Various Psychology
A collection of diverse psychological research and behavioral studies.
Essentials
Gratitude helps break the cycle of always wanting more
Gratitude explains why new gains fade and complaints rise.
videoMedCircle: mental health interviews with psychiatrists & psychologists
Mental health interviews with world-class psychiatrists & psychologists, providing mental health advice packed with actionable takeaways and clear explanations of…
Virtual avatars rewire body perception and ease trauma through brain plasticity
When people use virtual reality (VR) to embody avatars, such as taller, younger, or more muscular versions of themselves, their…
videoClair Obscur: Expedition 33 turns grief and denial into a game
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a 2025 role-playing game by the French studio Sandfall Interactive, follows an expedition against the Paintress, who erases everyone above a yearly age. Its story is about grief and denial, carried by Lorien Testard's music.
We create a false self in early life to meet external expectations and cope with childhood experiences – James Hollis
James Hollis explores the psychological and spiritual upheaval of midlife as a necessary and meaningful rite of passage. Drawing from…
videoCycle hormones lift desire mid-cycle and sink mood in 3% of women
Estrogen and progesterone rise and fall on a fixed schedule each cycle. Daily diary studies tie sexual desire to ovulation, while severe premenstrual mood symptoms (confirmed PMDD) affect about 3% of women.
Thinking fast and slow shows why we misjudge risk
Thinking fast and slow explains why we trust vivid stories, framing, and first impressions too easily. Kahneman's work changed economics, but it does not prove that every intuitive judgment is wrong.
Classic Findings
videoPractical ways to keep your brain sharp as you age
the molecular and lifestyle interventions to slow cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s. Key points include the importance of longevity…
Skip the blame and invite dialogue: simple language shifts that build kids’ emotional intelligence
Good emotional intelligence starts with how adults talk to children. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr Julia DiGangi says three everyday phrases undermine…
Mentally stimulating jobs may reduce dementia risk
Cognitively demanding jobs in midlife reduce dementia risk Individuals engaged in cognitively demanding occupations between the ages of 30 and…
Pretty privilege, hallo effect: Being pretty brings help and chances, but also bias and risks
Pretty privilege is the idea that people seen as more attractive receive easier help, warmer reactions, and better chances in…
Screen attention lasts 47 seconds, and silent phones help focus
Gloria Mark of UC Irvine reports that office workers now keep their attention on one screen for 47 seconds on average. Field studies and experiments show that interruptions delay work and phone alerts raise inattention.
Bad sleep and frequent napping are linked to feeling disconnected from reality
A study on female university students found that poor sleep efficiency and frequent daytime naps significantly increase the risk of…
New Research
New Yorkers seek quick comfort from psychics when traditional therapy feels slow
Some New Yorkers frustrated by the price, waiting lists, and emotional work required in conventional talk-therapy are turning instead to…
A phone game now called Mood Bloom eased depression in 8 weeks
In a randomized trial of 101 adults with mild to moderate depression, a phone game now called Mood Bloom cut clinician-rated symptoms 7 points more than a waiting list over eight weeks. The trial had no sham app.
Crystal says ChatGPT did more for her trauma than her therapists
In a Business Insider essay, Crystal, 34, says a custom ChatGPT helped her face trauma after several therapists did not work out. Trials of supervised therapy chatbots show symptom drops, but none tested ChatGPT used this way.
Frank Barron found creative people combine opposite traits
At UC Berkeley in the 1950s and 1960s, psychologist Frank Barron found that highly creative writers, architects, and scientists combined opposite traits, preferred complexity, and paired troubled test profiles with high ego strength, an early idea of resilience.
Finding meaning when life seems nonsensical
Life often feels chaotic and devoid of inherent meaning, but embracing uncertainty and accepting that not everything has a clear…
A larger-than-usual brain network may raise the risk of depression
A new study has identified that the frontostriatal salience network, a brain region tied to reward processing and external stimuli…