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Psychology News

These research articles involve many aspects of psychology such as cognitive psychology, depression studies, mental health, stress, happiness and neuropsychology, Scroll below for more specific categories.

This shows a brain with the nucleus accumbens highlighted, showing where the drug activates to prevent opioid relapse behaviors.

Glaucoma Drug Repurposed to Block Opioid Cravings and Relapse

An old drug for glaucoma might be the key to stopping opioid relapse. New research shows acetazolamide "resets" the brain's reward center to block cravings.

This shows a person looking at a cloud covered, digital head, symbolizing a human connection with AI chatbots.

When AI Becomes a Co-Author of Your Delusions

Generative AI doesn’t just hallucinate at us, it can shape how we hallucinate with it. By affirming and elaborating on users’ beliefs, conversational systems may help false narratives take root and grow.

Cognitive Illusion: Why AI Still Can’t Think Like a Human

Forget the hype about AI "solving" human cognition, new research suggests that the most advanced models may just be master test-takers rather than true thinkers. By uncovering a "glitch" in how AI processes instructions, scientists have revealed that the path to a truly general cognitive model is blocked by a lack of genuine language understanding.

A realistic, modern art style 3D rendering of a human brain displayed on a concrete pedestal in a gallery setting. The brain is illuminated with intricate neon filaments in contrasting blue and orange, representing the intertwined nature of episodic and semantic memory.

Memory Rewritten: Study Finds No Clear Line Between Episodic and Semantic Retrieval

A new study challenges the long-standing belief that episodic and semantic memory rely on distinct brain systems. Researchers found that retrieving personal memories and general knowledge activates overlapping neural regions, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of dementia.

Early Intervention Helps Most Autistic Children Acquire Spoken Language

Summary: New research reports that approximately two-thirds of initially non-speaking children with...

Early Screen Time Linked to Long-Term Brain Changes, Teen Anxiety

New research following children for more than a decade links high screen exposure before age two to accelerated brain maturation, slower decision-making, and increased anxiety by adolescence. Infants with more screen time showed premature specialization in brain networks involved in visual processing and cognitive control, which later reduced flexibility during thinking tasks.

Doubting Your Doubts Can Boost Motivation

When people facing uncertainty about an important identity goal are nudged to question the validity of their own doubts, their commitment to that goal actually increases. The research demonstrates that inducing meta-cognitive doubt—doubt about one’s doubts—can flip ambivalence into renewed motivation.

This shows faces expressing different emotions.

Smiling Faces Trigger Mimicry, and Make Us Trust Them More

People instinctively mimic others’ facial expressions, but new research shows we do this far more with joyful faces than with sadness or anger—and that the intensity of mimicry predicts how much we trust someone. Across three experiments using EMG and behavioral tasks, participants copied smiles more readily and rated smiling individuals as more attractive, confident, and trustworthy.

Guilt and Shame Shape Behavior Through Separate Brain Pathways

uilt and shame arise from different cognitive triggers and rely on distinct neural systems to guide compensatory behavior. Using a controlled game that manipulated both harm and responsibility, researchers showed that guilt is more strongly driven by the severity of harm caused, while shame is more strongly shaped by how responsible someone feels for that harm. Guilt also more reliably translated into financial compensation, whereas shame required greater cognitive control to influence behavior.

Emotional Stress Triggers Instant Arousal From Deep Sleep

A new study uncovers a precise brain pathway that rapidly converts emotional stress into sudden wakefulness during NREM sleep. Researchers found that GABAergic neurons in the BNST activate glutamatergic neurons in the DpMe, causing immediate arousal.

Depression Quietly Damages the Heart Through Stress Circuits

Depression and anxiety may heighten cardiovascular disease risk through chronic stress pathways in the brain and body. In a large analysis of more than 85,000 adults, those with depression or anxiety — especially both — were significantly more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or heart failure.

Second-Hand Gifts Are Becoming the New Status Symbol

New research shows that buying second-hand gifts is typically a thoughtful, intentional decision rather than an impulsive one. Consumers are motivated by fair prices, the thrill of finding rare items, and the desire to shop sustainably. Survey results from a major online marketplace reveal that intentions often translate directly into purchases—especially for items that are easy to evaluate, such as books.