Psychology news

• What do antidepressants do?

  06-10-2025 17:53 via usatoday.com
  What experts want you to know about this powerful tool.
  
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• Mahzarin Banaji Is Probing the Black Box of Large Language Modules

  27-02-2026 06:59 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Association for Psychological ScienceIn 2023, Mahzarin Banaji was talking with her student Tessa Charlesworth about ChatGPT, and the two decided to ask the AI tool a brief question: "What are your implicit biases?" Banaji is the Harvard professor who co-coined the term "implicit bias" decades ago, and ChatGPT's answer steered her research in a whole new direction. The response was, "I am a white male." Since then, Banaji has been testing whether AI models like ChatGPT harbor...
  
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• Shingles Vaccine May Slow Biological Aging and Cognitive Decline

  26-02-2026 16:59 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA shingles shot might do more than prevent a painful rash—it could help slow down the aging process. In a national study of Americans age 70 and older, those who received the shingles vaccine showed slower biological aging, lower levels of chronic inflammation, and slower changes in gene activity linked to aging, suggesting the vaccine may calm the body's "inflammaging"—the low-grade inflammation tied to heart disease, frailty, and cognitive...
  
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• Polls Show Increasing Concerns About President Trump's Mental Acuity

  26-02-2026 16:59 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthDonald Trump won the 2024 presidential race after his initial opponent, then-President Joe Biden, withdrew over worries about his age and mental sharpness. But now, polls suggest Americans aren't just increasingly unhappy with Mr. Trump's job performance; they're increasingly concerned about his mental capacity as well. The unease is not at the levels it was with Biden, who was 81 when he ended his campaign, but it is growing as Mr. Trump...
  
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• Kansas Invalidates Trans Residents' Driver's Licenses and Birth Certificates

  26-02-2026 16:59 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA new Kansas law requiring transgender residents' state-issued identification to reflect their "sex at birth" went into effect Thursday, invalidating hundreds of driver's licenses and birth certificates. Other states ban trans people from changing the gender on their IDs, but the Kansas law also nullifies previous changes made legally. In addition, the new law allows citizens to sue transgender people for $1,000 if they encounter them breaking...
  
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• Kansas Invalidates Driver's Licenses, Birth Certificates of Trans Residents

  26-02-2026 16:59 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA new Kansas law requiring transgender residents' state-issued identification to reflect their "sex at birth" went into effect Thursday, invalidating hundreds of driver's licenses and birth certificates. Other states ban trans people from changing the gender on their IDs, but the Kansas law also nullifies previous changes made legally. In addition, the new law allows citizens to sue transgender people for $1,000 if they encounter them breaking...
  
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• U.S. Justice Department Sues UCLA Over Anti-Semitism Allegations

  24-02-2026 14:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourThe U.S. Justice Department is suing the University of California Los Angeles over allegations that the school failed to protect Jewish employees from antisemitic harassment amid pro-Palestinian protests that roiled the campus in 2023 and 2024. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in California, is the latest effort by the Trump administration to punish top universities that it says have been soft on antisemitism.
  
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• Senegal Prime Minister Proposes Doubling Jail Terms for Same-Sex Acts

  24-02-2026 14:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesSenegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko unveiled legislation Tuesday to double the maximum penalty for same-sex relations. People are regularly arrested on such charges in traditionalist, Muslim-majority Senegal, where they face a prison sentence of up to five years. The prime minister said the bill changed the penal code to stipulate that any act "of a sexual nature between two people of the same sex constitutes an act against nature."
  
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• Grandiose Narcissists Tend to Show Reduced Neural Sensitivity to Errors

  24-02-2026 14:47 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostTwo studies of students in the U.K. revealed that individuals with pronounced grandiose narcissism—characterized by a strong need for admiration and a tendency toward self-centeredness—tended to show blunted neural activity in response to errors. This blunting appears to be a mechanism that helps narcissists protect and bolster their positive self-views. The research was published in the Journal of Personality.
  
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• MLA Psychology Embarks on a New Chapter in Providing Accessible, High-Quality Mental Health Care in Australia

  23-02-2026 19:51 via pr.com
  MLA Psychology is pleased to announce the launching of something new and exciting that reflects its ongoing commitment to accessible, high-quality mental health care. [PR.com]
  
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• How loose social ties can help heal political division | Eva M Meyersson Milgrom

  22-02-2026 13:00
  Weak connections known as ‘bridge ties’ cross the boundaries that normally structure our lives. We must restore this connective tissueThe first time a woman I’ll call Shoshana went toBrandi Carlile’s music festival, she arrived alone. She had just been through another unsuccessful round of IVF. During one of the songs, about motherhood, she began to cry in the middle of the crowd. Then two women she had never met stepped closer and wordlessly wrapped their arms around her
  
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• Teen Cannabis Use Doubles Psychosis and Bipolar Risk, Study Finds

  22-02-2026 10:11 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthA massive study of over 460,000 adolescents suggests that even occasional cannabis use during teenage years is a major risk factor for severe mental illness. The research followed participants from age 13 through 26, revealing that those who used cannabis were twice as likely to develop psychotic or bipolar disorders, with the disorders typically emerging within two years of initial use, regardless of the teen's prior mental health history.
  
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• Common Pneumonia Bacterium May Fuel Alzheimer’s Disease

  22-02-2026 10:11 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA common bacterium best known for causing pneumonia and sinus infections may also play a surprising role in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that Chlamydia pneumoniae can invade the retina and brain, where it sparks inflammation, nerve cell death, and the buildup of amyloid-beta—the hallmark protein linked to Alzheimer's. Higher levels of the bacterium were found in people with Alzheimer's and were tied to more severe cognitive decline.
  
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• Women and Men Both Show Biases in Rating Responses to Sexual Assault

  22-02-2026 10:10 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostStudies on gender differences in perspective-taking suggest that accuracy may be domain-specific, especially in areas where men and women have divergent experiences. One such domain is sexual violence, where women have disproportionately experienced victimization. Accordingly, a new study finds that men tend to underestimate how upset women would feel after sexual assault by an intimate partner, whereas women tend to overestimate how upset men...
  
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• Remembering Reverend Jesse Jackson, an American Original

  22-02-2026 10:09 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsIn 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson ended his outsider campaign for president with a stirring speech for the history books: "We must never surrender. America will get better and better. Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive!" In a decade when America was turning against big government, Jackson ran on a message of economic support and faith-based compassion for the working class and poor of all backgrounds. He called it his "Rainbow...
  
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• New Research Highlights the Enduring Distinctiveness of Marriage

  22-02-2026 10:08 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostNew research suggests that when given the option between marriage and domestic partnership, same-sex couples in the United States overwhelmingly choose marriage. The findings, based on governmental data as well as national survey results, indicate that marriage retains a distinct and powerful status due to its legal benefits, social clarity, and perceived level of commitment. The new study appears in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
  
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• Ghana Taking Transatlantic Slavery Case to United Nations

  22-02-2026 10:07 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: DW- top storiesGhana's President Mahama has received the African Union's backing to ask the United Nations to recognize transatlantic slavery as the "gravest crime against humanity." With the support of 40 African Union members, Mahama says the "truth about the story of the transatlantic slave trade must be told." It's estimated that over 400 years, 15 million men, women, and children were kidnapped, most of whom were enslaved. Between 1.5 and 2 million died...
  
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• Former Top General Calls Removal of Trans Troops a Costly Mistake

  22-02-2026 10:07 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: NPRAs 71-year-old retired four star Gen. Stanley McChrystal approaches the podium, the room applauds. "I can't believe he's here," someone whispers. Almost as if he heard them, McChrystal says this into the microphone. "First off, we shouldn't be here." The "here" he refers to is a retirement ceremony for five transgender service members who have been forcibly separated from the military under the Trump administration's second ban, which he calls a...
  
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• My cultural awakening: Operation Mincemeat taught me how to cry – now I sob at everything

  21-02-2026 08:00
  A musical number about a woman’s letter to her husband on the second world war frontline unlocked my ability to blub – and made me a happier personI am sure I must have cried as a child, but by the time I was a teenager it had stopped. It was probably a boarding school thing. Very stiff upper lip. My parents are not the most emotionally available human beings, either. I like to tease them by saying: “I love you.” You can see the panic in their eyes. They will normally say
  
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• Tamakio M. Patterson Named a Woman of the Month for February 2026 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized)

  20-02-2026 09:00 via pr.com
  Tamakio M. Patterson of Stockbridge, Georgia, has been named a Woman of the Month for February 2026 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized). This distinction acknowledges her contributions and achievements in healthcare. Patterson will be featured on the P.O.W.E.R. website and in the Spring 2026 issue of P.O.W.E.R. Magazine, alongside other accomplished women who have demonstrated [PR.com]
  
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• What Is a Femcel? The Psychology of Female Celibates

  20-02-2026 06:26 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PsyPostThe term "incel"—short for involuntary celibate—has become a fixture in public discourse, typically referring to men and a male subculture often linked to online misogyny and real-world acts of aggression. However, a parallel but distinct phenomenon has emerged that receives far less attention: the "femcel." Female involuntary celibates, or femcels, are women who feel they are unable to form romantic or sexual relationships despite wishing...
  
