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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 05, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Revolutionary AI platform “A-SOiD” predicts behavior from video, opening new frontiers in research
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/revolutionary-ai-platform-a-soid-predicts-behavior-from-video-opening-new-frontiers-in-research/

<p>In a groundbreaking study published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41592-024-02200-1"><em>Nature Methods</em></a>, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, the University Hospital Bonn, and the University of Bonn have developed a novel open-source platform named <a href="https://github.com/YttriLab/A-SOID">A-SOiD</a>, which stands out for its ability to learn and predict user-defined behaviors solely from video data. This innovative tool has demonstrated impressive versatility, capable of classifying a wide array of animal and human behaviors, and even showing potential applications in analyzing patterns in stock markets, earthquakes, and proteomics.</p>
<p>What sets A-SOiD apart is its non-traditional approach to learning, focusing on algorithmic uncertainty to enhance its predictive accuracy and avoid common biases present in other artificial intelligence models.</p>
<p>&#8220;This technique works great at learning classifications for a variety of animal and human behaviors,&#8221; said Eric Yttri, Eberly Family Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon. &#8220;This would not only work on behavior but also the behavior of anything if there are identifiable patterns: stock markets, earthquakes, proteomics. It’s a powerful pattern recognition machine.&#8221;</p>
<p>The impetus for this research stems from the challenges faced in behavioral science, where understanding the nuances of behavior is crucial but often hindered by subjective interpretations and the labor-intensive process of manual annotation. Current methods either require extensive labeled datasets that are prone to annotator bias or rely on unsupervised models that cannot discover new insights beyond what they have been explicitly trained to recognize.</p>
<p>A-SOiD addresses these issues by incorporating both supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, thereby reducing reliance on large annotated datasets and enabling the discovery of previously unidentified behavioral patterns.</p>
<p>The researchers trained A-SOiD using a fraction of a dataset, emphasizing data points where the program&#8217;s predictions were least confident. This active learning approach allowed A-SOiD to refine its understanding iteratively, focusing on ambiguous cases that traditional models might overlook. This method significantly reduced the amount of data needed for effective training and improved the model&#8217;s ability to represent underrepresented behaviors fairly.</p>
<p>A-SOiD was able to distinguish between various behaviors with a high degree of precision, such as differentiating between a normal shiver and the tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease. This level of specificity underscores the platform&#8217;s potential not only in the realm of behavioral science but also in fields like medicine and finance, where pattern recognition plays a crucial role.</p>
<p>A pivotal achievement of A-SOiD is its departure from the &#8216;black box&#8217; approach typical of many artificial intelligence (AI) systems. By focusing on areas where the model has the least confidence and iteratively refining its understanding, A-SOiD demonstrates an exceptional ability to learn from ambiguities in the data.</p>
<p>This method significantly reduces the volume of annotated data required for training, cutting down the need by approximately 90%. This efficiency in learning addresses one of the major challenges in behavior analysis, where the availability of extensive, accurately annotated datasets is often a bottleneck.</p>
<p>A-SOiD&#8217;s methodology ensures a balanced representation of all classes within a dataset, effectively addressing the common issue of data imbalance in AI modeling. This approach not only enhances the model&#8217;s accuracy but also ensures fair representation of various behaviors, including those that are less represented in the dataset. Such an achievement is particularly important in behavioral studies, where overlooking rare behaviors could lead to incomplete or biased understanding.</p>
<p>&#8220;It’s a different way of feeding data in,&#8221; explained study author Alex Hsu, a recent Ph.D. alumnus from Carnegie Mellon. &#8220;Usually, people go in with the entire data set of whatever behaviors they’re looking for. They rarely understand that the data can be imbalanced, meaning there could be a well-represented behavior in their set and a poorly represented behavior in their set.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This bias could then propagate from the prediction process to the experimental findings. Our algorithm takes care of data balancing by only learning from weaker. Our method is better at fairly representing every class in a data set.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another significant finding of the study is the platform&#8217;s accessibility and ease of use. A-SOiD can run on a standard computer without requiring extensive computational resources or prior coding experience, making it accessible to a wide range of researchers.</p>
<p>This aspect is likely to democratize the use of advanced behavior prediction models, enabling researchers from diverse fields to explore and understand complex behavioral patterns without the need for specialized equipment or technical skills.</p>
<p>However, the study is not without its limitations. The researchers acknowledge that while A-SOiD significantly advances the field of behavioral analysis, it is not infallible. The success of the model depends on the initial selection of behaviors and the quality of the input data. Future research directions include improving the model&#8217;s ability to handle extremely rare behaviors and further reducing the amount of manual annotation required.</p>
<p>&#8220;A-SOiD is an important development allowing an AI-based entry into behavioral classification and thus an excellent unique opportunity to better understand the causal relationship between brain activity and behavior,&#8221; said Martin K. Schwarz, principal investigator at the University Hospital Bonn. &#8220;We also hope that the development of A-SOiD will serve as an efficient trigger for forthcoming collaborative research projects focusing on behavioral research in Europe but also across the Atlantic.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-024-02200-1">A-SOiD, an active-learning platform for expert-guided, data-efficient discovery of behavior</a>,&#8221; was authored by Jens F. Tillmann, Alexander I. Hsu, Martin K. Schwarz, and Eric A. Yttri.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 05, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Neurocognitive impact of deepfakes: Study finds differential responses to emotive expressions
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/neurocognitive-impact-of-deepfakes-study-finds-differential-responses-to-emotive-expressions/

<p>In a world where computer-generated images and videos are increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality, a recent study in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42802-x"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a> sheds light on how our brains respond to emotional expressions from faces we believe to be real versus those we think are computer-generated, or &#8220;deepfakes.&#8221; The study discovered that when people think a smiling face is artificial (like a deepfake), they don&#8217;t react to it as strongly or positively as they do to real smiles, but their reactions to angry faces remain the same whether they believe the face is real or fake.</p>
<p>Deepfakes are hyper-realistic digital creations that use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques to manipulate or generate visual and audio content with a high degree of authenticity. This technology can create convincing fake content that appears real, such as videos of public figures saying or doing things they never actually did. The term &#8220;deepfake&#8221; combines &#8220;deep learning&#8221; (a subset of AI that uses neural networks to learn from large amounts of data) and &#8220;fake,&#8221; reflecting the technology&#8217;s capacity to create highly deceptive content.</p>
<p>While much research has focused on detecting deepfakes or exploring their potential for misinformation and manipulation, there has been less emphasis on their psychological effects. Specifically, how do deepfakes influence our perception and emotional reactions when we encounter faces that may or may not be real?</p>
<p>&#8220;Computer-generated media, including deepfake images and videos of people that do not exist, are becoming increasingly prevalent,&#8221; said study author Anna Eiserbeck, a doctoral researcher at the <a href="https://abdelrahmanlab.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abdel Rahman Lab</a> at Humboldt University of Berlin.</p>
<p>&#8220;Much of the existing research has concentrated on people’s ability to visually differentiate between authentic and computer-generated images. We were more interested in their psychological impact: do we react in the same way to facial expressions shown by real and presumably fake faces?&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Since real and deepfake faces are harder and harder to distinguish, we hypothesized that our perception and emotional responses may crucially depend on the prior belief that what one is seeing is, in fact, real or fake. In light of this, our study aimed to explore how such prior information about the real or computer-generated nature of portraits influences the emotional processing of faces.&#8221;</p>
<p>To explore the impact of deepfakes on emotional processing, the researchers conducted an experiment with 30 individuals, including 21 females and 9 males, who had an average age of approximately 25.87 years. Before the experiment, participants were briefed on the existence of &#8220;deepfake&#8221; technology capable of generating highly realistic images of people. However, they were misled to believe that some of the faces they would see were generated by such technology, even though all images were real.</p>
<p>During the experiment, images of human faces were presented to participants, each preceded by a label indicating whether the image was &#8220;REAL&#8221; or &#8220;FAKE.&#8221; This setup aimed to prime participants&#8217; perceptions of each image&#8217;s authenticity. Following the exposure to each image, participants rated the emotional expression of the face on a scale, providing a measure of their emotional response.</p>
<p>To capture the neural underpinnings of participants&#8217; emotional processing, the study employed electroencephalography (EEG). This non-invasive technique records electrical activity in the brain, offering insights into how the brain responds to different stimuli over time. The study focused on specific event-related potentials (ERPs), which are brain responses tied to particular sensory, cognitive, or motor events.</p>
<p>One of the pivotal findings was the differential impact of the belief in the authenticity of a face on our emotional responses to positive expressions, such as smiles. When participants believed they were viewing a real human face, smiles elicited more positive ratings and a distinct pattern of brain activity, indicative of a typical emotional response to happiness.</p>
<p>In contrast, smiles labeled as &#8220;fake&#8221; were not rated as positively, and they evoked different brain responses, suggesting that the emotional weight of a smile diminishes when we suspect the face to be artificial.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study found that negative expressions like anger did not exhibit the same variation in emotional impact based on perceived authenticity. Regardless of whether faces were labeled as real or fake, angry expressions were processed similarly, both in terms of participant ratings and brain activity.</p>
<p>This consistency suggests a primacy of negative emotions in our perceptual system, possibly due to their importance in threat detection and survival. Essentially, our brains seem wired to respond to potential threats, real or imagined, with a consistent level of attention and emotional engagement.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we believe a smiling face to be a deepfake, perceptual and emotional responses in our brain are reduced, meaning that the smile looks less intense and creates less emotional resonance,&#8221; Eiserbeck told PsyPost. &#8220;Angry faces, on the other hand, keep the same perceptual and emotional impact, whether we believe them to be genuine or not. So the impact of information regarding the authenticity of portraits (marking images as real or deepfake) also depends on the emotion they convey.&#8221;</p>
<p>Looking ahead, the researchers suggest further studies could explore less pronounced emotional expressions, investigate individual differences in reactions to deepfakes, and potentially incorporate eye-tracking technology to understand better how we visually process real versus artificial smiles.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of our longer-term goals is to gain an in-depth understanding of the psychological aspects of seeing (or suspecting to see) fake content like deepfake faces,&#8221; Eiserbeck said. &#8220;We hope that insights into the neurocognitive processes within perceivers can help to inform policies of how we deal with deepfakes as a society.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-42802-x">Deepfake smiles matter less—the psychological and neural impact of presumed AI-generated faces</a>,&#8221; was authored by Anna Eiserbeck, Martin Maier, Julia Baum, and Rasha Abdel Rahman.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 05, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Brain chemistry imbalance revealed in violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/brain-chemistry-imbalance-revealed-in-violent-offenders-with-antisocial-personality-disorder/

<p>In a new study shedding light on the neurological underpinnings of antisocial behavior, scientists have made a pivotal discovery regarding the brain chemistry of violent offenders diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder, both with and without psychopathy. Their findings have been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-024-02437-4"><em>Molecular Psychiatry</em></a>.</p>
<p>The research reveals a significant imbalance in the striatum — a key brain area involved in decision-making — between two crucial neurotransmitters, glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This imbalance, identified through advanced imaging techniques, offers new insights into the neural mechanisms contributing to antisocial and violent behaviors, potentially paving the way for innovative treatments.</p>
<p>Conduct Disorder (CD) is a psychiatric condition diagnosed in childhood or adolescence characterized by a persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, rights of others, and is often marked by aggression towards people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness, theft, or serious violations of rules.</p>
<p>Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is a condition diagnosed in adulthood that entails a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This disorder is often seen as the adult continuation of the behaviors seen in CD, but with more pronounced features of disregard for societal norms and an inability to form stable personal relationships.</p>
<p>Psychopathy, often considered a more severe form of ASPD, includes traits of lack of empathy, superficial charm, high levels of manipulativeness, and a lack of remorse. While ASPD focuses on behavioral patterns, psychopathy includes these behavioral patterns as well as specific personality and affective traits.</p>
<p>Previous research has identified a subset of individuals diagnosed with CD in childhood and later with ASPD in adulthood. This group is responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime and is notoriously difficult to treat, partly due to an early onset of offending and a dense pattern of antisocial behavior.</p>
<p>However, while deficits in empathic processing and decision-making have been associated with such life-course persistent antisocial behavior, particularly among those with additional psychopathic traits, the specific neural mechanisms, particularly in terms of decision-making processes, remained poorly understood.</p>
<p>To delve into these mechanisms, the researchers recruited a sample of 51 men, divided into two groups: 30 offenders with ASPD, further subdivided based on the presence (14) or absence (16) of psychopathy, and 21 healthy non-offenders. The inclusion criteria for offenders were convictions for violent crimes and a diagnosis of ASPD based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Non-offenders were recruited from the general population.</p>
<p>Upon enrollment, participants underwent a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, including the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID-5-RV) and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), alongside authorization for access to their criminal records. This assessment ensured accurate classification of participants based on their diagnostic status and psychopathy levels.</p>
<p>The core of the study&#8217;s methodology revolved around proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), performed using a 3 Tesla General Electric MR750 Discovery scanner. This technique allowed the researchers to quantify the balance between two critical neurotransmitters in the striatum: glutamate, which is excitatory, and GABA, which is inhibitory. This balance is crucial for the proper functioning of the striatum.</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that violent offenders with ASPD exhibited a significant disruption in the glutamate to GABA ratio in the striatum when compared to non-offending individuals. This suggests that an abnormal balance of excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the striatum, which could be a contributing factor to the decision-making deficits observed in antisocial and violent behaviors.</p>
<p>Interestingly, when comparing the subgroups of offenders with ASPD—with and without psychopathy—no significant difference in the striatal glutamate to GABA ratio was found. This suggests that the neurochemical imbalance in the excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the striatum is a shared feature of ASPD, irrespective of the presence of psychopathic traits.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study did not find a significant correlation between the severity of psychopathic traits, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) scores, and the glutamate to GABA ratio within either the offender or non-offender groups. This lack of correlation further underscores the notion that the observed neurochemical imbalance is a general characteristic of ASPD, rather than being directly related to the degree of psychopathy.</p>
<p>While the study represents a significant advance in our understanding of the neural correlates of antisocial behavior, the authors acknowledge several limitations. The sample size, though adequate for detecting group differences, was relatively small, which might limit the detection of subtler differences within the ASPD group.</p>
<p>Additionally, the influence of external factors, such as substance misuse, though accounted for, remains a concern for the generalizability of the findings. The researchers also highlight the cross-sectional nature of the study, which precludes causal inferences about the relationship between striatal neurotransmitter balance and antisocial behavior.</p>
<p>Looking forward, the study opens multiple avenues for further research. Future studies could explore the functional consequences of striatal neurotransmitter imbalance on behavior, potentially integrating neuropsychological tasks to directly link neurochemical findings with decision-making processes. Additionally, investigating the possibility of targeting the identified imbalance with pharmacological interventions could offer new therapeutic strategies for addressing antisocial behavior.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02437-4">Impaired striatal glutamate/GABA regulation in violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy</a>,&#8221; was authored by John Tully, Andreia C. Pereira, Arjun Sethi, Julia Griem, Ben Cross, Steve CR Williams, Robert James Blair, Declan Murphy, and Nigel Blackwood.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 05, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Does political conviction equate to political knowledge? Data from six continents suggests no
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/does-political-conviction-equate-to-political-knowledge-data-from-six-continents-suggests-no/

<p>In a world where political discourse often dominates social media, news platforms, and dinner table conversations, understanding the relationship between political orientation and factual political knowledge has never been more pertinent. A recent study spanning six continents has delved into this complex association, revealing findings that challenge widely held assumptions about political extremism and knowledge. The research was published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53114-z"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a>.</p>
<p>Individuals with strong political opinions often perceive themselves as more informed than those holding more moderate views. This perception of knowledge superiority, noted across the political spectrum, prompted researchers to investigate the actual correlation between political orientation and political knowledge.</p>
<p>&#8220;When I read online comments on news articles or posts on X [formerly known as Twitter], I often get the impression that people with outspoken political opinions believe they know better or possess more knowledge than those with different opinions,&#8221; said study author Jonas De keersmaecker, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University and visiting researcher at Esade Business School.</p>
<p>&#8220;Additionally, there are also cool papers by Kaitlin Raimi and colleagues, as well as by Elizabeth Harris and Jay Van Bavel, which demonstrate that people at both ends of the political spectrum tend to feel superior. Therefore, I wanted to test whether they also exhibit more political knowledge.&#8221;</p>
<p>For their study, De keersmaecker and his colleagues pooled a vast array of data from 45 countries. This effort involved integrating public opinion data from nationally representative samples, including two datasets specifically designed and collected by the research team from Spain and New Zealand, with additional data from 43 other publicly available datasets.</p>
<p>To measure political knowledge, the researchers employed a multi-item test that queried participants on general political facts relevant to their respective countries. The questions ranged in number from 3 to 21 items, depending on the dataset, and included questions such as identifying the current minister of finance.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s sample was impressively large, totaling 63,544 participants across the selected countries. This extensive sample size was crucial for achieving the statistical power needed to detect and analyze patterns across such a varied set of national contexts.</p>
<p>Contrary to the common assumption that individuals at the political extremes possess greater political knowledge, the study revealed a complex and varied landscape, where this relationship differed significantly across national contexts.</p>
<p>The most prevalent pattern identified across the countries studied was a fourth-degree polynomial curve, described as an inverted W-shape. This pattern suggests that individuals who identify as moderately left-wing or moderately right-wing tend to have higher levels of political knowledge than those positioned at the extremes or the center of the political spectrum. This finding was particularly common in Western countries, though it is important to note that variations existed and this pattern was not exclusive to any single region.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study also discovered countries where political orientation did not significantly predict political knowledge. This was observed in seven out of the 45 countries analyzed, including diverse geographical regions such as the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Philippines, Serbia, South Korea, and Turkey.</p>
<p>In addition to these patterns, the researchers identified other relationships across different countries. For instance, a linear relationship between political orientation and political knowledge was found in 10 countries, with both positive and negative associations observed. This pattern suggests a straightforward increase or decrease in political knowledge corresponding to a move from left to right on the political spectrum or vice versa, particularly prevalent in Latin American countries as well as some European and Asian nations.</p>
<p>A quadratic relationship, suggesting a U-shaped curve, was only found in Austria, indicating that individuals at the political center were more knowledgeable than those at the extremes. Furthermore, a cubic relationship, representing a non-symmetric U-shape, was observed in Hong Kong and Portugal.</p>
<p>The diversity of patterns across countries emphasizes that political knowledge and orientation are influenced by a myriad of factors, including cultural, historical, and socio-political elements unique to each nation.</p>
<p>The findings indicate that &#8220;people at the ends of the political spectrum are not more knowledgeable about politics as many assume,&#8221; De keersmaecker told PsyPost. &#8220;The relationship is more complex, and varies between regions. But also that the relationship between political orientation and knowledge is relatively weak.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes some caveats. In particular, the diversity of political contexts and the use of different political knowledge measures across countries necessitate cautious interpretation of the findings.</p>
<p>&#8220;We relied on public opinion data, which allowed us to examine the relationship across 45 nations,&#8221; De keersmaecker explained. &#8220;However, as we outline in the paper, this approach also means we had no control on the measures. Longer measures would have been preferable in some countries.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Furthermore, the measures of political knowledge focused on factual knowledge, such as identifying the minister of finance. While I believe this is important, exploring &#8216;political insight&#8217; could be even more interesting. For instance, examining questions like &#8216;what are the consequences of increasing the minimum wage on economic growth?&#8217; But I am not sure how feasible it is to investigate &#8216;political insight,&#8217; as even experts debate such topics. Scoring responses accurately will be rather difficult.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53114-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The association between political orientation and political knowledge in 45 nations</a>,&#8221; was authored by Jonas De keersmaecker, Katharina Schmid, Chris G. Sibley, and Danny Osborne.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 05, 2024 at 03:00AM
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TITLE:
What to Know About Ibogaine, a Psychedelic
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/health/psychedelic-ibogaine-what-to-know.html

Some researchers hope the drug, still illegal in the United States, may be considered as a treatment for addiction, PTSD and brain injuries.
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 05, 2024
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TITLE:
Self-Care A-Z: A Power-Full Message About Self-Care as Paramount for Empowerment
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URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/self-care/self-care-paramount-empowerment/

You might wonder what self-care has to do with empowerment. Actually, they’re inextricably related. Like empowerment, self-care is a process of increasing strengths and developing influence toward improving one’s circumstances.
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 06:00PM
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TITLE:
Study shows threefold rise in bisexual behavior among Americans
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/study-shows-threefold-rise-in-bisexual-behavior-among-americans/

<p>A study published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2023.2225176"><em>The Journal of Sex Research</em></a> uncovered a significant rise in the number of Americans identifying as bisexual or reporting bisexual behaviors, especially in recent years. The findings shed light on the evolving landscape of sexual orientation in the United States.</p>
<p>While acceptance of same-sex sexuality and marriage has notably increased, bisexuality has remained somewhat in the shadows, with less clarity around its trends and behaviors. This gap prompted researchers to delve into nationally representative samples to map out the landscape of bisexuality.</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers utilized the wealth of data provided by the General Social Survey (GSS). The GSS, a cornerstone of social science research, has been gathering data on the attitudes, behaviors, and characteristics of the American public since 1972.</p>
<p>The research team analyzed responses from a substantial sample of 32,238 respondents who completed the GSS between 1989 and 2018, along with an additional 2,313 respondents from the 2021 wave. This approach allowed them to maintain a focus on a nationally representative sample, ensuring that their findings could speak to broader societal trends.</p>
<p>The study employed four measures based on sexual behavior and one measure based on identity. Starting in 1989, the GSS included questions about the number of male and female partners respondents had since turning 18, which the researchers used to categorize respondents into groups based on the sex of their sexual partners.</p>
<p>Additionally, from 2008 onwards, the GSS began asking respondents to identify their sexual orientation, offering options like &#8220;gay, lesbian, or homosexual,&#8221; &#8220;bisexual,&#8221; and &#8220;heterosexual or straight.&#8221; These indicators allowed the researchers to track changes in how people report their sexual orientation and behaviors over time.</p>
<p>The researchers found that the proportion of respondents reporting partners of both sexes since age 18 experienced a notable increase over time. Specifically, the study documents a threefold rise in such reports, moving from 3.1% in the 1989–1994 waves to 9.3% in the 2012–2018 waves. This trend was further corroborated by the increase in respondents identifying as bisexual, which more than doubled from the 2008–2010 waves to the 2012–2018 waves.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the proportion of individuals identifying as bisexual surpassed those identifying as gay or lesbian in the more recent cohorts, underscoring the growing visibility and acknowledgment of bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation.</p>
<p>The research also highlighted the complexity of bisexual identity and behavior. For instance, while there was an increase in the number of individuals identifying as bisexual, this did not always align with the patterns of sexual behavior reported. Some individuals who had sexual partners of both sexes did not necessarily identify as bisexual, which points to the nuanced ways in which sexual orientation is experienced and understood.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are several likely explanations for this,&#8221; the researchers wrote. &#8220;First, sexual behavior can be exploratory, taking place before a person has clarified their own sexual orientation identity, a process that continues throughout young adulthood. Our measure likely captures gay and lesbian persons who had partners of a different sex before they came out or clarified their sexual orientations, which can occur later in life.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Second, sexual orientation can be fluid, with some people changing their sexual behavior and/or their sexual orientation identities over time. In both of these cases, using the sex of sexual partners since age 18 measure means that we may be capturing sexual experiences that have taken place many years ago, especially for older respondents. Finally, even persons who have more recently had partners of both sexes may not consider themselves bisexual, and the term may not fit their understandings of themselves and their sexual behavior.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study also shed light on demographic variations in the reporting of sexual orientation and behavior. Younger individuals and women were more likely than their older and male counterparts to report partners of both sexes and to identify as bisexual. This finding is indicative of the generational shift in attitudes towards sexuality, where younger cohorts exhibit greater openness and fluidity in their sexual orientation and behaviors.</p>
<p>There were no significant differences in the reporting of bisexuality among different racial and ethnic groups, suggesting that the increase in bisexuality may be a widespread phenomenon across diverse communities in the United States.</p>
<p>&#8220;The proportion of persons identifying as bisexual and the proportion of persons who report engaging in sex with partners of both sexes in the U.S. have increased markedly since 1989,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;Future research on sexual orientation can better recognize that the terms with which we identify ourselves are social and that there is some degree of choice about how to identify our sexual orientation, particularly among individuals with histories of both male and female partners. Additionally, the recognition that sexual behavior is normative should be more thoroughly considered in research on sexual orientation and sexual behavior.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2023.2225176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rise of Bisexuality: U.S. Representative Data Show an Increase Over Time in Bisexual Identity and Persons Reporting Sex with Both Women and Men</a>,&#8221; was authored by Martin A. Monto and Sophia Neuweiler.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Speech speed, not word-finding, may be the true indicator of cognitive health in aging
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/speech-speed-not-word-finding-may-be-the-true-indicator-of-cognitive-health-in-aging/

