Psychology news

• Does a Reliance on AI Weaken Our Cognitive Skills?

  02-07-2026 13:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA MonitorIn many areas of work and life, generative AI tools offer such great gains in efficiency that using them is hard to resist, which raises a question: Will relying on AI weaken our cognitive skills, or can it enhance them? While early research suggested that certain skills might weaken, recent studies paint a more complex picture. Passive use can lead to skill decay, but more structured, deliberate use may actually boost critical thinking and...
  
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• APA to Launch the Center for Behavioral Science and AI

  02-07-2026 13:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA MonitorArtificial intelligence is developing at a pace that few of us fully anticipated—reshaping how we work, how we learn, how we relate to one another, and how we make decisions that affect millions of lives. And yet, in the rush to build faster, smarter, and more capable systems, something critical has been missing: the science of human behavior. To help fill that gap, the American Psychological Association is launching the Center for Behavioral...
  
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• America 500? What the U.S. Will Look Like in Another 250 Years

  02-07-2026 13:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsJust four years after he signed the Declaration of Independence—but before the colonies would win the war that granted their freedom—Benjamin Franklin was already thinking about the future. Franklin wrote a letter in 1780 to his close friend Joseph Priestley, the scientist who discovered oxygen, lamenting being born at the beginning of the scientific revolution. He dreamed not just of what the U.S. and world would look like in 250 years but...
  
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• Scientists Find Surprising Connection Between Vitamin C and Brain Health

  02-07-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthCould something as simple as vitamin C help support a healthier aging brain? In a study of more than 2,000 older adults in Japan, researchers found that people with lower vitamin C levels in their blood also tended to have less gray matter and weaker connections in a key brain network involved in memory, attention, and other cognitive functions. The results were published on June 10 in the open access journal PLOS One.
  
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• Nearly 3 in 4 U.S. Scam Victims Report Mental Health Harm, Poll Finds

  02-07-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source:Al JazeeraA tenth of adults in the U.S. directly or indirectly experienced a scam last year, adversely affecting their financial and emotional well-being, according to a new Gallup poll. The report by Gallup released on Tuesday indicated that 6% of U.S. adults were personally scammed in 2025, and 4% experienced a scam indirectly, with someone in their household affected. Gallup noted that scams can also leave victims more cautious and less likely to shop...
  
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• Huge Study Links Teen Marijuana Use to Serious Mental Illness

  02-07-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthTeens who use cannabis may face a substantially greater risk of developing serious mental health conditions, including psychotic and bipolar disorders, according to a study of more than 463,000 adolescents. Researchers found cannabis use often preceded these diagnoses by nearly two years, strengthening concerns about its long-term effects on developing brains. The results appear in the journal JAMA Health Forum.
  
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• Brain Activity Under Anesthesia Challenges Theories of Consciousness

  02-07-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology The unconscious brain appears to be far more capable than commonly thought. Scientists have now found that patients under general anesthesia can still process language—distinguishing nouns, verbs, and adjectives while listening to stories. Even more remarkably, neural activity shows signs of predicting upcoming words before they are heard. The results challenge traditional ideas about consciousness and hint at new possibilities for...
  
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• Advocates Warn That Trump Actions May Signal Loss of Disability Rights

  02-07-2026 08:06 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS EducationFor decades, disabled people in the U.S. have fought for their rights to go to school and live alongside peers without disabilities—rights that may be losing ground under the Trump administration. Recently, the Department of Education announced it would shift oversight of special education to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, whose views on the limits of disabilities such as autism have drawn sharp rebukes from advocates and lawmakers.
  
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