Current reporting, research and professional developments across Psychology, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Instead of feeling good, your mind immediately responds: For many people, receiving a compliment about their appearance is surprisingly uncomfortable. Rather than…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Initially, any reference to growth only pertained to plants and animals. In the 15th century, growth was defined as a person’s body parts and height. It wasn’t until…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader When my son, Aaron, and daughter-in-law, Lizzie, moved back to Massachusetts in August of 2020, they brought with them their furniture, small appliances, clothes, and a…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Last week, I read two postings on LinkedIn that I’ve thought about every day since. The first was an essay extolling the virtues of social science. The argument went…
Importantly, even if we don’t believe in free will, our sense of accountability stays intact, according to new research.
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina Have you ever noticed how working alongside others to protect public lands, clear trails, plant trees, or clean up a park just feels good? When you join in conservation…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Co-authored by Ava Gilmartin, Paul Surlis, and Michael Hogan. A university student opens ChatGPT minutes after receiving a creative problem-solving task. Within…
India, July 27 -- Have you ever wondered why people make irrational decisions, struggle to change habits, or react emotionally in certain situations? Human psychology offers fascinating insights into ...
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina When my son was in college, one of his classmates developed scurvy. Yes, you read that right: scurvy—the disease we associate with 18th-century sailors. But it turns out…
Immunity is about more than vitamins and diet: your daily habits, moods and thoughts directly rewire how your body fights disease.
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Not long ago, a friend was traveling and decided to get a haircut at the airport during his layover. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband, so when the new barber…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina Here's a puzzle I've spent most of my career trying to solve. About 95% of the conflicts in our lives: with our spouses, coworkers, neighbors, even other nations, eventually…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader A new study, currently in preprint, reports on what Americans think about. Using a technique called the experience sampling method (ESM), the researchers surveyed 258…
Updated July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina We all have voices within, however faint they may be, left over from parents, teachers, lovers, and, these days, from the Internet. Many of us have a voice that functions…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Further education, whether at the university level or as professional ethics training, is thought to curb corruption, but it doesn’t always work. Social psychologists…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader Rather than waiting for a much-anticipated event or activity to unspool in real time, we often enjoy it before we actually experience it. By bringing to mind pleasantly…
Updated July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader May 7, 2026. I was finding my way into the crowds at Dublin Airport, rushed by the weight of the kilted bag in my hurt hand and the pace of the passersby. As I checked…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina For years, I uttered the same line to myself with a tone that resembled self-hatred every time I faced another negative consequence from my drinking: "You did this to…
Posted July 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina “Can we drive to New Jersey this weekend? I need to get some Japanese supplies “ When I first got married to my American husband, I would ask something like this. I wasn’t…
A psychologist explains why humble-bragging can make you seem less likable and reveals the common phrases that often backfire in conversations ...
Psychology explains that a preference for solitude may be linked to high intelligence, creativity, deep reflection, and a unique way of managing relationships ...
A decades-old diabetes drug just got a surprising twist. Scientists have discovered that metformin doesn’t just work in the liver and gut—it also acts directly in the brain, where it taps into a hidden control center for…
Updated July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley This post is Part 1 of a series that will examine the nature of what I refer to as clinical wisdom and provide specific concrete examples of some of these esoteric…
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina Co-authored by Paul Surlis, Ava Gilmartin, and Michael Hogan. Imagine a group of postgraduate students who have just been handed a complex water management problem. Their…
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley If you've ever found yourself saying, "Just go to sleep!" after your child has requested one more hug, one more story, one more sip of water, and one more existential…
Success may depend less on aiming high and more on knowing exactly how high to aim.
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley Imagine a stick of incense burning. As you watch the rising smoke drift toward the sky, it may seem for a moment as if the smoke looks like something. But the smoke never…
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina When we think about being present, we usually picture putting our phones away, slowing down, or practicing mindfulness. We imagine learning to quiet our thoughts and focus…
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley Five of the most hurtful events in our intimate relationships are criticism, active disassociation, passive disassociation, infidelity, and deception. Infidelity, in…
Posted July 25, 2026 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina "The misfortune of others tastes like honey." — Japanese proverb Your partner insists they never make mistakes. Minutes later, they confidently walk into a glass door or…
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