Psychology news

• Screen time may slow learning skills

  06-07-2025 00:06 via healthday.com
  Young children learn best when they can touch, explore and play with real objects.
  
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• Women and Girls Bear Brunt of Water Shortages Globally, U.N. Reports

  19-03-2026 09:35
  Source: The Guardian - Climate CrisisWomen and girls are bearing the brunt of water shortages and a lack of sanitation around the world, hindering the economic and social development of poorer countries, the United Nations has warned. Women are responsible for collecting water in more than 70% of rural households that do not have access to water mains across the developing world. Globally, women and girls spend 250 million hours a day collecting water—a problem made worse by...
  
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• Canada to Launch AI and Culture Advisory Council

  19-03-2026 09:35
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Canadian NewsCanada announced a new advisory council to help protect its creative industries from rapid advancements in AI, as the first National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture wrapped up in Banff on Tuesday. The Advisory Council on AI and Culture—a joint venture between Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture—will consist of 12 rotating members across creative and
  
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• A Nordic Nation Is the World's Happiest Country for the Ninth Year in a Row

  19-03-2026 09:35
  Source: Google News - HealthIf happiness were an Olympic event, Nordic countries would be guaranteed a spot on the podium. Actually, all three spots on the podium. According to the World Happiness Report, which is compiled by researchers at the University of Oxford, the three happiest countries in the world are Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Finland was named the happiest country for a record 9th time in a row, with Iceland at number 2 and Denmark number 3.
  
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• Your Daily Coffee May Be Protecting Your Brain, 43-Year Study Finds

  18-03-2026 10:24
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsYour morning coffee or tea could be quietly supporting your brain health. A long-term study found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and better cognitive performance over time. The benefits appeared strongest at 2–3 cups of coffee or 1–2 cups of tea daily—and even held true for people genetically predisposed to dementia. The new findings were recently published in the journal JAMA.
  
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• The Cognitive Cost of Frequent Smartphone Notifications

  18-03-2026 10:23
  Source: PsyPostA new study has found that receiving a smartphone notification disrupts a person's concentration for an average of about seven seconds. The research, published in Computers in Human Behavior, suggests that the frequency of checking a phone and the volume of notifications received are better predictors of distraction than total daily screen time. The findings also suggest that digital habits play a significant role in how technology affects human...
  
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• An AI "Val Kilmer" Is Set to Posthumously Appear in New Movie

  18-03-2026 10:23
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - World NewsIn one of the boldest uses yet of artificial intelligence in moviemaking, a generative AI version of deceased actor Val Kilmer. First Line Films announced Wednesday that Kilmer's likeness has joined the cast of As Deep as the Grave. The producers said that, before his death, Kilmer had signed on to perform in the movie but was unable to because of his health. Kilmer's estate gave permission for his digital replication and is being compensated...
  
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• International Olympic Committee Urged to Drop Reported Gender Test Plans

  18-03-2026 06:20
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - World NewsMore than 80 human rights and sport advocacy groups released a joint statement Tuesday calling on the ‌International Olympic Committee to end reported plans to introduce genetic sex testing for female athletes and impose a ban on transgender and intersex competitors. "Gender policing and exclusion harms all women and girls and undermines the very dignity and fairness the IOC claims ‌to uphold," said the executive director of the Sport &
  
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• Evidence Weak That Cannabis Is an Effective Mental Health Treatment

  18-03-2026 06:20
  Source: NPRAlong with chronic pain, mental health conditions are some of the top reasons people use marijuana for medical purposes. But a sweeping review of cannabis studies over the past 45 years concludes there is little to no high-quality evidence showing this practice is effective. The findings, published in the medical journal The Lancet Psychiatry, underscore the extent to which the public's embrace of cannabis has outpaced the scientific research.
  
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• Closing Your Eyes Could Muffle Your Hearing in Noisy Settings

  18-03-2026 06:20
  Source: Google News - HealthIt's a common practice: to hear a faint sound better, we squeeze our eyes shut. Yet new research suggests this strategy actually backfires in noisy environments. By monitoring brain activity via EEG, researchers found that closing your eyes triggers a state of "neural criticality" that causes the brain to over-filter sound, silencing the very thing you are trying to hear. The study was published this week in the Journal of the Acoustical Society...
  