<p>In the golden years of life, many of us notice that finding the right words can take a little longer than it used to. This common phenomenon often raises concerns about cognitive decline and the specter of dementia. However, a groundbreaking study conducted by the Baycrest Hospital and the University of Toronto offers a fresh perspective on what aspects of speech may truly indicate changes in brain health.</p>
<p>The researchers found that the overall speed of speech, rather than the struggle to find words, serves as a more telling indicator of cognitive health. This discovery sheds new light on the aging process, suggesting that slowing down in speech could signal changes in the brain, while difficulties in word retrieval might be a normal aspect of aging.</p>
<p>The study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13825585.2024.2315774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition</a></em>.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this study stemmed from the need to distinguish between natural cognitive aging and early signs of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Previous research primarily focused on word-finding difficulties as a potential red flag for cognitive decline. However, this study aimed to explore whether other aspects of speech might offer more precise insights into our cognitive well-being as we age.</p>
<p>To delve into this question, the researchers enlisted 125 healthy volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 90, to participate in a series of innovative assessments designed to analyze their speech characteristics and cognitive abilities. The participants underwent a picture-naming game, where they had to identify and name objects while ignoring irrelevant, distracting information.</p>
<p>This was followed by a task that required them to describe complex images, with their speech being recorded and analyzed for speed and hesitations using advanced Artificial Intelligence-based software. The final part of the study involved standard tests to assess executive function, a set of mental skills that help individuals manage time, pay attention, and juggle multiple tasks.</p>
<p>As expected, certain cognitive abilities and speech characteristics declined with age. Specifically, participants exhibited a decrease in the speed at which they were able to name pictures presented to them in the picture-naming game. This decline was consistent with expectations based on previous research linking aging to slower cognitive processing speeds.</p>
<p>However, one of the study&#8217;s primary discoveries was the distinction between word-finding difficulties and speech speed as indicators of cognitive health. The researchers found a compelling link between the speed at which individuals spoke and their executive function.</p>
<p>Executive function, which encompasses abilities such as managing conflicting information and staying focused, showed a direct correlation with both the participants&#8217; ability to quickly name pictures and their overall speaking rate.</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the study revealed that the frequency and duration of pauses participants took to find the right words did not correlate with cognitive decline. This suggests that the occasional struggle to find words, a common concern among aging adults, might not necessarily indicate serious cognitive issues. Instead, a general slowing down in speech — apart from these pauses — emerged as a potentially more significant indicator of changes in brain health.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study&#8217;s findings challenge some of the conventional wisdom regarding aging and speech. Many older adults worry about their need to pause to search for words, viewing it as a sign of cognitive deterioration. However, the results of this research suggest that such pausing is a normal part of aging and is not directly linked to a decline in other mental abilities.</p>
<p>On the contrary, a slowdown in the normal rate of speech, regardless of pausing, could be a more critical sign of changes in cognitive health. This distinction provides a new perspective on what aspects of speech might be more accurately reflective of underlying cognitive changes.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our results indicate that changes in general talking speed may reflect changes in the brain,&#8221; said Jed Meltzer, Baycrest’s Canada Research Chair in Interventional Cognitive Neuroscience and the lead author on this study. &#8220;This suggests that talking speed should be tested as part of standard cognitive assessments to help clinicians detect cognitive decline faster and help older adults support their brain health as they age.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, however, is not without its limitations. The researchers acknowledge that further research is needed to confirm whether speech speed can predict individual brain health changes over time. Future studies could follow participants over several years to explore this relationship more deeply. Moreover, these findings could pave the way for new tools to detect cognitive decline early, allowing for timely interventions to maintain or improve brain health.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2024.2315774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cognitive components of aging-related increase in word-finding difficulty</a>,&#8221; was authored by Hsi T. Wei, Dana Kulzhabayeva, Lella Erceg, Jessica Robin, You Zhi Hu, Mark Chignell and Jed A. Meltzer.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Breakthrough AI model distinguishes male and female brains with over 90% accuracy
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/breakthrough-ai-model-distinguishes-male-and-female-brains-with-over-90-accuracy/

<p>Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence model that successfully determines the sex of an individual based on brain activity scans with more than 90% accuracy. Published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310012121"><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em></a>, this study sheds light on the long-debated topic of whether there are significant differences in brain activity between men and women. It suggests that recognizing these differences is crucial for understanding and treating neuropsychiatric conditions that disproportionately affect one sex over the other.</p>
<p>Previous research has hinted at sex playing a pivotal role in various stages of brain development, from early formation through adolescence and into aging. Moreover, there&#8217;s a notable disparity in the prevalence and manifestation of neuropsychiatric conditions between the sexes; for instance, women are more susceptible to depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, while men are more likely to develop autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia.</p>
<p>These conditions not only differ in frequency between sexes but also exhibit sex-specific clinical features and outcomes. The intricate relationship between sex and brain function necessitates a deeper understanding to enhance our approach to treating these conditions effectively.</p>
<p>However, despite substantial evidence pointing to anatomical differences in male and female brains, the impact of these differences on brain functionality and their translation into observable behavioral and cognitive variations have remained areas of contention and uncertainty. Addressing this gap in knowledge, the study sought to harness the capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to explore the functional organization of the brain across sexes.</p>
<p>“A key motivation for this study is that sex plays a crucial role in human brain development, in aging, and in the manifestation of psychiatric and neurological disorders,” said <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/vinod-menon">Vinod Menon</a>, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of the <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/scsnl.html">Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory</a>. “Identifying consistent and replicable sex differences in the healthy adult brain is a critical step toward a deeper understanding of sex-specific vulnerabilities in psychiatric and neurological disorders.”</p>
<p>The study involved the development and application of an end-to-end spatiotemporal deep neural network (stDNN) model, combined with an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) framework, to analyze resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) data. The data were sourced from a large cohort of approximately 1,000 young adults aged 20 to 35 years, participating in the <a href="http://www.humanconnectomeproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Human Connectome Project</a>.</p>
<p>To ensure the reliability and interpretability of their findings, the researchers utilized the integrated gradients (IG) algorithm, a technique within the XAI framework, to identify and rank brain features or &#8220;fingerprints&#8221; that differentiate male from female brain organization. This approach provided a quantitative measure of the contribution of each brain feature to the model&#8217;s classification decision, enabling the identification of specific regions and networks underpinning sex differences in brain function.</p>
<p>The study also included rigorous cross-validation and consensus analysis to assess the replicability and stability of the identified sex differences across different data sessions and independent cohorts. Furthermore, to validate the robustness of their findings against potential confounding factors, the team conducted control analyses using different brain atlases, artifact reduction methods, and evaluations of head movement effects.</p>
<p>The study revealed specific brain regions and networks that contribute to the observed sex differences in functional brain organization. Notably, areas associated with the default mode network (DMN), including the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, emerged as key discriminators between male and female brains.</p>
<p>This finding is particularly intriguing given the DMN&#8217;s role in self-referential thought and emotional processing, suggesting that men and women may engage these cognitive and affective processes differently.</p>
<p>Additionally, the analysis highlighted significant differences in the striatum and limbic networks, which are involved in reward sensitivity, reinforcement learning, and emotional regulation. These differences could have profound implications for understanding sex-specific vulnerabilities to psychiatric and neurological disorders, as well as for developing targeted interventions.</p>
<p>“This is a very strong piece of evidence that sex is a robust determinant of human brain organization,” Menon said.</p>
<p>The study also ventured into exploring the relationship between these sex-specific brain functional organizations and cognitive profiles. By analyzing behavioral data alongside brain imaging, the researchers identified distinct cognitive profiles that correlate with the unique brain features of males and females.</p>
<p>This aspect of the research sheds light on the behavioral relevance of the identified sex differences in brain function, suggesting potential pathways through which these differences might manifest in cognitive and emotional behaviors. The ability of the AI model to predict cognitive profiles based on brain function further emphasizes the practical significance of understanding sex differences in brain organization, not only for academic inquiry but also for clinical application.</p>
<p>“These models worked really well because we successfully separated brain patterns between sexes,” Menon said. “That tells me that overlooking sex differences in brain organization could lead us to miss key factors underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.”</p>
<p>However, the study includes some limitations. The focus on young adults limits the applicability of the findings across the lifespan, particularly in relation to developmental and aging processes. Additionally, the reliance on data from specific cohorts and imaging techniques may affect the generalizability of the results. Future research is encouraged to expand the demographic and methodological scope of the study, explore the underlying mechanisms of observed sex differences, and examine their implications for individual susceptibility to psychiatric and neurological disorders.</p>
<p>Menon said that their AI model is versatile enough to explore connections between virtually any facet of brain connectivity and various cognitive abilities or behaviors. He and his team intend to release their model for public use, allowing researchers worldwide to apply it to their investigations.</p>
<p>“Our AI models have very broad applicability,” Menon said. “A researcher could use our models to look for brain differences linked to learning impairments or social functioning differences, for instance — aspects we are keen to understand better to aid individuals in adapting to and surmounting these challenges.”</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2310012121" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deep learning models reveal replicable, generalizable, and behaviorally relevant sex differences in human functional brain organization</a>,&#8221; was authored by Srikanth Ryali, Yuan Zhang, Carlo de los Angeles, Kaustubh Supekar, and Vinod Menon.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 10:57AM
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TITLE:
Report Urges Church of England to Expand Slavery Reparations
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177885&url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrjv9r1jyko

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/default.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">BBC News - UK News</a></p>The &pound;100m earmarked by the Church of England for an investment fund to help repair damage caused by its links to slavery should be expanded at least tenfold, a new report says. The conclusion comes after an investigation last year found the Church had invested large amounts of money into a company that transported tens of thousands of slaves. The Church welcomed the report but said 100 million pounds was the &quot;appropriate financial commitment&quot;...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 10:58AM
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TITLE:
Could Anesthesia During Pregnancy Cause Behavioral Problems in Kids?
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177893&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-03-04/could-general-anesthesia-in-pregnancy-raise-behavioral-issues-in-kids

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Children exposed to anesthesia in the womb when their pregnant mom has surgery are more likely to suffer from behavioral issues later, reports a new study based on 17 million deliveries. Exposure to anesthesia before birth was associated with a 31% increased risk of a behavioral disorder as a child, or an even higher risk when exposure occurred during the second or third trimester. The report was published February 29 in the British Journal of...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 10:56AM
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TITLE:
Study Detects Cognitive Changes in Older Drivers Using In-Vehicle Sensors
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177887&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240229124543.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>An estimated 4 to 8 million older adults with mild cognitive impairment are currently driving in the United States, and one-third of them will develop dementia within five years. People with progressive dementias will eventually become unable to drive safely, yet many remain unaware of their cognitive decline. In a study published in BMC Geriatrics, researchers tested the ability of unobtrusive monitoring devices to detect driver impairment.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 10:56AM
.
TITLE:
Africa to Be $2.5 Trillion Short of Climate Finance by 2030, U.N. Says
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177897&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-03-04/africa-to-be-2-5-trillion-short-of-climate-finance-by-2030-un-says

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Africa will be $2.5 trillion short of the finance it needs to cope with climate change by 2030, a U.N. official said on Monday, adding that the continent has contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions while seeing some of the worst impacts. Africa attracts only 2% of global investments in clean energy but needs $2.8 trillion of investment in the sector by 2030, said the official, who warned against the consequences of under-funding.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Mild Covid-19 infections make insomnia more likely, especially in people with anxiety or depression
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/mild-covid-19-infections-make-insomnia-more-likely-especially-in-people-with-anxiety-or-depression/

<p><strong>Doctors already knew that a Covid-19 infection bad enough to hospitalize someone is often followed by insomnia, but a new study of patients with recent mild Covid-19 has shown that these patients are very vulnerable to sleep disturbances, too. 76.1% of the participants displayed symptoms of insomnia. While the length or severity of their illness didn’t appear to impact the likelihood of developing insomnia, patients who reported symptoms of anxiety or depression were much more likely to report insomnia as well.</strong></p>
<p>Although most patients diagnosed with Covid-19 will quickly recover, some people experience symptoms that linger well after they start testing negative again — including insomnia. Scientists already knew that insomnia was common in patients who had to be hospitalized, but a team of scientists led by Dr Huong T. X. Hoang of Phenikaa University, Vietnam began to wonder if <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/asleep">mild infections</a> might also affect sleep quality.</p>
<p>“As a sleep researcher, I received many questions and complaints from relatives, friends, and colleagues about their sleep disturbances after recovering from Covid-19,” said Hoang, lead author of the article published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281012/full"><em>Frontiers in Public Health</em></a>. “I found that the majority of papers focused on hospitalized patients. The environment of their treatment and quarantine would differ greatly from those with milder symptoms.”</p>
<h2>Linking sickness and sleeplessness</h2>
<p>Using Vietnam’s official network of Covid-19 survivors, the scientists recruited 1,056 people over the age of 18 who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 but not hospitalized in the last six months, and who reported no history of insomnia or psychiatric conditions. They sent out a survey to these people for completion between June and September 2022.</p>
<p>The survey asked about sociodemographic characteristics like age, sex, and chronic conditions, and the duration and severity of patients’ Covid-19 infection. It also measured symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression experienced by patients. To investigate levels of insomnia, patients were asked to compare how well they slept, how long they slept, and how easy it was to fall <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/asleep">asleep</a> in the last two weeks, compared to before contracting Covid-19.</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281012/full">Read original article</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281012/pdf">Download original article (pdf)</a></p>
<hr />
<h2>76% of patients report insomnia</h2>
<p>76.1% of participants reported experiencing insomnia: 22.8% of these people reported severe insomnia. Half the participants said they woke more often in the night, while a third said that they found it harder to fall asleep, slept worse, and slept for less time. The severity of their initial infection didn’t seem to correlate with the severity of the insomnia they experienced. Although asymptomatic Covid-19 patients scored lower on the insomnia index, the difference was not statistically significant.</p>
<p>“If you experience insomnia after Covid-19, don’t think that is normal,” said Hoang. “If insomnia does not bother you much, you can take some simple actions, such as: taking a warm shower before bedtime, shutting your phone down at least one hour before going to bed, doing 30 minutes of exercise per day, and avoiding caffeine after 4pm. In case insomnia really troubles you, you can try some <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/over-the-counter">over-the-counter</a> sleep aids. If they don’t help, go to see a sleep therapist.” Two groups of people did have statistically significant higher rates of insomnia. These were people who had a pre-existing <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/chronic-condition">chronic condition</a>, and people who scored highly for depressive or anxious symptoms. Both groups developed insomnia at a higher rate than their peers. When the scientists looked at those patients who reported insomnia, their depression and anxiety scores were higher than the average scores of the entire sample. However, these illnesses are not completely independent of each other. Insomnia can worsen mental and physical health, as well as being driven by poorer mental and physical health.</p>
<h2>Holistic approaches needed</h2>
<p>The scientists pointed out that the rate of insomnia reported by patients is not only much higher than the rate among the general population, but higher than that reported for hospitalized Covid-19 patients. This could be partly because they focused on recently recovered patients who may have lingering symptoms. Recently recovered patients may also be more stressed and sensitive to changes in their physical health, leading them to perceive their sleep as worse.</p>
<p>The scientists emphasized that a holistic approach is needed to tackle all the factors contributing to insomnia, and that further investigation of the relationship between Covid-19, mental health problems, and insomnia is required.</p>
<p>“Since this is a cross-sectional study, the relationship of anxiety and depression with insomnia cannot be fully investigated,” cautioned Hoang. “In addition, collecting data online and a convenience sampling method can cause recall bias and selection bias. However, due to the situation in Vietnam at that time, collecting data via electronic invitation and convenience sampling was the most efficient and feasible strategy.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2024/02/05/mild-covid-19-infections-make-insomnia-more-likely-especially-in-people-with"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60249" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner.png" alt="" width="855" height="70" srcset="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner.png 855w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-600x49.png 600w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-300x25.png 300w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-768x63.png 768w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-750x61.png 750w" sizes="(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" /></a></p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Adherence to traditional gender roles linked to paradoxical sexual dynamics in relationships
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/adherence-to-traditional-gender-roles-linked-to-paradoxical-sexual-dynamics-in-relationships/

<p>New research sheds light on how societal norms and expectations related to gender roles influence individuals&#8217; sexual behaviors within intimate partnerships. The findings, published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2310693"><em>Journal of Sex &amp; Marital Therapy</em></a>, reveals that adherence to traditional gender roles is associated with a decrease in sexual desire but an increase in the frequency of sexual activities. This counterintuitive finding suggests that societal norms and expectations about gender may play a significant role in shaping our intimate lives.</p>
<p>Research has progressively recognized the dyadic nature of sexual desire, acknowledging that an individual&#8217;s sexual motivation can be significantly influenced by their partner&#8217;s desires. This body of work has begun to challenge traditional views that primarily see sexual desire as an individual trait, isolated from the relational and social context.</p>
<p>Despite the growing body of research acknowledging the dyadic nature of sexual desire, there remains a gap in understanding how societal norms and expectations, particularly those related to gender roles, impact individuals&#8217; sexual behaviors and consent within intimate partnerships. The new study aimed to fill this gap.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a sex therapist, I am very concerned about the potential trauma individuals may experience in the context of obligatory sex in their relationship, even when there is no clear aggressor,&#8221; said study author Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, an associate professor and the director of the Science of Sex Lab at the University of Haifa. &#8220;This concern is rooted in the understanding that challenges related to sexual dynamics within conservative committed relationships, particularly obligatory sex, can lead to significant and lasting consequences, encompassing psychological and emotional trauma.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the study, a sample of 675 individuals aged between 25 to 50 years, who were in a cohabiting relationship with their partner for at least 12 months completed a web-based survey. To ensure a broad and inclusive reach, the study was advertised not only on general social media outlets but also on platforms catering to specific ethnic and cultural communities within Israel, including those of Ethiopian and Palestinian-Arab heritage. The survey was made available in both Hebrew and Arabic.</p>
<p>Participants provided a range of sociodemographic information, including age, gender, religion, educational background, relationship status, and sexual orientation, among others. This data collection was crucial for analyzing the influence of various demographic factors on the study&#8217;s primary variables.</p>
<p>Traditional gender roles were assessed using the Domestic Roles subscale of the Patriarchal Beliefs Scale, which assesses the extent to which individuals endorse traditional views of gender roles, where men are typically seen as the breadwinners and decision-makers, and women as the primary caretakers and responsible for household chores. Example items include &#8220;Cleaning is mostly a woman’s job&#8221; and &#8220;A man should make the rules of the house.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sexual desire and attraction to the partner were evaluated through direct questions asking participants to rate their desire and attraction over the past year. Additionally, the frequency of sexual relations was gauged using a scale that ranged from not engaging in sexual activity at all in the past year to engaging in sexual activity almost every day.</p>
<p>Male participants reported significantly higher levels of sexual desire and attraction to their partner compared to female participants. Moreover, men also reported engaging in sexual activities with their partners more frequently than women did. This finding aligns with traditional perceptions and stereotypes that suggest men typically exhibit a higher sexual drive than women.</p>
<p>When the variable of traditional gender roles was introduced into the analysis, the picture became more nuanced. Participants who strongly endorsed traditional gender roles reported lower levels of sexual desire and attraction towards their partners. Despite this decrease in desire, they engaged in sexual activities more frequently than those with a lower endorsement of traditional roles. This paradox suggests that traditional gender roles may compel individuals to prioritize the fulfillment of perceived sexual duties over their own sexual desires</p>
<p>While both men and women with high support for traditional gender roles reported lower sexual desire, the impact on the frequency of sexual activities differed between genders. For men, their own sexual desire had a stronger association with the frequency of sexual activities, whereas for women, the perceived sexual desire of their partner played a more significant role. This finding underscores the pressure women might feel to accommodate their partners&#8217; desires, potentially at the expense of their own.</p>
<p>&#8220;The study suggests that gender roles and beliefs about traditional gender norms can significantly influence individuals&#8217; sexual desire and the frequency of sexual activity in committed relationships,&#8221; Gewirtz-Meydan told PsyPost. &#8220;Men with low support for traditional gender roles may prioritize mutual satisfaction, while women with high support for traditional roles may perceive sex more as a duty than an expression of personal desire. The findings highlight the need to challenge societal norms for more equitable sexual dynamics in relationships.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes limitations. The study&#8217;s reliance on self-reported data and its cross-sectional nature limits our ability to draw causal conclusions. Future research could employ longitudinal designs to trace how changes in gender attitudes and roles impact sexual dynamics over time. Additionally, capturing both partners&#8217; perspectives could offer a fuller understanding of how sexual desire and activity are negotiated within relationships.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the ongoing trajectory of this research, I think we need to delve deeper into the qualitative aspect by conducting in-depth interviews to better understand how individuals interpret and navigate their roles in initiating sexual relations, particularly within the context of cultural and religious perspectives,&#8221; Gewirtz-Meydan said. &#8220;Furthermore, I think we need to extend our investigations to explore the long-term impact of specific cultural and religious teachings, particularly concerning obligatory sex trauma, on sexual behaviors and attitudes within relationships.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The clinical implications of our study underscore the critical need to integrate considerations of traditional gender roles into therapeutic interventions addressing sexual concerns,&#8221; Gewirtz-Meydan added. &#8220;As a sex therapist, I think therapists should encourage and actively promote shared decision-making in sexual activities. This recommendation extends to committed romantic long-term relationships, emphasizing the significance of mutual consent and equal participation. Such an approach empowers individuals to navigate their sexual experiences in alignment with their personal desires and preferences.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2310693">Rights or Obligations: The Extent to Which Sexual Desire and Gender Roles Determine Sexual Intimacy in Romantic Relationships</a>,&#8221; was authored by Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Wafaa Sowan, Roi Estlein, and Zeev Winstok.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Social anxiety might be transmissible through gut microbiota, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/social-anxiety-might-be-transmissible-through-gut-microbiota-study-finds/

<p>A study conducted in Sweden discovered that transplanting the gut microbiota from individuals with social anxiety disorder into mice made these mice more sensitive to social fear. While the mice maintained normal behavior in a variety of other non-social behavioral tests, researchers identified several biochemical changes. This research was published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2308706120"><em>Neuroscience</em></a>.</p>
<p>Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition characterized by an intense fear of social situations, where individuals feel excessively self-conscious, judged, or embarrassed, leading to avoidance of social interactions. Research suggests that abnormalities in the brain&#8217;s serotonin and dopamine systems (networks of neurons that use neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine to regulate various functions), as well as hyperactivity in the amygdala (a region involved in fear and emotional processing), may contribute to the development of social anxiety.</p>
<p>The recent uncovering of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, a sophisticated bidirectional communication network between the gut microbiota and the brain, has garnered attention towards the potential influence of gut microorganisms on various psychological and mental health issues. This axis includes neural, endocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways through which gut microbiota can impact brain development, mood, cognition, and stress responses. Given its bidirectional nature, the brain can also affect the composition of the gut microbiota.</p>
<p>A recent study has shown that gut microbiota composition of individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder differs from that of healthy individuals. However, it remained unknown whether these differences might be caused by the disorder or whether they might have a causal role in developing this disorder.</p>
<p>To better study the role of gut microbiota in social anxiety disorder, Nathaniel L. Ritz and his colleagues conducted a study on mice in which they examined whether gut microbiota might play a causal role in the development of social anxiety disorder. To do that, they transplanted gut microbiota from individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder and healthy individuals into mice and observed the changes that developed.</p>
<p>The study involved 6 participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and 6 healthy adults without any psychiatric illness history. Those with social anxiety disorder were already part of a study investigating the specificities of gut microbiota in individuals with the disorder. Healthy participants were recruited through University College Cork and provided stool samples for transplantation into mice.</p>
<p>The recipients of the transplantations were 72 male mice, 8 weeks old at the beginning of the study. After their acquisition, the mice were given 2 weeks to adjust to their new environment, maintained on a 12-hour dark-light cycle, and given unrestricted access to standard mouse food and water.</p>
<p>Following the acclimatization period, the researchers began treating the mice with a potent cocktail of antibiotics in their drinking water, composed of ampicillin, vancomycin, imipenem, and neomycin. This regimen eradicated the mice&#8217;s native gut microbiota, preparing them for the human microbiota transplants. Each mouse received gut microbiota from a randomly selected human participant.</p>
<p>The human participants&#8217; stool samples were diluted, filtered to eliminate large particles, and then administered directly into the mice&#8217;s guts via oral gavage over three consecutive days. Of these, 36 mice received microbiota from participants with social anxiety disorder, and the remaining 36 received it from healthy participants.</p>
<p>Ten days post-procedure, the researchers conducted a series of behavioral tests and collected stool samples from the mice before and after the transplant, alongside conducting comprehensive biochemical analyses.</p>
<p>The results indicated differences in the gut microbiota between the two groups of mice, with variations in the abundance of three bacterial species &#8211; <em>Bacteroides nordii</em>, <em>Bacteroides cellulosiyticus</em>, and <em>Phocaeicola massiliensi.</em></p>
<p>Behavioral tests showed that mice who received gut microbiota from participants with social anxiety disorder had reduced social interactions across six trials. However, their non-social behaviors did not change. This led the researchers to conclude that sensitivity to social fear of these mice was increased.</p>
<p>Further analysis showed that these mice had reduced levels of the hormone corticosterone. Corticosterone is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, primarily involved in regulating stress responses, energy metabolism, immune reactions, and electrolyte balance in the body.</p>
<p>The mice that received gut microbiota from participants with social anxiety disorder also showed lower levels of oxytocin in specific regions of the brain (the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis) and lower activity of genes related to oxytocin in other brain regions (the medial amygdala and prefrontal cortex). These changes are linked to higher levels of social fear.</p>
<p>“Taken together, our findings provide novel evidence that the microbiota in individuals with SAD [social anxiety disorder] can generate increased social fear that is associated with impaired peripheral immune activation and neuronal oxytocin within the BNST [the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis] in mice. This suggests that the microbiota can play a causal role in heightened social fear responses in the disorder. Moving forward, the microbiota–gut– brain axis is an ideal target for identifying novel therapeutics to improve symptoms in SAD,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the role gut microbiota play in social anxiety disorder. However, it should be noted that the study was performed on mice with depleted gut microbiota. Results on humans might not be the same.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2308706120">Social anxiety disorder-associated gut microbiota increases social fear,</a>” was authored by Nathaniel L. Ritz, Marta Brocka, Mary I. Butler, Caitlin S. M. Cowan, Camila Barrera-Bugueño, Christopher J. R. Turkingtona, Lorraine A. Draper, Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen, Valentine Turpin, Lorena Morales, David Campos, Cassandra E. Gheorghe, Anna Ratsika, Virat Sharma, Anna V. Golubeva, Maria R. Aburto, Andrey N. Shkoporov, Gerard M. Moloney, Colin Hill, Gerard Clarke, David A. Slattery, Timothy G. Dinan, and John F. Cryan.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 04, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Politics really is making “bastards of us all,” according to new psychology research
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/politics-really-is-making-bastards-of-us-all-according-to-new-psychology-research/

