Psychology

Get to know your own mind—and improve your mental health—with the latest findings on human brains and behavior.

Latest in Psychology

Los Angeles, California - Close-up of a hand pressing a pedestrian push button at a crosswalk in Los Angeles,

3 buttons that don’t actually do anything

Six men performing a sea shanty in front of a wooden boat

Sea shanties actually help people work together better

Two white children play on a roundabout in a vintage photograph.

The first playgrounds were for adults, not kids

By Andrew Coletti

Close up of magic mushrooms in the palm of someone's hand

Magic mushrooms make mean fish lazier and more chill

An atmospheric photograph shows a silhouette of a person interacting with a dramatic play of light and shadow. The person’s face and hands are partially illuminated by a bright, warm light source that cuts through a hazy, purple-tinted atmosphere filled with smoke or mist. The composition is abstract and moody, emphasizing the sensory and ethereal nature of light and color.

Color doesn’t exist—at least not how you think

By Jennifer Byrne

A brain implant to treat depression gets FDA greenlight to start trials

By Mack DeGeurin

Screenshot of cat sitting in front of YouTube home page next to timer countdown

A chunky digital cat is here to help you stop doomscrolling

Black and white photo of person standing in sheet ghost costume in backyard

That ghostly presence may just be bad plumbing

Close up of Black woman's face talking on smartphone

Y’all versus yinz: Accents may say more about who we are than where we’re from

Text message chat speech bubbles covering the face of woman with eyeglasses

Stop asking AI for life advice

a guide dog helps a woman with a cane navigate a train

Robots can’t replace guide dogs

By Mack DeGeurin

A medium-shot photograph shows a smiling senior woman with blonde hair riding a black bicycle through a park. She is wearing a black puffer jacket and grey trousers, and she is looking ahead with a joyful expression. The background is a soft blur of green grass and dark leafy bushes, emphasizing the motion of the bike.

Why you never forget how to ride a bike

Overlapping ace of clubs, diamonds, and hearts

All that magician chitchat? It’s not fooling your brain.

Nine blue dots on purple background

How many blue dots do you see? New optical illusion tricks the brain.

an illustration of a calendar with the world "cancelled" stamped on it. a pair of glasses, a cup of coffee, and a pen are next to the calendar

Psychologists confirm that a canceled meeting is good for you

By Laura Baisas

a stylized photo of a woman sleeping

Vivid dreams trick your brain into thinking you slept well

By Laura Baisas

A person lies in bed under a white duvet, their face partially illuminated by a bright shaft of morning light filtering through dark, heavy curtains. They have one hand resting on their forehead in a gesture of fatigue or waking up, creating a moody, high-contrast atmosphere of early morning.

Is it better to be a morning person or a night owl? What the science says.

By Laura Kiniry

A conceptual graphic featuring a young child with an afro standing alone against a textured purple and orange gradient background. A large, empty white thought bubble floats significantly above their head.

Not everyone has an internal monologue

By Jennifer Byrne

Happy young adult man listening to music with headphones and mobile phone celebrating and dancing outdoor against yellow background. Youth lifestyle concept

4 surprising scientific benefits of music

A close-up photograph of a young child with blonde hair smiling broadly, revealing several missing front baby teeth. The child is playfully covering their eyes with both hands, with a plain grey wall in the background.

Why do we even have baby teeth?

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall