by climate change after the state suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other extreme weather. Republican Governor Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law without his signature Thursday. Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York are considering similar measures despite intense lobbying by the American Petroleum...
  
  Read more

• Mental Health Is Another Battlefront for Ukrainians in Russian War

  01-06-2024 18:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - World NewsMore than two years after Russia launched its invasion, the toll on Ukrainians' mental health continues to climb day-by-day. It affects everyone, from children to soldiers, women who are suddenly single mothers, refugees separated from their families, and elderly men and women who cannot leave. But talking about the mental-health repercussions of the war is uncommon in Ukrainian culture, say experts, which compounds the problem even further.
  
  Read more

• AI May Help Drivers Detect Pedestrians and Obstacles Faster

  01-06-2024 18:37 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsIt's every driver's nightmare: a pedestrian stepping in front of the car seemingly out of nowhere, leaving only a fraction of a second to brake or steer away. Although some cars have camera systems that can alert the driver or trigger emergency braking, these systems are not fast and reliable enough to be used in driverless cars. Now, researchers report in this week's issue of Nature that AI can reliably detect obstacles in as little as 20-30...
  
  Read more

• Three Black Men Sue American Airlines for Racial Discrimination

  30-05-2024 09:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsThree passengers are suing American Airlines after the company allegedly removed eight Black men from a flight due to a complaint about "offensive body odor." Video central to the lawsuit displayed a group of Black men who were not traveling together and did not know each other being removed from the flight. According to the suit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, they were the only Black passengers on the flight.
  
  Read more

• Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Mental Health Risks

  30-05-2024 09:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsA baby's exposure to air pollution while in the womb is associated with the development of certain mental health problems once the child reaches adolescence, finds a study published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open. Researchers hypothesize that pollution might negatively affect mental health through a variety of pathways, including by compromising the blood-brain barrier, promoting neuroinflammation, and directly damaging brain tissue.
  
  Read more

• Landmark: First Full Chromosome Sequences of Non-Human Primates

  30-05-2024 09:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google NewsResearchers have generated the first complete chromosome sequences of non-human primates. Published in Nature, these sequences uncover remarkable variation among the Y chromosomes of six different great ape species, revealing species diversity and insights into evolution. Because these primate species are the closest living relatives to humans, the new sequences can also provide insights into human evolution.
  
  Read more

• Study Identifies Brain Network Associated With Stuttering

  30-05-2024 09:46 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsStuttering is a neurological condition, not a psychological one, and scientists in Finland now believe they've found the disrupted brain network that may cause it. The study, published May 27 in the journal Brain, examined brain scans of 20 adults who developed a stutter after a stroke, as well as 20 scans of stutterers who did not have a stroke. Researchers estimate that 5-10% of children will develop a stutter, and 1% of adults struggle with...
  
  Read more

• Should we follow Lily Allen – and let our partner control our smartphone? | Arwa Mahdawi

  29-05-2024 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Allen’s husband decides the apps she is allowed to use and she decides his. It’s one of many approaches people are taking to try to ditch social media and unbreak their brainsAn annoying thing about being a parent is that you have to consistently model good behaviour. You can’t just shove crisps in your mouth and stare at your phone when you need a break.I’ve always spent an unhealthy amount of time staring at my phone, but I didn’t worry about my habit until I had
  
  Read more

• Toward a More Inclusive + Accessible Positive Psychology

  28-05-2024 19:41 via positivepsychologynews.com
  By Abimbola Tschetter -
  Disability and illness are both words that focus on deficits rather than strengths. Not only are the people who possess these conditions regarded in terms of deficits, but their needs are also overlooked. Regrettably, they are commonly excluded from considerations of optimal functioning and human flourishing.Positive psychology, distinguished by its focus on augmenting strengths rather than the abating deficits, offers potential to shift perceptions of disability and chro
  
  Read more

• Vatican Apologizes for Pope Francis' Use of Homophobic Slur

  28-05-2024 09:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthPope Francis has apologized for using an anti-gay slur during a meeting with bishops. The 87-year-old pontiff reportedly made the homophobic remark in a closed-door meeting on May 20 as he told Italian bishops that gay men shouldn't be allowed to train for the priesthood, adding that some of the seminaries already had an air of frociaggine—an offensive Italian term that translates roughly into the English term "f******y." On Tuesday, the...
  
