Psychology (Page 2)

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

Latest in Psychology

Female young behind book with face covered for a red book while smiling

How to rebuild your reading habits

Two dogs sitting in half open door looking curiously to the left

Dogs act like toddlers when trying to help humans

Interior of classic opera house

Color plays an unsung role in how we enjoy concerts

Professional male musician creates new song for music album by playing synthesizer in studio. Top view at angle on head of bald man in headphones who sits at microphone and presses keys of synthesizer

Can’t stop humming that tune? Thank math.

African striped mouse and pups

Biologists discover gene that may determine ‘good’ and ‘bad’ dads

Example of paired images used during free-view eyetracking study. These image pairs focused on participant reactions to spider versus other arthropods – (A) spider versus butterfly, (B) spider versus insect, (C) spider eyes versus insect eyes, (D) spider versus non-spider arachnid, and (E) spider versus myriapod. We also included a paired image of (F) scorpion versus non-scorpion arachnid to gain insight into whether participants respond differently to spiders versus scorpions (e.g., d vs. f).

Psychologists made people look at spiders. They didn’t like it.

a white dog with ears perked up and wide eyes against a blue background

Cortisol could impact your dog’s behavior

By Laura Baisas

Poison warning label layered atop brown hair

Hair samples reveal the benefits of lead regulation

A vibrant stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. In the center, a young wizard is being sorted under a floating hat by a man in a brown suit. Four large, illuminated banners representing the Hogwarts houses—Gryffindor (red), Ravenclaw (blue), Hufflepuff (yellow), and Slytherin (green)—hang from the gothic arches of the Great Hall, while students in robes watch from the sides.

A Harry Potter quiz may predict your career prospects

By Clarissa Brincat

An x-ray image of the brain showing a blue outline of a person's upper skull and bright, glowing yellow brain.

What’s a false memory? Psychologists explain how your brain can lie.

By RJ Mackenzie

a grandmother and grand child lay with colorful blocks

Babysitting grandkids can boost brain health

By Laura Baisas

a man anxiously sitting in front of a computer with his hand over his mouth

It’s not in your head. Fear drives decision making.

By Laura Baisas

Yellow bananas arranged against a blue background

Penis size may matter more to men than women

a brown cow with a large stick in her mouth and mountains in the background

Veronika the Cow shocks scientists by using a tool

By Laura Baisas

Close up of man's hands reaching into box of apples at orchard

Test your apple farming skills with this free video game

a dog surrounded by stuffed animals

Super smart dogs learn by eavesdropping

By Laura Baisas

A stylized digital collage featuring chess pieces, including a red king, set against a target-like background of concentric circles and a red-and-white checkered pattern.

Chess or video games—which actually makes you smarter? The answer may surprise you.

By Clarissa Brincat

Hand holding TV remote in front of out of focus TV screen

A little TV after a long day is good for your brain

pills of various sizes laid out in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink order

Addiction is puzzling. Scientists are trying to understand why.

By Hanna Pickard

Swearing and smiling emojis side by side on blue background

Go ahead and swear—it’s good for your health

Young sad girl sitting alone at home on sofa listening to sad music on wireless headphones crying and wiping her nose with a paper tissue.

Pop music has gotten sadder over the last 50 years

close up of white lab rat inside cage

If offered, rats will use cannabis to deal with stress

two donkeys looking directly at the camera in a green field with a blue sky

Why using a donkey to treat whooping cough makes sense

By Laura Baisas

a mom and daughter camping with their dog. a tall mountain is in the foreground

Pet dogs can help teens’ mental health

By Laura Baisas

A dramatic, low-light photo of a person with dark skin against a blue background, experiencing intense distress or pain. They are clenching their jaw and holding their hands to the sides of their head, with blurred motion around their head suggesting movement, panic, or disorientation.

What happens to your body during a panic attack?

a scared man with several dental tools in his mouth

Quieter dental drills may be on the horizon

By Laura Baisas

a chimpanzee in green grass

Chimpanzees shock biologists with rational thinking

By Margherita Bassi

a family talking around the dinner tableSkynesher via Getty Images

Science confirms hand gestures make you seem more persuasive

By Margherita Bassi

Golden retriever sitting on couch in front of laptop

Golden retrievers and humans share ‘striking’ genetic similarities

A white woman with brown hair wearing a grey sweater and yellow coat holds of a pine branch to her nose and smells. She seems to be walking down a sidewalk. There's an out of focus wire fence behind her and what looks like a street to her left. She looks happy and content as she smells the pine branch. There are more out of focus pine trees and branches behind her.

Why smelling a pine tree can instantly lift your mood

By Jennifer Byrne

an illustration of a baby, a young woman, and adult woman, and an elderly woman walking

Your brain changes at 9, 32, 66, and 83

By Laura Baisas

Man listening to headphones while writing at desk

Humans sync their blinks and brain waves to a song’s beat

Man with his head down on his desk in front of laptop from stress

The 100 life decisions people dread most, according to psychologists

a catering table set up with large plates of food

Gastronomists study 100 years of menus to reveal food’s political power

By Laura Baisas

Playful young woman hiding face under blanket while lying in cozy bed, pretty curious girl feeling shy peeking from duvet, covering with white sheet, head shot close up. Top view

4 research-backed ways to beat the winter blues in the colder months

By Gio Dolcecore / The Conversation

A vintage photo collage featuring an oval cut-out image of seven people—three men and four women, who appear to be young college students—dressed in 1920s-era clothing. They are standing close together and looking at the camera. The background is a texture of yellowed, old newsprint with blurred text about a sleep experiment.

