Psychology (Page 8)

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

Latest in Psychology

MC Wolfman illustration

Why do we see ghosts?

The US-Mexico border wall in Tijuana and San Diego

How border walls trick the human brain and psyche

By Jessica Wapner

A row of Barbie dolls with fake blood

Playing bad can shape behavior, but not in the way you think

By Erin Blakemore

CDC Director Robert Redfield and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci in 2018

The CDC thinks 90 percent of the US could still catch COVID-19

By Purbita Saha

Nature walks can trigger feelings of awe, but you can achieve the feeling inside, too.

Regular doses of awe can do wonders for emotional health

Why do we love game shows like ‘Jeopardy!’ so much?

By Alex Schwartz

person under stress

Social distancing can make living with eating disorders harder

Muti illustration

How Disney fools your brain to make lines feel magically short

By Sara Kiley Watson

Family sitting and talking.

How to talk to kids about the coronavirus and other bad news

By Sara Kiley Watson

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, destroyed homes and lives.

Earthquakes can cause serious psychological aftershocks

winter ultramarathon

These ultramarathoners say life is easier after running 40 miles on frozen backwoods trails

anatomy of a laugh

Why does laughing feel so stinkin’ good?

By Sara Chodosh

Smoke during sunset.

It’s time to grieve the world we’ve lost to climate change—and start to move on

By Eric Holthaus

A mural in Minneapolis, Minnesota, commemorates George Floyd, who was killed while being restrained by city police officers in May.

Resharing videos of violence against Black people can spark more trauma

By Candice Wang

A group of five teen walking down the street

LGBTQ+ alliance groups can have a positive effect on entire student populations

A father and son standing on the balcony

Your kids aren’t growing up too quickly, but your brain sure thinks they are

By Keith Payne/The Conversation

four hands with different skin colors next to each other on a table

Anti-Black bias affects just about everyone. What’s the best way to deal with implicit racism?

By Candice Wang

several police officers standing in a road holding weapons

Can implicit bias training help cops overcome racism?

By Candice Wang

Nature helps nurture relationships between incarcerated mothers and their children

By Julie Stevens/The Conversation

A person planning out a solution on a wall.

Logic problems to challenge your bored brain

By Claire Maldarelli

Why we evolved to feel empathy during pandemics and other disasters

By Peter Sterling/MIT Press Reader

Stuart Patience illustration

This staircase goes on forever. Or does it?

By Sara Kiley Watson

a smiling woman

Eight science-backed tricks to make you feel less sad

By Rachel Feltman

Porn is helping people cope with the pandemic

By Joshua B. Grubbs/The Conversation

We once thought nostalgia was a disease, but it might be key to our survival

By Eleanor Cummins

A woman in red with her head in her hands in front of a laptop

A panic attack can mimic the symptoms of COVID-19. Here’s what to do about it.

By Rachel Feltman

Sleeping baby with small teddy bear

COVID-19 is separating parents from their newborns

By Katharine Gammon/Undark

two people holding hands in the sunset

How to quarantine with your partner without destroying your relationship

By Rachel Feltman

Worker sitting at Mac laptop with wireless headphones on

Listening to music helps you work, sometimes

By Manuel F. Gonzalez & John R. Aiello/The Conversation

Verónica Grech illustration

A popular autism drug for children isn’t as safe as its label indicates

By Hannah Furfaro/Spectrum News

Kea parrot with black token.

Kea parrots use statistics to get what they want

By Sara Kiley Watson

Superstar singer Taylor Swift at a music festival

Eating disorders are about emotional pain, not food

By Michele Patterson Ford/The Conversation

Natalie Andrewson illustration

This sound illusion puts the scary in scary movies

By Sara Chodosh

man sniffing his armpit

Smell loss is an invisible disease with devastating impacts

By Carl Philpott/The Conversation

People climbing up a hill

There isn’t much science supporting wilderness therapy for teens

By Adiel Kaplan/Undark

coal power plant emitting smoke

We save lives and crops every time a coal plant closes

Natalie Andrewson illustration

I built a room so quiet you can hear your own blood

By Eleanor Cummins

man eating fast food hamburger

Reverse your bad habits with just a handful of tiny changes

Should parents lie to kids about Santa Claus? We asked the experts.

Should parents lie to kids about Santa Claus? We asked the experts.

By Eleanor Cummins

a woman with her eyes closed listening to something with headphones

Listen to this shiver-inducing introduction to the science of ASMR

By Popular Science Team

embarrassed person

Why do other people’s embarrassing acts make us cringe?

By Benjamin Powers

kid eating cake

How your tongue tells your brain what you’re tasting

By Alex Schwartz

a clump of dried brown mushrooms

The FDA is fast-tracking a second psilocybin drug to treat depression

By Rachel Feltman

Jacques Kleynhans illustration

Why you’re powerless to ignore a crying baby

By Sara Chodosh

bench next to a path in the middle of a forest with sunlight shining through

Nature saves us trillions of dollars in healthcare

Veteran demand for mental healthcare is rising, but the VA isn’t prepared

By Purbita Saha

Kids these days only seem dumb if you think you’re a genius

Kids these days only seem dumb if you think you’re a genius

By Sara Kiley Watson

Baseball’s black magic: How psychology, math, and culture created a curse-ridden sport

Baseball’s black magic: How psychology, math, and culture created a curse-ridden sport

By Jessica Boddy

What astronaut diaries tell us about the perils of a mission to Mars

What astronaut diaries tell us about the perils of a mission to Mars

By Sarah Scoles

Super rodents, atomic math, and Marilyn Monroe: everything you need to know about moles

Super rodents, atomic math, and Marilyn Monroe: everything you need to know about moles

By Tom McNamara

DNA databases may deter criminals, but at what cost?

DNA databases may deter criminals, but at what cost?

By Oscar Schwartz/Undark

Despite appearances, your cat does love you

Despite appearances, your cat does love you

Why some experts are trying to redefine suicide

Why some experts are trying to redefine suicide

By Temma Ehrenfeld/Undark

Why do clowns creep us out?

Why do clowns creep us out?

By Frank T. McAndrew/The Conversation

New research links air pollution to increased risk of depression and bipolar disorder

New research links air pollution to increased risk of depression and bipolar disorder

By Nicole Wetsman

person playing chess

Why the smartest people can make the dumbest mistakes

By David Robson

You might be withholding life-threatening information from your doctor without knowing it

You might be withholding life-threatening information from your doctor without knowing it

Rodent astronauts suggest trips to Mars will make us anxious, forgetful, and afraid

Rodent astronauts suggest trips to Mars will make us anxious, forgetful, and afraid

By Charlie Wood

Medications could affect how you react to a heatwave

Medications could affect how you react to a heatwave

By Marion Renault

Anorexia may be more complicated than we thought

Anorexia may be more complicated than we thought

The wrong kind of sleep could keep you dwelling on bad memories

The wrong kind of sleep could keep you dwelling on bad memories

Pre-ordering groceries could lead to healthier choices

Pre-ordering groceries could lead to healthier choices

By Anya Samek/The Conversation

serotonin molecule structure

Treating depression takes much more than serotonin

By Grace Huckins

The World Health Organization knows ‘burnout’ is a problem—but is it a disease?

The World Health Organization knows ‘burnout’ is a problem—but is it a disease?

By Sara Chodosh