Psychology (Page 3)

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

Latest in Psychology

an illustration of a human brain with a lightbulb over it, simulating an idea

Your ‘Eureka!’ moments can be seen in brain scans

By Laura Baisas

2 small boys playing Street Smart video game in video arcade on boardwalk.

The surprising benefits of video games

A mother chimpanzee carrying her twins on her back.

Wild chimp babies bond with their moms in human-like ways

By Laura Baisas

a california sea lion sits by a pool

This sea lion can keep a beat better than some humans

By Laura Baisas

This sticker reads emotions (even the ones you try to hide)

By Mack DeGeurin

Neurons and their branch extensions known as dendrites are featured within a mouse’s cerebral cortex.

Scientists watch how mice learn, one synapse at a time

Close-up of Funny gigner cat sniffs at a cucumber on the table against gray background,

Are cats really afraid of cucumbers? We asked the experts.

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Oklahoma City USA - September 9 2015; Oklahoma City Bombing Field of Empty Chairs a sculpture in bronze and glass remembering the 168 killed in bombing in 1997

Oklahoma City bombing trauma changed the ‘actual physical being’ of survivors

an illustration of several mouths talking

How to talk for a very, very long time

By Laura Baisas

An illustration showing how the brain and gut are connected.

The brain remembers what gave you food poisoning

By Laura Baisas

Worker using laptop and smartphone at office

Sorry, hiding your phone won’t stop your procrastination

Father teaching baby how to walk in living room

Why don’t we remember being a baby? New clues in memory mystery.

Conceptual image of a stack of old analog TV sets with blank screens against a white wall

Why new tech only feels good for a short time

close up of tinfoil hat on man against blue background

Poor sleep can make you more susceptible to conspiracy theories

Close up of black chess pieces on chessboard with king knocked over

AI tries to cheat at chess when it’s losing

A lineup of the best sex toys on a white background

The best sex toys, tested and reviewed

the stone remains of a castle, revealing an archway, wall, and a tower

In a global crisis, working harder isn’t the best solution

By Laura Baisas

Close up of person using nasal spray

FDA approves first-of-its-kind nasal spray for severe depression

Do animals experience mental illness?

By Mack DeGeurin

Close up of hand holding pencil solving crossword puzzle

Why crossword puzzles get easier as you solve them, according to physics

Creepy robot toddler can mimic human expressions

Past experiences strongly affect empathy in mice

Teen boy with headphones in bedroom listening to music on smartphone

AI chatbot suggested a teen kill his parents, lawsuit claims

leaded gasoline reminder

Childhood leaded gasoline exposure damaged Americans’ mental health

By Lauren Leffer

An illustration of the amygdala, shown in red. It is a part of the brain’s limbic system and plays a key role in processing emotions.

‘Was I awkward?’ What overthinking after a party has to do with your ‘lizard brain’

By Laura Baisas

young woman in bed with alarm clock and eyes opened suffering insomnia and sleep disorder thinking about his problem on dark studio lighting in sleeping and nightmare issues

What causes you to jolt awake right before falling asleep?

Chimpanzee playing a number-based game on a touch screen

Like humans, chimps often perform tasks differently when crowds are watching

brain scans of people watching clips from movies

MIT maps how the brain experiences movies

By Laura Baisas

The best light therapy lamps composited

The best light therapy lamps to brighten up your life

Boston Dynamic's Spot getting kicked in a routine test.

Researchers tortured robots to test the limits of human empathy

By Mack DeGeurin

Janet Leigh screaming during iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho.'

Why do jump scares terrify us so much? Blame evolution.

a rider in a headless horseman costume rides by yellow fall leaves

The Headless Horseman shares her secrets

By Laura Baisas

dark woods with fog

Corrupt government officials, illness among the biggest fears of 2024

By Laura Baisas

an illustration of one woman yelling and another holding her hands up in shock

Why people insist they’re correct without all the facts

By Laura Baisas

The ‘voices’ that people with schizophrenia hear could be echoes of their own vocalizations

looking for a mental health provider online

Struggling to find an in-network mental health provider? Here’s what you can do.

By Max Blau / ProPublica

Woman working at desk with face mask on while sick

The research supports you taking a sick day

pile of baked goods

How food affects our mental health

By Mary Scourboutakos / The Conversation

Why EMDR trauma therapy is gaining popularity

By Laurel Niep / The Conversation

Woman singing in studio microphone

You can (probably) sing better than you think

young girl using phone at night in bed

Social media bans could deny teenagers mental health help

By Daniel Chang / KFF Health News

a sculpture of a man hunched over leaning on a balled fist called 'the thinker'

Study confirms that thinking hard is unpleasant

By Laura Baisas

The agency’s decision of MDMA could slow down the timelines of getting psychedelics to market as other potential treatments, including psilocybin and ketamine, are likely to face similar regulatory challenges.

How the FDA could shape the future of psychedelics research

By Joshua Cohen / Undark

Plane cabin lighting simulating sunset

Simulated sunrises and sunsets in planes may reduce jet lag

person holding pets

The fuzzy science on whether your pet is actually good for you

By Michael Schulson/Undark

Sad child in stairwell using phone

Like cigarettes and alcohol, Surgeon General says social media needs warning labels

still from the animated film "inside out 2." red anger, purple fear, yellow joy, blue sadness, and green disgust meet with new emotions. Envy is teal, anxiety is orange, and embarrassment is pink.

The science of awkward puberty brain from ‘Inside Out 2’

By Laura Baisas

Cute jack russell dog terrier puppy sleeping on yellow knitted blanket. Funny small sleepy white and brown doggy. Concept of cozy home, comfort, warmth, autumn, winter.

Do dogs dream? The answer might make you appreciate your pup even more.

By Keith Wagstaff

a woman listens to music with headphones on over hear ear

How our brains differentiate music and speech

By Laura Baisas

Fake website advertising dead loved one chatbot

AI ethicists warn of ‘digital hauntings’ from dead loved ones

teen using phone therapy app

Inside California’s $500 million investment in therapy apps for young people

By Molly Castle Work / KFF Health News

Therapy session

How psychedelic-assisted therapies can be more effective

By Mack DeGeurin

Why do some people always get lost?

By Bob Holmes / Knowable Magazine

Yuhang Hu working on Emo robot head

A robot named ‘Emo’ can out-smile you by 840 milliseconds

The psychology of why video game farming is so satisfying

The psychology of why video game farming is so satisfying

Concept of human intelligence with human brain on blue background

VR and electric brain stimulation show promise for treating PTSD

An array of the best sex toys for couples on a white fuzzy carpet.

The best sex toys for couples, tested and reviewed

Edible soft robot on table

This edible, wriggling robot mimics experience of eating moving food

How feeling ‘bad’ can help you

How feeling ‘bad’ can help you

By Heather Lench / The Conversation

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts after a play during the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Lessons from sports psychology research

By Tom Siegfried / Knowable Magazine

In tracing signed vocabularies’ evolutions, researchers applied phylogenetic analysis typically associated with biologically inherited traits to physically conveyed communications.

Computer modeling is tracing the hidden evolution of sign languages

As AI becomes more ubiquitous and naturalistic, many industry critics have voiced concerns about a potentially increasing number of people turning to technology instead of human relationships.

13 percent of AI chat bot users in the US just want to talk

Woman on phone in bed in darkened room with face obscured

Instagram will start telling teens to put down their phones and go to sleep

Two phone screens displaying Facebook content filters for minors

Meta begins automatically restricting teen users to more ‘age-appropriate’ content