Psychology News and Research

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Psychology is the study of human mental functions, behavior and processes.

Study: Better sleep health associated with lower levels of loneliness

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found that better sleep health was associated with lower levels of loneliness, and this association was stronger among younger adults.

30 May 2024

Study finds distinct link between sleep duration, social media usage, and brain activation in teens

A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2024 annual meeting found a distinct relationship between sleep duration, social media usage, and brain activation across brain regions that are key for executive control and reward processing.

30 May 2024

New meta-analysis supports omega-3 supplementation for aggression reduction

People who regularly eat fish or take fish oil supplements are getting omega-3 fatty acids, which play a critical role in brain function.

28 May 2024

AI could offer companionship to lonely people

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology could offer companionship to lonely people amid an international epidemic of loneliness, says a robotics expert.

27 May 2024

Psilocybin use initiates hyperconnectivity in the brain linked to ego-modifying effects

A new study shows that the use of psilocybin, a compound found in the widely known "magic mushrooms," initiates a pattern of hyperconnectivity in the brain linked to the ego-modifying effects and feelings of oceanic boundlessness.

23 May 2024

Weighted blankets ineffective for sleep improvement in maltreated children

A study by University of Houston sleep expert and psychology professor Candice Alfano has found that weighted blankets, between 5 and 10 pounds, do not improve sleep for children who have experienced various types of maltreatment including abuse or neglect.

23 May 2024

Study reveals link between social media use and nightmares, impacting sleep and mental health

Researchers created a scale to detect bad social media-associated dreams based on themes like powerlessness and victimization. They found a link between social media use, poor sleep quality, emotional well-being, and nightmares.

23 May 2024

Using design thinking to create autism-inclusive healthcare environments

Autism is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in the U.S., affecting an estimated one out of 36 children.

22 May 2024

Ancient viral sequences in the human genome may contribute to psychiatric disorder susceptibility

New research led by King's College London has found that thousands of DNA sequences originating from ancient viral infections are expressed in the brain, with some contributing to susceptibility for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

22 May 2024

Podcast: New online tool helps young people better manage Crohn's disease

Aston University's Dr Cassie Screti joined the latest Aston Originals Health Matters podcast recorded for World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day to discuss a new online tool to help young people better manage Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

17 May 2024

Distraction during meals linked to increased hedonic consumption

If you tend to do other things or get distracted while eating dinner, you may be running the risk of over-consuming everyday pleasures later, possibly because the distraction caused you to enjoy yourself less, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

17 May 2024

USC researcher receives $3.1M to study early brain development in babies born to diabetic mothers

It has long been understood that pregnant women with diabetes are more likely to have children with obesity than women who do not have diabetes during pregnancy.

16 May 2024

Loneliness increases the risk of developing mental health problems

Are lonely people more likely to have problems with mental health? Yes, but the obverse is also true.

16 May 2024

Innovative group training tool for dementia prevention

Solving a quiz as a group while moving around the room at the same time - this combination is the basis of a new tool designed to prevent dementia.

15 May 2024

Exploring the link between mindfulness, self-compassion, and relationship satisfaction in midlife married couples

Many people practice mindfulness or self-compassion techniques in their everyday life as part of their normal self-care routine.

15 May 2024

RoboCA3T: A novel robot-inspired computer-assisted adaptive autism therapy

A new study published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning introduces a novel Robot-Inspired Computer-Assisted Adaptive Autism Therapy (RoboCA3T) that leverages the natural affinity of children with autism spectrum disorder towards technology and robots.

15 May 2024