Psychology News and Research

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

Neural activation during REM sleep regulates eating behavior

Despite our broad understanding of the different brain regions activated during rapid-eye-movement sleep, little is known about what this activity serves for.

6 Aug 2020

New research reveals why some children enjoy TV more than others

Children’s own temperament could be driving the amount of TV they watch – according to new research from the University of East Anglia and Birkbeck, University of London.

5 Aug 2020

Parts of the human brain have been “recycled” for reading, indicates study

Humans began to develop systems of reading and writing only within the past few thousand years. Our reading abilities set us apart from other animal species, but a few thousand years is much too short a timeframe for our brains to have evolved new areas specifically devoted to reading.

5 Aug 2020

Trial to examine if new psychological therapy can help tackle problem drinking

A psychological therapy found to be effective in helping people achieve and maintain weight loss is being trialled to see if it can support patients with chronic liver disease to stop drinking.

4 Aug 2020

When green means stop: How safety messages got so muddled

When Marquita Burnett heard Philadelphia was moving to the "green" phase of reopening, she was confused. She was pretty sure the city had already earned a green designation from Pennsylvania's governor (it had). The next thing she knew, the city was scaling back some of the businesses it had planned to reopen (namely, indoor dining and gyms). But it was still calling this phase "restricted green."

4 Aug 2020

Research reveals potential early indicator of Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome

A new paper in the journal NeuroImage: Clinical from researchers at the University of Kansas reveals a possible early indicator of Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, or FXTAS.

4 Aug 2020

Study shows health anxieties have increased as a result of ongoing pandemic

New research into people's coping strategies faced with COVID-19 highlights the mental health toll for those shielding

4 Aug 2020

Regulatory mechanisms involved in brain development are same for insects and mammals

With these new findings scientists can potentially better understand the subtle changes that can occur in genes and brain circuits that can lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.

4 Aug 2020

Sleep disturbances associated with multiple impairments in child well‐being

Whether children have ongoing sleep problems from birth through childhood or do not develop sleep problems until they begin school, a new study by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has found that sleep disturbances at any age are associated with diminished well-being by the time the children are 10 or 11 years old.

3 Aug 2020

Racial discrimination associated with higher capability for suicide

In this age of racial reckoning, new research findings indicate that racial discrimination is so painful that it is linked to the ability to die by suicide, a presumed prerequisite for being able to take one's own life.

3 Aug 2020

Children exposed to trauma show biological signs of aging faster

Children who suffer trauma from abuse or violence early in life show biological signs of aging faster than children who have never experienced adversity, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

3 Aug 2020

Human cerebellum has almost 80% of the cerebral cortex’s surface area

When we say someone has a quick mind, it may be in part thanks to our expanded cerebellum that distinguishes human brains from those of macaque monkeys, for example.

31 Jul 2020

UCR psychologist to measure how motor development changes infants' daily experiences

John Franchak has long been interested in how learning a new motor skill, such as sitting or walking, changes how infants interact with their surroundings.

31 Jul 2020

Paying greater attention to internal bodily sensations is good for humans

New research has found that paying greater attention to internal bodily sensations can increase our appreciation of our own bodies.

31 Jul 2020

Dream "hacking" with a novel device

A new study from American researchers shows that if dreams can be manipulated, memory could be enhanced and consolidated. The team tried a process called "dream incubation" using a device called Dormio in subjects for their study and published their novel findings.

30 Jul 2020

Study shows mental health challenges of U.S. healthcare workers during COVID-19

A new study finds that healthcare workers in the United States are struggling with a suite of mental-health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

30 Jul 2020

New research center at University of Warwick to explore the building blocks of childhood

The first building blocks of our lives are to be explored by a new research centre at the University of Warwick, starting from before we are even conceived right up to the age of five years old.

30 Jul 2020

Study analyzes quality of media reports on Covid-19 pandemic

In times of crisis, the media plays a particularly important role. Reporting in Switzerland was of a relatively high quality during the coronavirus pandemic, a study by the University of Zurich has shown.

29 Jul 2020

Men and women react differently to infidelity

Infidelity is one of the most common reasons that heterosexual couples break up. Researchers who have studied 160 different cultures find this to be true worldwide.

29 Jul 2020

Study shows chemical exposure may disrupt sleep in menopausal women

For menopausal women who have difficulty sleeping, it might be because of chemicals in the environment.A new study based on data from the Midlife Women's Health Study suggests that exposure to various chemicals, such as phthalates, found in hundreds of products used daily, is associated with sleep disruptions in midlife women

29 Jul 2020