<p>A recent study sheds light on the relationship between moral values and political affiliations, revealing that the standards of morality people apply in political contexts may differ significantly from those in personal spheres. The findings, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12954"><em>Political Psychology</em></a>, indicate that people are inclined to lower their moral standards in political contexts, especially when opposing group interests are at play.</p>
<p>Prior research has consistently shown that moral judgments can be swayed by political affiliations, with individuals often willing to overlook the moral failings of those within their political in-group while condemning those of the opposing side. This phenomenon, known as moral hypocrisy, highlights a puzzling contradiction: despite moral values being considered core components of one&#8217;s identity, they seem to waver in the face of political partisanship.</p>
<p>The new study was motivated by a desire to understand the underlying reasons for this discrepancy and to explore whether the adaptive function of morality—to ensure group success—might explain why moral standards are applied more leniently in political contexts.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were really interested in trying to understand why some people are willing to engage in some of the immoral behaviors they do in some situations, particularly in the political realm, but won&#8217;t engage in the same immoral behaviors elsewhere. In our studies, we asked people the same set of questions about different behaviors they may engage in as well as tolerance of others, and we simply changed &#8216;person&#8217; to &#8216;politician&#8217; in these sets,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://www.kylejhull.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Hull</a>, a visiting assistant professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.</p>
<p>The researchers recruited four independent samples, ensuring a broad and varied demographic representation. The first two samples comprised 1,362 students enrolled in introductory political science courses. The third sample (410 participants) was sourced from MTurk, a popular platform for academic research that captures a more diverse adult demographic across the United States.</p>
<p>The final sample of 700 participants was obtained via YouGov, a respected market research firm, and was specifically weighted to match the American Community Survey on key demographic variables such as gender, age, race, and education.</p>
<p>The core of the study&#8217;s methodology revolved around an online survey that presented participants with a series of measures designed to gauge their moral behavior and tolerance. These measures were carefully constructed to assess respondents&#8217; likely responses to hypothetical scenarios involving moral transgressions, with a critical distinction made between political and non-political contexts.</p>
<p>For moral behavior, participants were asked to imagine either a despicable person or politician and indicate their likelihood of engaging in various transgressive acts against them, ranging from making fun of their appearance to more severe actions like vandalism. Similarly, for moral tolerance, participants rated their willingness to either befriend someone or support a political candidate who engaged in morally questionable behavior.</p>
<p>Participants were more willing to engage in or tolerate morally questionable behavior when the context was political, rather than personal. This pattern was evident across all four independent samples, indicating a systematic and robust effect. Specifically, when participants imagined themselves or others acting against political figures, they showed a higher propensity to endorse actions or tolerate behaviors that they would likely condemn in non-political, personal scenarios.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings suggest that people are indeed using a different set of moral standards in the political sphere than their own personal spheres,&#8221; Hull told PsyPost. &#8220;This shift in moral judgement leads people, regardless of their background, whether young or old or whether liberal or conservative, to do things they normally wouldn&#8217;t do as well as tolerate things they normally wouldn&#8217;t tolerate. Our politics and commitment to our political groups does indeed seem to be making bastards of us all.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another key finding of the study relates to the role of group dynamics, particularly the impact of antipathy towards political outgroups. The study identified a clear and consistent signal: genuine antipathy towards political outgroups significantly predicted a greater willingness to bend moral standards in the political realm.</p>
<p>This suggests that negative feelings towards those who hold opposing political views can lead individuals to rationalize or even endorse morally questionable behavior, provided it serves the interests or goals of their ingroup. This insight speaks volumes about the power of group identification and intergroup emotions in shaping moral judgment, highlighting how deeply entrenched group loyalties can override individual moral convictions in the face of political competition.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the more interesting findings in our results is not just that there aren&#8217;t ideological differences, but rather that our own ingroup, partisan, attachment consistently shifted our moral judgement,&#8221; Hull explained. &#8220;It was a genuine, internalized dislike of the outgroup, or opposing party, that led people to be willing to engage in more immoral acts, and those with a much stronger commitment to their own party made them more tolerant of politicians who acted immorally.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study also revealed nuances in how moral behavior and tolerance are judged differently within the political context. While participants showed a general leniency towards moral transgressions in politics, this leniency was more pronounced for actions they themselves might take against political adversaries than for transgressions committed by politicians they supported.</p>
<p>This research contributes to our understanding of the fluidity of moral judgment in the face of political affiliations. As with any study, however, the research includes some caveats. The measures were based on hypothetical scenarios, which may not fully capture the complexities of real-life moral decision-making. Future research could explore more nuanced aspects of moral judgment, including how principled policy preferences might influence political moral leniency.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pops.12954">Politics makes bastards of us all: Why moral judgment is politically situational</a>,&#8221; was authored by Kyle Hull, Clarisse Warren, and Kevin Smith.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 03, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Delta opioid receptor agonist KNT-127 modulates anxiety-like behavior, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/delta-opioid-receptor-agonist-knt-127-modulates-anxiety-like-behavior-study-finds/

<p>In a new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/npr2.12406"><em>Neuropsychopharmacology Reports</em></a>, a team of scientists has shed light on the potential of delta opioid receptors to mitigate anxiety through the activation of a specific brain pathway. Their research unveils the intricate mechanisms by which the selective DOP agonist, KNT-127, reduces anxiety-like behavior in mice, marking a significant step towards developing novel treatments for anxiety-related disorders.</p>
<p>Delta opioid receptors (DOPs) are a type of opioid receptor, one of several receptors activated by the body&#8217;s natural opioid peptides as well as by synthetic and plant-derived opioids. These receptors are part of the larger family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which play critical roles in transmitting signals from the outside of a cell to its interior. DOPs are predominantly localized in the brain, particularly in areas involved in pain modulation, emotional response, and neuroendocrine regulation.</p>
<p>Despite the known role of DOPs in emotional regulation, no drugs targeting these receptors are available for treating anxiety and depression. This gap in treatment options propelled the research team to explore DOP agonists as potential alternatives. Their focus on KNT-127, a compound that shows promise in animal models for its anxiety-reducing effects without significant side effects, aimed to understand how it achieves these effects at the molecular level.</p>
<p>&#8220;There are currently no therapeutic drugs mediated by delta opioid receptors (DOPs). DOPs likely exert anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects through a mechanism of action different from that of existing psychotropic drugs. DOP agonists may, therefore, be useful for treatment-resistant and intractable mental illnesses which do not respond to existing treatments,&#8221; explained study author Akiyoshi Saitoh, a professor at Tokyo University of Science&#8217;s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s methodology was anchored in optogenetics. This technique represents a fusion of genetics and optics, allowing scientists to control specific neurons in the brain with light. The researchers specifically targeted a neural pathway from the prelimbic cortex (PL) to the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), both critical areas in the brain associated with the regulation of emotions and the development of anxiety.</p>
<p>To begin, the team injected male C57BL/6J mice with a virus carrying the gene for channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a light-sensitive protein, or a control virus, directly into the PL. This setup enabled the neurons in the PL-BLA pathway to respond to light, allowing for precise control over this circuit&#8217;s activity.</p>
<p>Following the viral injection, an optic fiber was implanted above the BLA to deliver light pulses, effectively activating the PL-BLA pathway on demand. This sophisticated optogenetic stimulation setup was crucial for investigating how specific activation of this pathway influences anxiety-like behavior in mice.</p>
<p>The researchers then conducted a series of behavioral tests to assess the effects of activating the PL-BLA pathway on anxiety-like and fear-related behaviors. The elevated plus-maze test, a widely used assay in animal anxiety research, was utilized to evaluate innate anxiety-like behavior. This test exploits a mouse&#8217;s natural aversion to open, elevated spaces, with increased time spent in open arms indicating reduced anxiety.</p>
<p>Additionally, the open-field test was used to measure anxiety by recording how much time the animals spent in the center of an open arena, with more time in the center suggesting lower anxiety levels. The contextual fear conditioning test was employed to assess learned fear responses, with freezing behavior serving as an indicator of fear.</p>
<p>The findings from these experiments were revealing. Activation of the PL-BLA pathway led to increased anxiety-like behavior, as mice spent significantly less time in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and the center of the open-field arena, indicating heightened innate anxiety. However, when it came to learned fear responses assessed by the contextual fear conditioning test, there was no significant difference between mice with activated PL-BLA pathways and controls, suggesting that this circuit&#8217;s role in anxiety is distinct from its involvement in conditioned fear responses.</p>
<p>Further illuminating the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting this pathway, the administration of KNT-127, a selective DOP agonist, significantly reduced anxiety-like behavior in mice with activated PL-BLA pathways. Mice treated with KNT-127 spent more time in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and the center of the open-field arena, indicating a decrease in innate anxiety. This effect was specific to the activation of the PL-BLA pathway, as KNT-127 did not significantly alter the behavior of control mice or those subjected to conditioned fear tests.</p>
<p>These findings underscore the pivotal role of the PL-BLA pathway in regulating innate anxiety and demonstrate the potential of DOP agonists, like KNT-127, in alleviating such anxiety through the modulation of this specific brain circuit.</p>
<p>“The brain neural circuits focused on in this study are conserved in humans, and research on human brain imaging has revealed that the PL-BLA region is overactive in patients with depression and anxiety disorders,&#8221; Saitoh said. &#8220;We are optimistic that suppressing overactivity in this brain region using DOP-targeted therapies can exert significant anxiolytic effects in humans.”</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/npr2.12406" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The delta opioid receptor agonist KNT-127 relieves innate anxiety-like behavior in mice by suppressing transmission from the prelimbic cortex to basolateral amygdala</a>,&#8221; was authored by Ayako Kawaminami, Daisuke Yamada, Toshinori Yoshioka, Azumi Hatakeyama, Moeno Nishida, Keita Kajino, Tsuyoshi Saitoh, Hiroshi Nagase, and Akiyoshi Saitoh.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 03, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Faith and conspiracy: Study shows religiosity is related to belief in COVID-19 conspiracies
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/faith-and-conspiracy-study-shows-religiosity-is-related-to-belief-in-covid-19-conspiracies/

<p>The journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1026144/full"><em>Frontiers in Psychology</em></a> has recently published a study showing a significant link between religiosity and the belief in COVID-19 conspiracy narratives — mediated by a conspiracy mentality.</p>
<p>The context of the present study lies in the surge of conspiracy theories during crises — with COVID-19 providing a strong foundation for such beliefs. Prior research has covered the human tendency to cling to conspiracy narratives, suggesting a deep-rooted inclination to find patterns and intentions in world events — and attributing them to the actions of malevolent groups.</p>
<p>This present research extends this understanding by exploring how religiosity — characterized by a belief in a higher power without empirical proof, correlates with the endorsement of conspiracy narratives through a shared framework of unwavering conviction.</p>
<p>The researchers embarked on this study to explore the potential parallels between religious conviction and the acceptance of conspiracy theories == hypothesizing that a belief system rooted in faith without evidence could predispose individuals to a conspiracy mentality. This assumption led to the investigation of whether religiosity could indirectly influence the belief in COVID19 conspiracy narratives through the mediation of a conspiracy mentality.</p>
<p>To test their hypothesis, researchers conducted an online survey with 616 participants, around half female and half male and all recruited through social media or advertisements. The survey analyzed their levels of religiosity, conspiracy mentality, and belief in specific COVID-19 conspiracy narratives. The study&#8217;s methodology utilized a detailed questionnaire to gauge participants&#8217; religious beliefs and their inclination towards conspiratorial thinking —specifically in the context of the pandemic.</p>
<p>Findings revealed that individuals with higher levels of religiosity were more likely to exhibit a conspiracy mentality — which in turn, was significantly associated with the endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy narratives. In other words, it can be suggested that religious beliefs, particularly those developed from an early age, may not only push these individuals towards conspiracy mentality — but also towards the acceptance of specific conspiracy narratives, even when such beliefs are not directly related to their religious views.</p>
<p>However, the study has its own distinctions and caveats. Despite the conceptual overlap, religiosity and conspiracy mentality are two distinct and different constructs — and correlation does not mean causation, as they may influence individuals in very different ways. The study&#8217;s focus on the Christian religion may also limit the generalizability of the findings to other religious contexts, and the researchers also point out that education plays a crucial role — with higher education levels associated with a less pronounced conspiracy mentality.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1026144/full">Conviction in the absence of proof: Conspiracy mentality mediates religiosityʼs relationship with support for COVID-19 conspiracy narratives</a>,ˮ was authored by Hilmar Grabow and Anne Rock at Kiel University&#8217;s Social and Political Psychology department.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 03, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Women’s anxiety soars over threats to physical femininity, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/womens-anxiety-soars-over-threats-to-physical-femininity-study-finds/