In 1925, seven students went 60 hours without sleep—for science

By Bill Gourgey

A close-up photograph of a young girl's face peering out from under a large, white duvet or blanket. She is lying in bed, holding the blanket close to her chin, and has a frightened expression. The background is dark, emphasizing the light on her face.

Why you ‘see’ things in the dark, according to an ophthalmologist

By Diana Hubbell

A panoramic, dark, and eerie photograph of a dense forest shrouded in thick fog or mist. The trees are tall and silhouetted, with a single, dark, cloaked figure standing in a patch of brighter light at the center of the path, creating a spooky and mysterious atmosphere.

What Americans fear most in 2025

Group of people speaking in conference room, out of focus image

Men speak with a vocal fry just as much as women

A photograph of a young couple sitting close together in a dark movie theater, looking scared or startled during a film. The man on the left has his hands covering part of his face, grimacing, while the woman next to him is covering her face with one hand. They are sharing a large bucket of popcorn.

Is fear contagious?

By Sarah Philip

Woman leaning back in office chair at desk looking out window

Deep sighs are not only satisfying—they’re healthy

Dubai chocolate is a dessert prepared with milk and dark chocolate, roasted shredded wheat, pistachio paste and tahini.

Why foods like Dubai chocolate go viral

A macro, close-up photograph of human skin texture showing small hairs standing straight up, a phenomenon known as goosebumps or gooseflesh. The skin tone is light, and the background is a solid, clear blue sky.

Why you get goosebumps when you’re scared—or inspired

By RJ Mackenzie

a brown dog holds a plush monkey

Dogs really can be addicted to their toys

By Laura Baisas

Empty dentist office showing tools and chair

Extreme fear of the dentist linked to childhood trauma

A close-up shot of a hand holding a wooden mallet with a red, fuzzy end, positioned over a bronze singing bowl. The bowl is resting on a light-colored surface, and the background is softly blurred with warm, glowing fairy lights, suggesting a relaxing, indoor setting.

I tried a sound bath to see if it actually made me calmer

By Mack DeGeurin

A blue, semi-transparent anatomical illustration of a human torso, neck, and shoulders from the front. The main focus is on the spine and nervous system, which are highlighted with glowing red lines running down the center of the back and branching out into the chest. The background is solid black.

Does vagus nerve stimulation work? A scientific cure-all explained.

By Clarissa Brincat

a graphic of the brain with several multi-colored balls inside

Why some memories stick while others fade

By Laura Baisas

a black and white dog surrounded by dog toys

Dogs can learn and remember how toys work

By Laura Baisas

a backyard version of fenway park complete with a green monster, signs, and scoreboard

A dedicated son brings Fenway Park to his dad’s backyard

By Laura Baisas

a young man using his smartphone in the toilet while sitting with a roll of toilet paper placed in a toilet paper holder in the foreground

Bathroom doomscrolling may increase your risk of hemorrhoids

Mother and child orangutan in tree nest

Baby orangutans spy on mom to build cozy treehouse nests

Illustration of the Great Fear of 1789

Rumors spread like viruses. The French Revolution proved it.

A woman with her eyes closed and head tilted back, smiling serenely, stands in a dense forest. She is wearing a bright yellow raincoat and a backpack, with tall, dark tree trunks rising all around her. The sunlight filters through the canopy, creating a peaceful and happy mood.

Does St. John’s wort really increase serotonin?

By Clarissa Brincat

two small brown rodents called prairie voles

Love hormone could be key to friendship

By Margherita Bassi

Does ashwagandha actually help with anxiety and sleep?

By Clarissa Brincat

Spilled salt shaker on table

Man develops psychosis following ChatGPT’s salt-free diet

Robot and man with exposed brain face to face in spotlight, human vs artificial intelligence

Illinois’ ban on AI therapy won’t stop people from asking chatbots for help

By Mack DeGeurin

A woman sitting up in bed at night, looking frustrated and rubbing her neck while a man next to her sleeps with his mouth open. A warm lamp hangs on the wall behind them. The woman appears disturbed by the man's snoring or sleep talking.

Why do we talk in our sleep? ‘It’s a glitch.’

By Lauren Leffer

a 3D graphic of a pink brain with multicolored, square confetti being tossed at it

How your brain can tell squishy ‘stuff’ from hard ‘things’

By Laura Baisas

Loch Ness monster sculpture in lake with googly eyes

The Loch Ness Monster’s body is a ‘zoological impossibility’

A highly detailed visualization of a glowing blue neuron with electric impulses traveling through its synapses. This futuristic and scientific representation illustrates brain activity, artificial intelligence, and the complexity of neural networks in both biology and technology

Biomedical engineers grow whole-brain organoid

Office interior with white columns and panoramic windows in modern loft. Many green plants in pots in workroom with laptops on tables with chairs and cups at daylight, flat lay, nobody, free space

Four-day work week benefits workers and employers, new study shows

a person cracks an egg over a campfire into a skillet with red peppers

Why does food by the campfire taste better?

By Avery Schluyer Nunn