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• The Advantages of Human Language Being Messy

  20-02-2026 06:26 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology Human language may seem messy and inefficient compared to the ultra-compact strings of ones and zeros used by computers, but that messiness may actually be beneficial. New research published in Nature Human Behaviour reveals that while digital-style encoding could theoretically compress information more tightly, it would demand far more mental effort from both speaker and listener. Instead, language is built around familiar words and predictable...
  
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• Edward Deci, Pioneering Researcher on Human Motivation, Dies at 83

  20-02-2026 06:26 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Social Psychology Network NewsEdward Deci, whose pioneering research on human motivation shaped generations of scholars, practitioners, and students worldwide, died February 14 at age 83. He was best known for his work on self-determination theory, which he cofounded with his colleague Richard Ryan. The theory became one of the most influential frameworks on human motivation and wellness in contemporary psychology, with its reach extending far beyond academic journals.
  
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• Inside voice: what can our thoughts reveal about the nature of consciousness? – podcast

  20-02-2026 06:00
  Scientists and philosophers studying the mind have discovered how little we know about our inner experiencesWritten and read by Michael Pollan Continue reading...
  
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• Trump's EPA Sued Over Repeal of Landmark Climate Finding

  19-02-2026 14:56 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: The Guardian - Climate CrisisMore than a dozen health and environmental justice nonprofits have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its rollback of the legal finding that previously laid the foundation for U.S. federal climate regulations. Filed in Washington, DC, circuit court, the lawsuit challenges the EPA's repeal of the "endangerment finding," which states that the buildup of heat-trapping pollution in the atmosphere endangers public health and...
  
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• Workers Restore the Philadelphia President's House Slavery Exhibit

  19-02-2026 14:55 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: PBS News HourWorkers on Thursday began restoring an exhibit on the lives of nine enslaved people at former President George Washington's House in Philadelphia amid a legal fight between the city and the Trump administration. In her 40-page opinion, Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe compared President Donald Trump's administration to the totalitarian regime in the dystopian novel "1984," which revised historical records to align with its narrative.
  
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• Microsoft Pledges $50 Billion to Counter Global AI Divide

  19-02-2026 14:55 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsMicrosoft announced Wednesday that it's allocating $50 billion over the next 10 years to combat artificial intelligence inequality in low-income nations. The company said it intends to bridge the AI divide among nations and ensure equal access to its potential benefits. Company officials revealed its plan at the AI Impact Summit in India. Microsoft said the Global North had nearly twice the amount of AI diffusion than the Global South at the end...
  
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• Climate Change Is Accelerating But Nature Seems to Be Slowing Down

  19-02-2026 14:54 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsAs the planet warms, many scientists had expected ecosystems to change faster and faster. Instead, a massive global study suggests that species turnover has slowed by about one-third since the 1970s. As described in a new report published in Nature Communications, this unexpected slowdown may signal something alarming: ecosystems losing the biodiversity needed to remain responsive to external changes in habitat.
  
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• Meta No Longer Designs Apps to Maximize Screentime, CEO Claims

  19-02-2026 14:52 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories NewsDuring a Wednesday court appearance, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed back on a lawyer's suggestion that he had misled Congress about the design of the company's social media platforms, as ‌a landmark trial over youth social media addiction continues. Zuckerberg was questioned on the statements he gave to Congress during a 2024 hearing, when he said the company did not give its teams the goal of maximizing time spent on its apps.
  
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• AI Breakthrough Could Replace Rare Earth Magnets in Electric Vehicles

  19-02-2026 14:52 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top NewsScientists have unleashed artificial intelligence to dramatically speed up the hunt for next-generation magnetic materials. By building a massive, searchable database of 67,573 magnetic compounds—including 25 newly recognized materials that stay magnetic even at high temperatures—the team is opening the door to cheaper, more sustainable technologies. The new resource, called the Northeast Materials Database, was reported in the journal...
  
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