<p>Threats to women&#8217;s physical femininity can significantly increase anxiety and reduce self-esteem, according to new research published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002210312300104X"><em>Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</em></a>. This research challenges previous notions that only men react negatively to threats against their gender stereotypicality, offering a new understanding of how gender stereotypes affect women, particularly in terms of their physical appearance.</p>
<p>Women have been advised to adopt traditionally masculine behaviors to succeed in various spheres of life. Despite such trends towards gender nonconformity, the impact of gender stereotypes, especially concerning physical appearance, on psychological well-being remained underexplored.</p>
<p>Previous studies predominantly focused on the psychological aspects of gender stereotyping, often overlooking the significance of physical appearance in shaping individuals&#8217; experiences with gender conformity. This gap motivated Yale University researchers to conduct the current study, which sought to examine the psychological effects of perceived threats to gender stereotypicality in physical appearance among women and to compare these effects with those experienced by men.</p>
<p>To investigate these potential effects, the researchers first conducted a series of three experiments that involved manipulating feedback regarding women&#8217;s physical femininity. In total, 920 participants for these studies were recruited online, utilizing platforms such as Amazon&#8217;s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and Prolific Academic. The recruitment process ensured a diverse sample of cisgender women, aiming to capture a wide range of responses to the experimental manipulations.</p>
<p>Participants were randomly assigned to receive either affirming or threatening feedback about their physical appearance, specifically their facial femininity. This feedback was carefully crafted to suggest to participants that their facial characteristics either conformed to or deviated from typical gender norms. To bolster the credibility of this feedback, participants were informed that a neural network-based image analysis software assessed their facial appearance against a database of gender and age-group norms.</p>
<p>In addition to manipulating feedback on physical femininity, the experiments also controlled for variables such as perceived physical attractiveness. This was to ensure that any psychological effects observed could be attributed to perceptions of gender stereotypicality rather than general attractiveness. Measures of state anxiety and self-esteem were administered to assess the psychological impact of the feedback.</p>
<p>A consistent pattern emerged where cisgender women reported higher levels of state anxiety when they received feedback suggesting their physical appearance was less feminine than average, compared to when they received affirming feedback regarding their femininity.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, these threats to physical femininity did not significantly affect participants&#8217; self-perceived physical attractiveness, suggesting that the anxiety induced by femininity threats was not merely a byproduct of concerns over general attractiveness. This finding emphasizes the distinct psychological significance of gender conformity in physical appearance, separate from attractiveness.</p>
<p>The researchers expanded upon these initial findings by comparing the responses of both women and men to threats to their gender stereotypicality, encompassing both physical appearance and personality domains. For this experiment, the researchers recruited a sample of 822 women and 752 men via Prolific.</p>
<p>The participants were instructed to record and submit videos of themselves, which were then purportedly analyzed by neural network-based software to assess either the femininity/masculinity of their physical appearance or their personality. The feedback provided was crafted to either affirm or threaten the participant&#8217;s conformity to gender stereotypes within the designated domain.</p>
<p>Women reported increased state anxiety and decreased self-esteem in response to threats to their physical femininity compared to when their physical femininity was affirmed. This effect was specific to the domain of physical appearance, as threats to psychological femininity did not elicit the same psychological response, underscoring the particular salience of physical appearance in women&#8217;s experiences of gender stereotypicality.</p>
<p>In contrast, men showed heightened anxiety in response to masculinity threats, but this effect was observed across both domains of physical appearance and personality. Surprisingly, the effect was particularly pronounced for threats to physical masculinity, suggesting that, similar to women, men also place significant psychological importance on conforming to gender stereotypes in physical appearance.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study found that threats to physical femininity, but not psychological femininity, led to reduced self-esteem among women, highlighting the unique vulnerability of women&#8217;s self-esteem to perceptions of physical gender conformity. Conversely, men did not exhibit a significant change in self-esteem in response to masculinity threats, suggesting possible differences in how gender stereotypicality threats impact self-esteem across genders.</p>
<p>An exploratory analysis suggested that felt identity invalidation — particularly the discrepancy between the feedback received and participants&#8217; internal sense of self — might serve as a mechanism explaining the increased anxiety and decreased self-esteem among women facing physical femininity threats. This finding provides a potential psychological pathway through which gender stereotypicality threats exert their effects, although further research using validated measures is needed to confirm this relationship.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although past work has demonstrated that women do not experience anxiety in response to threats to their psychological femininity, the present studies reveal that women do, indeed, experience heightened levels of anxiety—as well as reduced levels of self-esteem—in response to threats to the femininity of their physical appearance,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;Furthermore, the current studies provide evidence that these effects are not the result of women interpreting threats to their physical femininity as threats to their physical attractiveness. Rather, they may result from a sense of identity invalidation that threats to gender stereotypicality evoke, though more research is needed to determine whether this is indeed the case.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Finally, these studies reveal that men experience anxiety (but not reduced self-esteem) in response to masculinity threats across the domains of personality and physical appearance—but that this effect is particularly strong in the case of threats to physical masculinity. Overall, the current research highlights the central role that expectations about women and men&#8217;s physical characteristics, in additional to their psychological characteristics, play in in the dynamics and consequences of gender stereotyping.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104547">US cisgender women&#8217;s psychological responses to physical femininity threats: Increased anxiety, reduced self-esteem</a>,&#8221; was authored by Natalie M. Wittlin, Marianne LaFrance, John F. Dovidio, and Jennifer A. Richeson.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 03, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Smartphone gaming induces dry eye symptoms and reduces blinking, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/smartphone-gaming-induces-dry-eye-symptoms-and-reduces-blinking-study-finds/

<p>A study conducted on Australian schoolchildren found that symptoms of dry eye worsened after one hour of smartphone gaming. Their blink rate significantly decreased, dropping from 21 blinks per minute to 9. Additionally, the interval between blinks extended from 3 seconds to just under 9 seconds within the first minute of gaming. The research was published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-022-02122-2"><em>Eye</em></a>.</p>
<p>In the early decades of the 21st century, the prevalence of digital device usage among children surged dramatically. Among these devices, smartphones are the most widely used. In the United States, 83% of children own a smartphone by the age of 15, a trend that is mirrored globally. Children often spend several hours on digital devices, causing concern among medical professionals.</p>
<p>Excessive screen time on digital devices has been associated with adverse health and mental health outcomes in children. Research indicates that prolonged screen viewing is linked to a faster progression of myopia (nearsightedness) in both children and adolescents. Additionally, the likelihood of experiencing eye fatigue and strain increases after more than two hours of smartphone use.</p>
<p>Study author Ngozi Charity Chidi-Egboka and her colleagues wanted to examine the effect of one hour of smartphone use on blinking, dry eye symptoms, and tear film indices in school children. The tear film is a thin layer of fluid that covers the surface of the eye, providing lubrication, protection, and a smooth optical surface for clear vision. Various measurements used to assess the stability, quantity, and quality of the tear film are called tear film indices.</p>
<p>The study included 36 children aged between 6 and 15 years, recruited from the main campus of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and its surrounding community, with a female majority of 22 participants.</p>
<p>To participate in the study, children visited the researchers&#8217; lab, where they were asked to play games on an iPhone 5 for an uninterrupted hour. The selected games were Despicable Me: Minion Rush and Racing Penguin. Before starting and during gameplay, participants wore a monocular eye tracking headset to monitor their blink rate. Additionally, researchers assessed tear film function before and after gameplay. Participants also completed three questionnaires to evaluate ocular symptoms: the Instant Ocular Symptoms Survey, The Symptoms Assessment in Dry Eye, and the Numerical Rating Scale (for eye symptoms).</p>
<p>Results showed that tear film function did not change during gameplay. After 1 hour of gaming, tear film function indicator values were more or less the same as they were at baseline. In contrast to this, ocular symptoms as measured by questionnaires became significantly worse.</p>
<p>Blink activity measurements showed that blink rates decreased strongly in the first minute of smartphone gaming relative to the values they had during the conversation with the researchers before the start of gaming. Before the start of the study, participants blinked roughly 21 times per minute, on average. During gaming, this rate was just under 9 blinks per minute.</p>
<p>The time interval between two blinks also increased, going from 3 seconds before the game to a bit less than 9 seconds within the first minute of gaming. It remained unchanged throughout the gaming period. Eye symptoms the children reported were not associated with blink speed.</p>
<p>“Smartphone use in children results in dry eye symptoms and immediate and sustained slowing of blinking, with no change in tear function evident up to one hour. Given the ubiquitous use of smartphones by children, future work should examine whether effects reported herein persist or get worse over a longer term causing cumulative damage to the ocular surface,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on changes in eye behavior during smartphone gameplay. However, as authors note themselves, it remains unknown whether these effects are only temporary, disappearing as soon as gaming stops or if they persist. Also, the presented results do not allow any conclusions about long-term effects of smartphone use to be drawn.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-022-02122-2">Smartphone gaming induces dry eye symptoms and reduces blinking in school-aged children,</a>” was authored by Ngozi Charity Chidi-Egboka, Isabelle Jalbert, and Blanka Golebiowski.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 04:00PM
.
TITLE:
Unlocking ketamine’s mysteries: Dual-action antidepressant mechanisms unveiled in new research
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/unlocking-ketamines-mysteries-dual-action-antidepressant-mechanisms-unveiled-in-new-research/

<p>Scientists at Northwestern University have made significant strides in understanding how ketamine, a drug known for its rapid antidepressant effects, operates on a neural level. This research not only sheds light on the mechanisms behind ketamine&#8217;s dual-action — providing both immediate and long-term relief from depression — but also paves the way for the development of new, safer antidepressant medications.</p>
<p>The findings were recently published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-024-05121-6"><em>Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences</em></a>.</p>
<p>Ketamine, originally known for its use as an anesthetic, has emerged as a significant player in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), particularly in cases where traditional antidepressants fall short. Unlike conventional antidepressants, which may take weeks to exhibit therapeutic effects, ketamine offers a notable advantage by reducing depressive symptoms within hours of administration.</p>
<p>However, the enthusiasm for ketamine&#8217;s use in treating depression is tempered by its potential for addiction and other serious side effects, including cardiovascular complications, which limit its long-term application in a clinical setting.</p>
<p>The lack of understanding regarding the underlying mechanisms that enable its dual effects has hindered the development of safer, non-toxic alternatives. The study aimed to unravel the intricate biological processes through which ketamine exerts its immediate and prolonged antidepressant actions, focusing particularly on its impact on newborn neurons in the brain.</p>
<p>&#8220;This study is exciting, because it lays the groundwork for development of non-toxic treatments that exert antidepressant effects within hours like ketamine but that also have the longer-term sustained effects necessary for the treatment of depression,&#8221; said senior study author John Kessler, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. &#8220;This is a tremendous advance for the field.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers used animal models to investigate the dual mechanisms by which ketamine exerts its antidepressant effects. Mice were subjected to a regimen of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) to induce symptoms akin to human depression, creating a relevant biological context for testing ketamine&#8217;s efficacy.</p>
<p>The experimental design divided the mice into groups receiving either saline (as a control) or ketamine treatments, with doses administered either as a single injection or multiple injections over a specified period. This setup allowed the researchers to compare the immediate and prolonged effects of ketamine under controlled conditions.</p>
<p>To track changes at the neuronal level, the study utilized a range of sophisticated techniques, including immunohistochemistry, to label and quantify newborn neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region crucially involved in mood regulation and implicated in depression.</p>
<p>The research team had previously discovered that ketamine&#8217;s rapid antidepressant effects are due to its ability to stimulate the activity of newly born neurons in the brain (which were already present in the brain at the time of drug administration). These neurons, once activated by ketamine, fire more rapidly, thus increasing communication throughout the brain.</p>
<p>In their new study, the researchers found that the sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine operated through a distinct mechanism. The sustained impact of ketamine, observed following multiple doses, was found to result from an increase in the overall production of newborn neurons, a process known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). This increase in neuron production contributes to the lasting antidepressant effects seen with repeated ketamine administration.</p>
<p>In other words, the sustained behavioral improvements induced by ketamine are strongly correlated with an increase in the number of immature neurons, rather than merely their activity.</p>
<p>&#8220;To make an analogy, think of the young neurons as &#8216;teenagers&#8217; who are texting their friends,&#8221; explained corresponding author Radhika Rawat, a former research fellow in Kessler’s lab and a third-year medical student at Feinberg. &#8220;Increasing the number of text messages spreads information rapidly — that is how ketamine acts rapidly. Increasing the number of teenagers also increases the spread of information, but it takes time for them to be born and mature — that is why there are delayed but longer-term effects.&#8221;</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the study highlighted a crucial role for decreased Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) signaling in mediating ketamine&#8217;s prolonged effects. By reducing BMP signaling, ketamine fosters an environment conducive to the growth of new neurons, thereby extending its antidepressant benefits over time.</p>
<p>&#8220;The discovery poses intriguing clinical questions,” Rawat said. “Most antidepressants, including SSRIs, reduce BMP signaling. It is worth investigating whether initiating ketamine alongside conventional antidepressants could amplify therapeutic effects.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00018-024-05121-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ketamine’s rapid and sustained antidepressant effects are driven by distinct mechanisms</a>,&#8221; was authored by Radhika Rawat, Elif Tunc-Ozcan, Sara Dunlop, Yung-Hsu Tsai, Fangze Li, Ryan Bertossi, Chian-Yu Peng, and John A. Kessler.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 12:41AM
.
TITLE:
How to Leverage Psychology to Aid a War-Torn World
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177861&url=https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/03/psychology-aiding-war-torn-world

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/monitor/" rel="tag" target="_blank">APA Monitor</a></p>Psychologists have long applied their conflict-resolution skills in mediating large-scale disputes. With the violence and war that remain rampant in some parts of the world, psychological science can help us better understand why these conflicts happen, help rebuild communities and nations, and aid in preventing future violence. In one such case, Eran Halperin of Hebrew University is working to promote peace among Israeli Jews and Arab...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 12:41AM
.
TITLE:
Generations Unite to Address Lost Connections and Loneliness
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177865&url=https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/03/generations-connect-loneliness-climate-change