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• Just 24 Minutes of Music Can Reduce Anxiety, Study Finds

  16-03-2026 16:28
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA clinical trial found that listening to specially designed music with auditory beat stimulation can significantly reduce anxiety. Among several listening lengths tested, a 24-minute session delivered the biggest benefits, easing both mental and physical symptoms of anxiety. The results suggest there may be an ideal "dose" of therapeutic music that works quickly without requiring long listening sessions. The report appears in the journal PLOS...
  
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• India's Parliament Adds an Openly LGBTQ+ Voice for the First Time

  16-03-2026 16:28
  Source: DW- top storiesThe election of Menaka Guruswamy to India's upper house of parliament marks a significant moment for LGBTQ+ visibility in the country's political life. Guruswamy is a constitutional lawyer educated at the University of Oxford, Harvard Law School, and India University. Now, she has become India's first openly queer member of parliament and has said she will stand for "equality, fraternity and non-discrimination."
  
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• Watching Violent Video Game Characters May Fuel Implicit Biases

  15-03-2026 07:07
  Source: PsyPostWhen people watch violent video game characters, the race of those digital avatars can shape the viewers' racial biases in real life. A recent experiment published in the International Journal of Psychology found that seeing a Black character perform violent acts increased unconscious prejudice among White participants. Black participants actually reported lower levels of overt racism after watching the same footage.
  
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• People Often Overestimate Backlash of Changing Their Political Beliefs

  15-03-2026 07:07
  Source: PsyPostA new study suggests that people consistently overestimate how much their political peers will judge them for changing their minds on polarizing issues. This inflated fear of rejection then leads them to hide their shifting views. The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, provides evidence that the social penalty for political dissent within one's own party is generally much milder than expected.
  
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• Millions of Kids Take Melatonin, But Doctors Are Raising Red Flags

  15-03-2026 07:05
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthMelatonin is now widely used to help children sleep, but scientists say the enthusiasm may be getting ahead of the evidence. A major review found clear benefits for children with conditions like autism and ADHD, yet far less research exists on typical childhood insomnia. Researchers also warn about accidental ingestions among young kids. Experts say melatonin should be used carefully and only alongside proven behavioral sleep strategies.
  
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• TJ Woodward Debuts “Unharmable,” a New Talk Show Challenging Traditional Narratives Around Trauma and Healing

  14-03-2026 16:35 via pr.com
  Unharmable with TJ Woodward is a talk show and podcast exploring the idea that beneath trauma, conditioning, and life experiences there is an essential part of us that remains whole and untouched. Through conversations with therapists, thought leaders, and innovators, TJ Woodward invites listeners into a new conversation about healing, moving beyond brokenness and rediscovering the unharmable essence within. [PR.com]
  
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• Toxic people in your life may have a hidden health impact

  14-03-2026 01:25 via foxnews.com
  Difficult family members and friends accelerate biological aging, research reveals.
  
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• Want to Reduce Your Dementia Risk? Try This Brain Training Game

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: Google News - HealthRegular exercise, a Mediterranean diet, and an hour of video games? According to new research, that could be the perfect prescription for dementia prevention. A new study from Johns Hopkins found that one type of brain-training computer game may help reduce dementia risk by up to 25%. What's more, that protective effect appears to last for decades after completing just a few months of exercises. Here are the details and a chance to try it...
  
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• Single Workout Sparks Brain Ripples in Humans

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: Google News - HealthWe've long known that exercise is good for the brain, but a groundbreaking study suggests one reason why. For the first time in humans, researchers found that a single 20-minute session on a stationary bike triggers a burst of high-frequency brain waves called ripples. These ripples originate in the hippocampus and surge toward the regions responsible for learning and recall, rapidly reshaping brain networks used for thinking and memory.
  