  Read more

• LGBTQ Indians Are More Accepted Than Ever, But Not in Politics

  28-05-2024 09:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesIn 2014, India's Supreme Court officially recognized transgender people and their rights to welfare and other government benefits. Four years later, it scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex. And over half of Indian adults now believe same-sex marriage should be legal. Yet LGBTQ Indians cannot assume progress, given last year's court decision not to legalize same-sex unions. And this year, no major political party has fielded an openly LGBTQ...
  
  Read more

• Armenians, Hmong, and Others Object to U.S. Race and Ethnicity Categories

  28-05-2024 09:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: ABC News - PoliticsThe U.S. government recently reclassified race and ethnicity groups in an effort to better capture the diversity of the country, but some groups feel the changes miss the mark. Hmong, Armenian, Black Arab, and Brazilian communities in the U.S. say they are not represented accurately. While the revisions were widely applauded, these groups say the changes have created a tension between how the government classifies them and how they identify...
  
  Read more

• The problem with the nudge effect: it can make you buy more carrots – but it can’t make you eat them

  27-05-2024 18:18 via theguardian.com
  
  It has long been thought that psychological tactics can persuade consumers to adopt much healthier habits. But it turns out there is a hitch …Name: Behavioural nudges.Age: Nudge theory was popularised by the 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. But the term nudge had been used in cybernetics, the science of communications and automatic control systems, in the 1990s. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Want to Keep Your Brain Sharp? Here Are 5 Things You Can Do

  27-05-2024 17:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Health NewsExperts say that cognitive health is about much more than forgetting someone's name or where you put your phone. It's also about focus and concentration, judgment and intuition, and learning. Fortunately, studies have shown there are lots of things we can do to help our brains stay sharp—from exercise to sleeping well to maintaining social connections. Here are some specific tips.
  
  Read more

• First Pill for Postpartum Depression Finally Reaching Patients

  27-05-2024 17:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked zuranolone in 2017—a step taken for drugs that could treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. In clinical trials, it was shown to improve symptoms of severe postpartum depression such as anxiety, difficulty sleeping, loss of pleasure, low energy, and social withdrawal, in some cases within three days. Supplies of the pill are finally now available, and early results are...
  
  Read more

• AI-Powered Hate Content on the Rise, Experts Warn

  27-05-2024 17:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsThe video is of a real historical event—a speech given by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in 1939—but with the help of artificial intelligence, Hitler delivers his antisemitic remarks in English. After being posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, the clip then racked up more than 15 million views earlier this year in a trend that researchers and organizations have flagged as worrying: a rise in AI-generated hate.
  
  Read more

• The Big Idea: why you shouldn’t be afraid of being a mess

  27-05-2024 13:30 via theguardian.com
  
  We fear others’ judgment, but the evidence tells us that the things which cause us shame can make us more likableWe all carry some secrets that we would rather not share with the people around us. In much the same way that we may only invite visitors into the “good rooms” of our house while the rest is an absolute tip, we often hide the chaos of our personal lives behind a polished facade. This may be a serious mistake, since it’s precisely those 
  
  Read more

• Readers reply: why are bodies of water so calming?

  26-05-2024 15:00 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, VancouverSend new questions to [email protected]. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Music helps you get fit – but the right mix will keep you coming back…

  26-05-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Finding tunes with a tempo and rhythm to match your heart rate can help youkeep the pace when you exercise – and make it more enjoyableAnyone who’s ever hefted a dumbbell or laced up a running shoe understands that music, on some level, makes the process more enjoyable. That’s why tunes and training are a hit combination: there are playlists, classes and even entire fledgling genres promising to help you push for the burn.Broadly speaking, there are two ways music can help you
  
  Read more

• U.N. Declares July 11 Srebrenica Genocide Remembrance Day

  25-05-2024 17:40 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportThe United Nations General Assembly declared July 11 an international day of remembrance of the Srebrenica genocide in a vote on Thursday that survivors branded as historic and Serbs as a failure, reflecting deep ethnic divisions in Bosnia. The massacre of about 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in 1995, after the U.N. safe zone of Srebrenica was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces, was widely seen at the time as Europe's worst atrocity since World...
  
  Read more

• Transitioning Gender Identities Is Not Linked with Depression

  25-05-2024 17:40 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyA landmark longitudinal study of LGBTQ+ youths has found that transitioning gender identities is not associated with depression and that about 1 in 3 gender-minority youths change their gender identity more than once. In fact, the study found higher rates of depression among transgender youths are more closely associated with bullying and victimization. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Psychology on Twitter!