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/monitor/" rel="tag" target="_blank">APA Monitor</a></p>Interactions between older and younger generations are far less common today than in previous periods of history, but increasing those connections can address some of society's most intractable problems, according to Marc Freedman, founder of CoGenerate, an organization dedicated to bridging generational divides. &quot;In the early part of the 20th century, we reorganized society to make it more efficient,&quot; he says, but we lost something important as...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 12:41AM
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TITLE:
Psychology Goes to Hollywood to Dispel the Stigma of Mental Illness
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177862&url=https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/03/psychology-hollywood-mental-health

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/monitor/" rel="tag" target="_blank">APA Monitor</a></p>Helen Hsu was about 350 miles from Hollywood&mdash;and a million more miles mentally&mdash;when producers called. It was 2016, and Hsu was providing clinical care for low-income children and families and overseeing a public school&ndash;based counseling program. She rarely, if ever, watched TV. But the folks on the line invited Hsu to consult on the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why, which depicted the impact of a teen's suicide on her classmates. Hsu was in.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Exercise and sleep quality: New research links daytime activity to healthy rest at night
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/exercise-and-sleep-quality-new-research-links-daytime-activity-to-healthy-rest-at-night/

<p>Increased levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity are associated with improved sleep quality, less troubled sleep, and reduced daytime tiredness, according to new research published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.10.012"><em>Sleep Health</em></a>. The study marks a pivotal step in understanding the relationship between our daytime activities and sleep health, suggesting a proactive approach to enhancing sleep quality through physical activity.</p>
<p>High-quality sleep remains elusive for many despite widespread knowledge of its importance for health and well-being. Traditional advice on improving sleep quality has typically focused on bedtime routines, such as minimizing screen time, avoiding heavy meals, and reducing alcohol consumption before sleep. However, these recommendations often overlook the potential impact of daytime activities on sleep health.</p>
<p>Recognizing this gap, Lisa Matricciani and her team at the University of South Australia embarked on this research to explore how the activities we engage in during the day, particularly physical activity, might influence various aspects of our sleep.</p>
<p>To conduct their study, the researchers utilized data from the Australian Child Health CheckPoint study, which is nested within the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). This setup provided a rich dataset from a diverse sample, including 1,168 children with an average age of 12 years and 1,360 adults, predominantly mothers, with an average age of 44 years.</p>
<p>To accurately measure physical activity and sleep parameters, participants were equipped with GENEActiv activity monitors. These devices, worn on the non-dominant wrist, are capable of capturing a comprehensive array of movements and provide insights into various levels of physical activity ranging from sedentary behavior to vigorous activity. Participants were instructed to wear these monitors continuously for eight consecutive days.</p>
<p>One of the key findings was that higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity were consistently associated with better sleep outcomes across both age groups. This suggests that engaging in physical activities that elevate the heart rate and induce physical exertion can have a positive impact on how well one sleeps and feels during the day.</p>
<p>“What we found is that our daytime activities are tied to different aspects of our sleep, from sleep quality, sleep efficiency (how much of the time you spend in bed when you are actually asleep), and the overall amount of sleep we get, to levels of tiredness during the day, and when we choose to go to bed,&#8221; Matricciani said.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study also found that simply allocating more time for sleep did not automatically result in improved sleep quality. In fact, the simulations conducted as part of the study indicated that increasing sleep duration could predict more restless sleep rather than more restorative sleep.</p>
<p>This counterintuitive finding suggests that while the quantity of sleep is important, the quality of sleep and how it fits within the broader context of an individual&#8217;s daily activities also plays a crucial role in determining sleep health.</p>
<p>For children, the study revealed that the activity composition of their day was significantly associated with when they woke up, with sleep duration and sedentary time playing a significant role in their sleep onset, efficiency, and variability. This indicates that not only physical activity but also the balance of sedentary behaviors throughout the day can influence children&#8217;s sleep patterns.</p>
<p>For adults, particularly the parents in the study who were mostly mothers, the findings highlighted the significant role of moderate to vigorous physical activity in influencing sleep onset, efficiency, and subjective feelings of tiredness.</p>
<p>Despite its contributions, the study acknowledges certain limitations, including its cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inferences, and the reliance on self-reported measures for some sleep dimensions. Furthermore, the study&#8217;s participants, particularly the adult cohort, exhibited higher levels of physical activity than the general population, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings.</p>
<p>Future research directions include longitudinal studies to explore causality, experiments to test the efficacy of targeted interventions based on these findings, and investigations into the specific types of physical activity that most effectively enhance sleep quality. This study opens new avenues for public health strategies aimed at improving sleep health through the integration of physical activity into daily routines.</p>
<p>&#8220;Everyone wants a good night’s sleep. If it’s simply a matter of being more active during the day, then it may be a relatively achievable goal for most of us,&#8221; Matricciani concluded.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721823002504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time use and dimensions of healthy sleep: A cross-sectional study of Australian children and adults</a>,&#8221; was authored by Lisa Matricciani, Dorothea Dumuid, Ty Stanford, Carol Maher, Paul Bennett, Larisa Bobrovskaya, Andrew Murphy, and Tim Olds.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Parents underestimate the importance of guided play in education
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/parents-underestimate-the-importance-of-guided-play-in-education/

<p><strong>Researchers surveyed the views of 1,172 parents across the US about the relative educational value of free play, guided play, and games. The results showed that parents tend to rate free play as most educational. However, their opinion differs from that of experts, who emphasize the effectiveness of guided play with a learning ‘goal’. This means that work needs to be done in educating US parents about the difference between free and guided play with their children.</strong></p>
<p>Child psychologists have long known that play is essential for children’s cognitive development because it boosts their social, physical, and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/emotional-skills">emotional skills</a>. But beginning in the 21st century, specialists repeatedly sounded the alarm that ‘<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-12898-001">play is under siege</a>’ for US children. Kids were playing less, and – it was feared – with a lesser quality.</p>
<p>But are today’s parents sufficiently aware of the importance of letting their children play? Yes, found a team of researchers who tested this through a survey of the opinions of 1,172 US parents. Their results showed that today’s parents understand how important play is for children’s well-being. However, they also showed that work needs to be done to educate parents about the value of playful learning (or ‘<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/guided-play">guided play</a>’) for learning goals in reading and math. The results are published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdpys.2023.1267169/full"><em>Frontiers in Developmental Psychology</em></a>.</p>
<p>“Here we show that US parents understand that play can be more powerful for learning than direct instruction,” says first author Charlotte Wright, a senior research associate at Temple University College of Liberal Arts, Philadelphia.</p>
<p>“Until recently, people generally considered play to be the opposite of work and learning. What we see in our study is that this separation no longer exists in the eyes of parents: a positive development.”</p>
<h2>Parents rate free play the most</h2>
<p>Parents were interviewed aged between 18 and 75, with children aged between two and 12. Parents were White (68.9%), Hispanic (14.4%), Black (10.3%), Asian (3.4%), mixed race (2.6%), or American Indian or Native Alaskan (0.4%). Household income ranged from less than $25,000 to more than $100,000. Their level of education ranged from lacking a high school diploma (4.4%) to having a postgraduate degree (11.9%)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdpys.2023.1267169/full">Read original article</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdpys.2023.1267169/pdf">Download original article (pdf)</a></p>
<hr />
<p>The results showed that parents tended to rate <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/free-play">free play</a> as best for learning, followed by guided play, games, and direct instruction, respectively. This held true, both when these types of education were explicitly named, or when they were only implied in given scenarios.</p>
<p>The higher the parent’s level of education, and the higher their household income, the more they tended to rate free play as the most effective method for learning. Likewise, parents of girls were more likely to rate free play as most educational than parents of boys. In contrast, Black or Hispanic parents were more likely to rate direct instruction higher than forms of play.</p>
<h2>An example of guided play</h2>
<p>The current research consensus is that <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/guided-play">guided play</a> is more effective than free play for children to learn skills such as mathematics, language and literacy, and the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/spatial-awareness">spatial awareness</a> necessary for STEM skills.</p>
<p>Guided play, possible in the home and in the classroom, differs from free play in being initiated by the adult, while letting the child drive her learning towards a specific goal. For example, learning in Montessori classrooms and children’s <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/museums">museums</a> is always initiated by an adult who reflects on <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/subjects/learning-goals">learning goals</a>. But children themselves drive the exploration within such guided learning environments – giving them choice and voice.</p>
<p>The authors gave an example scenario of guided play: “Raouf’s father, Ola, says to Raouf, ‘I wonder if we can build a tall tower with these blocks.’ Ola follows Raouf’s lead as Raouf tries to build the tower, asking questions to support him, when necessary (eg, ‘Hmmm, our tower keeps falling when we put the blue block on the bottom! What is another block we could try?’).”</p>
<p>Adults thus become the support team, but not the directors, of guided play.</p>
<h2>Parents&#8217; perceptions differ from those of experts</h2>
<p>Wright et al. concluded that “many US parents hold perceptions that do not align completely with evidence-based research, such as attributing more learning value to free play […] compared to guided play.”</p>
<p>The results also showed that when parents were better informed about current theory on child cognitive development (as measured by questions from the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI) questionnaire), they tended to value guided play more.</p>
<p>The concept of different kinds of play, such as guided vs free play, was only recently introduced in research and may not yet be evident to the public. Guided play also requires that parents engage with their children during a play experience, which might lead them to undervalue guided play in favor of free play.</p>
<h2>Importance of educating parents</h2>
<p>“While free play is crucial for children&#8217;s well-being, recent research emphasizes that guided play is a more effective approach to support children’s learning in reading, STEM, and learning-to-learn skills like attention, memory, and flexible thinking,” said Wright.</p>
<p>Senior author Dr Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor at the same institute, said: “We need to help refine parents’ knowledge about the importance of play so that they can create guided play opportunities in everyday experiences like doing laundry, taking a walk in the park, or playing with a puzzle. As parents come to see these as ‘learning’ moments in everyday play, their children will thrive, while they will have more fun being parents.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2023/12/15/frontiers-developmental-psychology-playful-learning-us-parents-survey"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60249" src="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner.png" alt="" width="855" height="70" srcset="https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner.png 855w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-600x49.png 600w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-300x25.png 300w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-768x63.png 768w, https://www.psypost.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Frontiers-banner-750x61.png 750w" sizes="(max-width: 855px) 100vw, 855px" /></a></p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Music preferences serve as markers of political affiliation
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/music-preferences-serve-as-markers-of-political-affiliation/

<p>In recent research published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2023.101861"><em>Poetics</em></a>, scholars Brianna N. Mack and Teresa R. Martin explored the relationship between music preferences and political partisanship. The findings suggest that music preferences can act as markers of political identity, reflecting broader societal trends where cultural consumption is increasingly intertwined with political polarization.</p>
<p>The motivation for Mack and Martin&#8217;s study stems from a series of incidents where musicians objected to their music being used by political figures or parties, asserting their rights to control the association of their artistic work with political ideologies. This series of objections raised questions about whether music preferences could indeed reflect deeper political leanings.</p>
<p>&#8220;The original interest started with Martin in my research methods course Fall 2020,&#8221; explained Mack, an assistant professor of politics and government at Ohio Wesleyan University. &#8220;She proposed the topic (relationship between music preferences and party identification) as the subject of her final paper in the course. I thought it was a very interesting idea because I often wondered if party polarization was seeping into non-political aspects of life like TV show preference and clothing choices and I enjoy the novelty of pop-culture/politics discussions.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I encouraged her to meet with a professor (Sean Kay) in the department who had written a book exploring the impact rock n&#8217; roll had on politics to get his thoughts. Dr. Kay was excited about the topic and encouraged us to consider exploring the project for real. Unfortunately, Dr. Kay died suddenly two weeks after said meeting. We both resolved to do the project in his memory. To that end, Martin ran a pilot study in my public opinion course Fall 2021; I was her honors thesis advisor 2022-2023 and we worked on this project while she worked on her thesis.&#8221;</p>
<p>Utilizing an online survey distributed via Amazon&#8217;s Mechanical Turk (mTurk) platform, the researchers collected responses from 588 participants. The survey was conducted between October 27 and November 15, 2022. Participants in the study were asked a series of questions aimed at gathering demographic information, including age, gender, and racial background, along with detailed inquiries about their political ideologies, party affiliations, and music preferences.</p>
<p>To delve deeper into the nuances of music preferences, the survey employed a two-step process for identifying favorite genres. Initially, respondents were asked to list the three genres they listened to most frequently. Subsequently, they were required to pinpoint the single genre they favored above others. The researchers also assessed perceptions of various music genres as &#8220;American music.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers observed a strong correlation between country music preferences and Republican Party identification. Respondents who listed country music — both old and new — as their preferred genre were more likely to identify with Republican ideologies. This association underscores the cultural and ideological alignment between the themes commonly found in country music, such as traditional values, rural life, and patriotism, and the political beliefs and values espoused by the Republican Party.</p>
<p>Conversely, there was a negative correlation between Democrats and country music, indicating that individuals who identify as Democrats or hold liberal views are less likely to prefer country music.</p>
<p>&#8220;While we expected conservatives and Republicans to prefer country music, we did not expect to see that same genre repel Democrats and liberals,&#8221; Mack said. &#8220;Neither of us are music scholars so we could not identify what is it about country music (if there&#8217;s something about the lyrics or musical arrangement) that creates that attraction/repellent for Republicans/Democrats, but we believe it boils down to party stereotypes and the demographics and trends that are associated with each party.&#8221;</p>
<p>On the other hand, genres like pop and rap/hip-hop were more popular among respondents who identified as Democrats. But Mack and Martin found that genres such as pop and rap/hip-hop were not as strongly correlated with Democratic Party identification as initially hypothesized. Instead, there was a noticeable preference among Democrats for classic rock and alternative genres.</p>
<p>The findings indicate that &#8220;even music is political and that there is a relationship between their music preferences and their partisanship,&#8221; Mack told PsyPost. &#8220;While future research (Martin&#8217;s) will ultimately determine the order of the relationship i.e. music preference influences partisanship or vice versa, the very fact a relationship exists should encourage the average person to reflect on their music tastes and their political behavior.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, both Republicans and Democrats identified similar genres as &#8220;American music,&#8221; including old country, new country, blues, rap, R&amp;B, and jazz. This consensus suggests that, despite political differences, there is a shared cultural understanding of American music&#8217;s diverse landscape. However, the genres identified as American music did not always align with respondents&#8217; personal music preferences, indicating a distinction between cultural recognition and individual taste.</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes some limitations. The sample, derived from a crowdsourcing platform, may not perfectly represent the broader population. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of the study means that it can only reveal associations rather than causal relationships between music preferences and political partisanship.</p>
<p>Future research, the researchers suggest, should aim to delve deeper into these dynamics, exploring how these relationships evolve over time and how music might actively shape political attitudes rather than merely reflecting them.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304422X23001018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Party rocking: Exploring the relationship between music preference, partisanship, and political attitudes</a>,&#8221; was published February 2024.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 02, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Baby talk boosts brain activity in toddlers, neuroimaging study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/baby-talk-boosts-brain-activity-in-toddlers-neuroimaging-study-finds/