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• Official Resigns Over Owning Signed Copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Canadian NewsA Canadian official, Bob Gale, abruptly resigned just hours after local anti-racism groups demanded he apologize for owning a signed copy of Adolf Hitler's infamous manifesto, Mein Kampf. A spokesperson of one group said Mr. Gale needed to "apologize for owning one of the most notorious pieces of antisemitic hate." Hitler was the leading architect of the Holocaust, in which six million Jewish people were murdered along with millions of other..
  
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• Kansas Driver's License Law Leaves Some of Trans Resients in ID Limbo

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA new state law in Kansas has invalidated the driver's licenses and other government-issued documents of transgender residents. No law has ever retroactively invalidated legally-obtained documents before. A few states prohibit trans people from changing gender markers, but they don't invalidate previous licenses. The new law also orders the state registrar to "correct" birth certificates that do not match the state's binary definition of male...
  
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• EU States Must Provide Proper ID for Transgender Citizens

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: DW- top storiesThe European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Thursday ruled that European Union nations must provide transgender citizens with identification documents reflecting their "lived gender" rather than their gender at birth. Bulgaria's Supreme Court of Cassation referred the case to the ECJ, saying it was unclear whether Bulgaria could issue such documentation. The court's ruling emphasized that European Union law supersedes national law across member...
  
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• A Surprising Blood Protein Pattern May Reveal Alzheimer's Disease

  13-03-2026 15:46
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA new study suggests Alzheimer's disease may be detectable through shape changes in proteins found in the blood. Researchers found that structural differences in three blood proteins closely track the progression of the disease. By analyzing these changes in more than 500 people, the team was able to distinguish healthy individuals from those with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's with impressive accuracy, which could move up diagnosis...
  
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• Listening to Spravato™ Publishes a New Standard for Music‑Assisted Support in Esketamine Treatment

  12-03-2026 15:25 via pr.com
  Listening to Spravato™, a guide to music‑assisted support for esketamine treatment, is now available in print and digital formats. Written by jazz musician and technologist Justin Page, the book introduces a practical, safety‑forward framework for using music to enhance patient stability, emotional grounding, and therapeutic outcomes during Spravato® sessions. [PR.com]
  
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• 5 ways to resist the urge to keep looking at your phone

  12-03-2026 05:00 via npr.org
  Find effective ways to resist that constant urge to keep picking up your phone.
  
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• Study Finds Single Dose of Psilocybin Helps Smokers Quit

  11-03-2026 07:08
  Source: NPRThe long-running campaign against smoking could find support from research on psychedelics. Though much of the attention around psychedelics has focused on depression and other mental health conditions, researchers believe these substances also hold the potential to transform addiction treatment. A new study makes the strongest case yet for a psychedelic drug's impact on smoking, which remains the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
  
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• Anthropic Sues Trump Administration for Retaliation Over Safety Rules

  11-03-2026 07:08
  Source: NPRThe tech firm Anthropic filed two federal lawsuits on Monday against the Trump administration alleging that Pentagon officials illegally retaliated after the company said it would not allow its Claude AI model to be used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance of American citizens. The lawsuit says the administration's decision to block all Pentagon suppliers from using Claude was an effort to punish the company over its AI safety guardrails.
  
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• Young Africans score higher than Americans on ‘mind health

  11-03-2026 05:00 via cnbc.com
  Why young people in the U.S. are doing so much worse, and what policymakers and parents can do to improve their ability to function.
  
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• Now we have proof: dealing with difficult people really does age you

  09-03-2026 18:49
  Researchers have found evidence of what many of us always suspected: ‘hasslers’ shorten your lifespan. And they know by exactly how longName: Hasslers.Age: More like ageing. Continue reading...
  
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• I spent a day trying the 90-second rule – and it didn’t make me less angry | Emma Beddington

  09-03-2026 12:00
  Our physiological response to emotions apparently lasts just a minute and a half. But there’s an embarrassing episode from 2009 that still makes me sweatI’ve just discovered the “90-second rule”, a concept neuroanatomist Dr Jill Bolte Taylor explored in her book, Whole Brain Living, back in 2021. That’s how long our physiological response to emotions such as anger lasts, from the time we formulate a thought to the point at which our blood is “completely clean&
  
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