The Best of PsyPost.org

Despite media narratives about "P(doom)" and robotic takeovers, a new study reveals that the general public is actually quite optimistic about artificial intelligence and its potential impact on…

Video games offer adults a popular way to unwind, but new research shows that playing to win is linked to higher anxiety. The findings reveal how gaming motivations differ by gender and shape our…

A recent study published in Collabra: Psychology suggests that crying does not universally improve a person's mood. Instead, the emotional aftermath of shedding tears depends almost entirely on the…

Trying to drown out a noisy street with pink noise? You might be making things worse. New research indicates combining environmental noise with continuous pink noise degrades overall sleep…

Reducing social media use to an hour a day tends to lower loneliness in young adults with depression, a study in the Journal of Affective Disorders suggests. This simple step provides a practical way…

New research suggests that expressing intense gratitude can lower observers' perceptions of your status. The study found that effusive thankers are often viewed as having less power than the people…

A recent psychology study found that while trigger warnings don't reduce emotional distress, their wording drastically changes our cognitive response. Vague warnings leave the brain guessing,…

A Japanese research team has developed YORU, an AI tool that detects animal social behaviors as distinct visual objects. This open-source software allows biologists to trigger real-time neural…

A new study reveals that cultural background, technical skills, and personality traits are closely tied to how individuals perceive the impact of artificial intelligence on their overall well-being.

Psychologist Leslie John discusses the surprising benefits of "oversharing" for your career and relationships in the latest Hidden Brain podcast.

New research provides evidence that anxiety is related to altered interoception, the perception of one's own internal bodily states. The new study, published in the journal Neuron, examined the…

According to findings published in the journal BMC Psychiatry, people with social anxiety demonstrate higher levels of trait anger accompanied by a ...

«Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is defined by an unrelenting fear of social interaction that is characterized by worry that one’s behavior will be negatively judged by others.»

Research found that exposure to specific electromagnetic fields may enhance a mental state called "flow," where people feel highly focused and immersed in tasks, suggesting potential for wearable tech…

New research reveals the brain processes music through hierarchical activation, involving the auditory cortex, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus, to recognize and predict familiar sequences.

A study in Cureus explores how college students’ favorite film genres align with their personality traits. The findings indicate that genre preferences may offer insight into emotional tendencies,…

People who feel emotionally moved by fictional films often report thinking more about political issues and showing more interest in taking action. A new study highlights the potential connection…

A longitudinal study provides evidence that specific habits like self-kindness and mindfulness help teenagers develop a “psychologically rich” life, distinct from simple happiness or meaning.

New research published in the Journal of Personality analyzes over 43,000 daily moments to determine how virtues like compassion impact individual well-being. The findings suggest these traits benefit…

Creating art is crucial for mental and physical well-being, reducing stress, and improving mood. Engaging in creative self-expression, like drawing or painting, activates reward pathways in the brain,…

Stress disrupts normal feeding behaviors in mice, leading to a fixation on specific food sources, linked to impaired dopamine signaling in the brain's reward system, independent of changes in food…

Research often links positive emotions to longevity in Western countries. A new study confirms this association exists in Japan, finding that unhappy adults were significantly more likely to die over…

A new study reveals a surprising connection between high school yearbook photos and lifespan, suggesting that how we look might play a more significant role in our health and longevity than previously…

New research provides evidence that narcissism moderates the relationship between testosterone and generosity in men. The study, published in Hormones and Behavior, found that the most generous men…

«endogenous testosterone was associated with lower generosity among less narcissistic — thus more trustful, less cynical, more habitually generous, and less selfish — men,” Ziemiańska explained.»

A new study highlights how narcissism can distort workplace fairness. Researchers found that narcissistic individuals often feel entitled and perceive inequity, suggesting that inflated self-views may…

New research highlights the importance of emotional breakthroughs on subsequent psychological outcomes after a psychedelic experience. The study, which ...

New research published in Scientific Reports indicates that the rat brain is capable of synthesizing and releasing a powerful psychedelic drug called ...

New research casts doubt on the belief that heightened materialism leads to reduced life satisfaction. The results of the study suggest that the negative association between materialism and life…

«“Even though we did not find that materialism leads to reduced life satisfaction, we did find that people who experienced lower life satisfaction increased in their belief that having more possessions would make them happier,” Jaspers explained. “This belief represents one of three facets of materialism as it is commonly defined and measured in materialism research.”»

Does writing by hand still matter in a digital world? According to a new study in Frontiers in Psychology, the answer is yes.

A study found that older adults identifying as 'night owls' have higher cognitive scores than morning types. Normal sleep duration (7-9 hours) is linked to better cognition, while excessive sleep…

Daily behaviors like sleep, exercise, and mood appear to affect brain connectivity for up to 15 days, suggesting that short-term habits have prolonged effects on brain function, with potential…

New research indicates anxiety is connected to generating a higher quantity of ideas, especially negative ones. However, originality may be lower, and optimism could play a balancing role.

A new study published in the journal PLOS One suggests that social anxiety is characterized by increased avoidance, rather than hypervigilance, during social situations. ...

«People with social anxiety disorder (SAD) experience a persistent fear of social judgment, leading them to avoid social scenarios.»

Ambition increases self-assessed leadership effectiveness, but third-party evaluations show no such link. This disconnect highlights the potential flaws in relying on self-selection for leadership…

«The results of the study revealed a notable discrepancy between how ambitious leaders viewed themselves and how others perceived their effectiveness.»

Daily intimacy significantly enhances sexual desire, satisfaction, and reduces distress, with these benefits persisting up to 12 months, highlighting intimacy's crucial role in long-term sexual well…

A study found that non-deceptive placebos, openly disclosed as inactive, reduced stress, anxiety, and depression when remotely administered, offering a low-cost, scalable mental health intervention…

«A recent study provides evidence that non-deceptive placebos—placebos given with full disclosure—can effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and depression»