<p>A neuroimaging study of Chinese toddlers found that they exhibit significantly greater neural responses to baby talk directed at them, as opposed to normal or adult talk, specifically in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region of their brains. Conversely, their responses in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus exhibited the opposite pattern. This activity indicates a heightened attention to baby talk among toddlers, who showed improved word learning in its presence. The research was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13424"><em>Developmental Science</em></a>.</p>
<p>Baby talk, also known as infant-directed speech or child-directed speech, is a simplified form of language used by adults when speaking to infants and young children. It is characterized by a higher pitch, slower tempo, exaggerated intonation, and simplified vocabulary and sentence structure. Baby talk is thought to capture the child&#8217;s attention, aid in language acquisition, and strengthen the emotional bond between the caregiver and the child.</p>
<p>Research suggests that this type of speech helps toddlers learn the sounds and rhythms of their language, making it easier for them to understand and produce words as they grow. However, the neural mechanisms by which baby talk supports word learning in toddlers, particularly during their second year of life—a critical period for language acquisition—are not well understood. A significant obstacle in this area of research is the challenge of conducting neuroimaging studies on awake toddlers using traditional techniques.</p>
<p>Study author Xin Zhou and her colleagues wanted to observe the neural activity in children exposed to baby talk compared to when addressed with regular language. To overcome methodological limitations of earlier studies, they employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record brain activity, a method more suited to toddlers than the magnetic resonance imaging equipment typically used. This approach involves wearing a cap rather than being placed inside a large machine.</p>
<p>The researchers hypothesized that baby talk could enhance language learning by increasing engagement with the brain&#8217;s language processing network. This network includes multiple interconnected regions, primarily in the left hemisphere, such as Broca&#8217;s area (involved in speech production and language processing) and Wernicke&#8217;s area (critical for language comprehension), among others. These areas collectively facilitate understanding, production, and use of language.</p>
<p>Another hypothesis was that baby talk might more effectively engage children in communication by enhancing their emotional and attentional processing. By observing toddlers&#8217; neural activity under both speech conditions, the researchers aimed to determine the validity of these hypotheses.</p>
<p>The study involved 41 toddlers aged between 15 and 20 months, recruited through Facebook posts aimed at their parents and emails to staff at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, all of whom spoke Cantonese. Challenges such as refusal to wear the neuroimaging equipment and incomplete participation resulted in a final sample of 27 toddlers for analysis.</p>
<p>Together with their parents, toddlers participated in the study by wearing the fNIRS cap while parents taught them four made-up Cantonese words using either baby talk or regular speech. These words were embedded in meaningful sentences with fixed content.</p>
<p>After the learning session, the researchers used a word recognition task based on the modified intermodal preferential looking paradigm to assess how much the toddler learned. In this paradigm, toddlers are presented with two images side by side on a screen, while a word is played. The word matches one of the images but not the other. The researchers measured the child&#8217;s visual fixation on the images to determine if they can correctly associate the spoken word with the corresponding image. The researchers also recorded the voices of parents as they were teaching the toddlers and analyzed their pitch.</p>
<p>The study found that parents&#8217; use of baby talk resulted in a higher pitch and increased the toddlers&#8217; attention span compared to when using regular talk, although word recognition tests showed no significant difference in learning outcomes between the two speech types.</p>
<p>Functional near-infrared spectroscopy results revealed that baby talk elicited significantly greater neural responses in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and different patterns in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus. Toddlers with stronger neural responses to baby talk in these areas were also better at word learning. Further analysis linked these neural responses to differences in parental pitch between baby talk and regular talk.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our results demonstrated significant regional differences in cortical processing of IDS [infant-directed speech – baby talk] and ADS [adult-directed speech – regular talk]. Differences in word learning between IDS and ADS were related to cortical responses in the left frontoparietal network (dlPFC and PC), whereas variances in parents’ pitch ranges were correlated with fNIRS [functional near-infrared spectroscopy] responses in the L-dlPFC [left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex] and R-PC [right parietal cortex] of toddlers,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>&#8220;These results suggest that IDS did not facilitate language acquisition by directly involving the language network. Instead, IDS may better facilitate word learning in toddlers through the emotional prosody processing system [a network of brain regions involved in the perception, interpretation, and production of emotional tone or intonation in spoken language] in the right hemisphere. The subsequent increase in attention by involving the left frontoparietal network benefits word learning.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the effects of baby talk on word learning in toddlers and its neural mechanisms. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, the way parents used baby talk was not standardized, likely leading to differences in achieved effects. Additionally, the study sample was very small and consisted only of toddlers with Cantonese-speaking parents. Studies using other languages might not produce equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13424">Infant-directed speech facilitates word learning through attentional mechanisms: An fNIRS study of toddlers,</a>” was authored by Xin Zhou, Luchang Wang, Xuancu Hong, and Patrick C. M. Wong.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 06:00PM
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TITLE:
Women in polygamous marriages tend to experience considerably worse psychosexual functioning, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/women-in-polygamous-marriages-tend-to-experience-considerably-worse-psychosexual-functioning-study-finds/

<p>New research sheds light on the psychosexual and psychosocial effects of polygamous marriages. This study, published in <a href="https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-023-02830-1"><em>BMC Women&#8217;s Health</em></a>, provides a comprehensive analysis of how polygamous relationships impact women&#8217;s sexual function and psychological well-being, revealing significant differences when compared to their counterparts in monogamous marriages.</p>
<p>Polygamy, particularly polygyny, where a man has multiple wives, is a marital practice found in various cultures worldwide, with notable prevalence in sub-Saharan African countries. However, the psychosexual and psychosocial dimensions of polygamous marriages, especially in comparison with monogamous unions, have received scant attention in medical and psychological research. This study aims to fill that gap by examining these aspects among Somali women, contributing to a deeper understanding of the implications of polygamous marriages.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving 607 women who visited the gynecology clinic of Mogadishu&#8217;s Somali Turkey Training and Research Hospital. These participants were selected based on specific criteria, ensuring a focus on sexually active women without major health or psychological issues that could confound the study&#8217;s findings.</p>
<p>The study found that 28.3% of the women were in polygamous marriages, a figure that places Somalia among the countries with the highest prevalence of polygamy in sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of these polygamous arrangements consisted of two wives, followed by three and four wives, highlighting a common marital structure within Somali society.</p>
<p>The research revealed significant differences in psychosexual and psychosocial outcomes between women in monogamous and polygamous marriages. Women in polygamous relationships exhibited lower scores on the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), indicating decreased sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction levels compared to their monogamous counterparts. This suggests that the dynamics and complexities inherent in polygamous marriages, such as altered roles and expectations, may adversely affect women&#8217;s sexual health.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study found that women in polygamous marriages scored higher on the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), reflecting greater psychological distress, including increased levels of anxiety and depression. This aligns with previous research indicating that polygamous marriages can be associated with lower self-esteem and higher mental health challenges for women.</p>
<p>Notably, first wives in polygamous unions showed the highest levels of anxiety and depression, which could be attributed to the &#8220;first-wife syndrome,&#8221; reflecting the emotional and psychological impact of sharing a husband with other wives.</p>
<p>The study also explored socio-demographic factors, revealing that lower education levels among women and higher income levels among husbands were associated with a higher likelihood of being in a polygamous marriage. This indicates that socio-economic factors play a crucial role in the prevalence and nature of polygamous relationships in Somalia.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings suggest that women in polygamous marriages experience considerably higher psychosexual and psychosocial adverse effects as compared with their monogamous counterparts,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;This study also shows that, in underdeveloped countries like Somalia, illiterateness of women constitutes one of the major contributors to polygamous marriages.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study is not without its limitations. Its findings, derived from a single-center study, may not fully represent the broader Somali population or those in other regions with similar marital practices. Despite these constraints, the research offers invaluable insights into the psychosexual and psychosocial challenges facing women in polygamous marriages, pointing to the need for broader, more inclusive studies to better understand and address these issues.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-023-02830-1">The psychosexual and psychosocial impacts of polygamous marriages: a cross-sectional study among Somali women</a>,&#8221; was authored by Adil Barut and Samira Ahmed Mohamud.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
40Hz sensory gamma rhythm: A new hope in Alzheimer’s treatment through enhanced brain clearance
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/40hz-sensory-gamma-rhythm-a-new-hope-in-alzheimers-treatment-through-enhanced-brain-clearance/

<p>In an exciting development in the fight against Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled findings that could pave the way for novel treatments.</p>
<p>Their study, recently published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07132-6"><em>Nature</em></a>, demonstrates how specific brain rhythms, when stimulated through light and sound, can significantly reduce the progression of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. The key to this breakthrough lies in the enhanced clearance of amyloid proteins from the brain, thanks to the activation of the brain&#8217;s glymphatic system, a critical waste-clearance pathway.</p>
<p>Alzheimer&#8217;s disease stands as one of the most formidable challenges in the field of neurodegenerative research. It is a progressive disorder characterized by the deterioration of memory and cognitive functions, profoundly impacting the lives of individuals and their families.</p>
<p>At the heart of Alzheimer&#8217;s pathology are two key players: amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles. Amyloid-beta is a protein that can accumulate in the spaces between nerve cells, forming plaques that are believed to disrupt cell function.</p>
<p>Tau is a protein that stabilizes microtubules in neurons, but in Alzheimer&#8217;s, tau proteins become abnormal and form tangles inside the cells, leading to further neuronal dysfunction and cell death. These pathological markers not only contribute to the clinical symptoms of Alzheimer&#8217;s but also signify the complexity of developing effective treatments.</p>
<p>In recent years, research has explored innovative ways to mitigate the progression of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, with a notable focus on non-invasive methods. Among these, sensory stimulation at a gamma frequency of 40 Hz has emerged as a promising approach. Previous studies, including those conducted at MIT and other institutions, have demonstrated that exposure to light flickering and sound clicking at this specific frequency can reduce amyloid levels in the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer&#8217;s.</p>
<p>These findings suggested that gamma stimulation could influence brain activity in a way that promotes the clearance of amyloid-beta, potentially offering a new avenue for treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remained largely unknown, prompting further investigation.</p>
<p>“Ever since we published our <a href="https://picower.mit.edu/news/unique-visual-stimulation-may-be-new-treatment-alzheimers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first results</a> in 2016, people have asked me how does it work? Why 40 Hz? Why not some other frequency?” said study senior author <a href="https://picower.mit.edu/faculty/li-huei-tsai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Li-Huei Tsai</a>, Picower Professor of Neuroscience and director of The Picower Institute and MIT’s <a href="https://picower.mit.edu/research/aging-brain-initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aging Brain Initiative</a>. “These are indeed very important questions we have worked very hard in the lab to address.”</p>
<p>To initiate their investigation, the researchers employed a mouse model genetically engineered to exhibit Alzheimer&#8217;s-like characteristics, known as &#8220;5XFAD&#8221; mice. These mice carry mutations that lead to elevated levels of amyloid beta, mirroring the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease in humans.</p>
<p>The initial step involved replicating previous findings, confirming that exposure to 40 Hz sensory stimulation—specifically, light flickering and sound clicking at this frequency—indeed elevated gamma frequency neuronal activity in the brain and led to a reduction in amyloid levels. This foundational work set the stage for deeper inquiries into the underlying biological processes.</p>
<p>The researchers then turned their attention to the glymphatic system, a recently discovered network that facilitates the removal of waste from the brain, paralleling the lymphatic system in the rest of the body. They hypothesized that the glymphatic system might play a key role in the observed reduction of amyloid following gamma stimulation. Through experiments, they measured the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the brain&#8217;s tissue of mice subjected to 40 Hz stimulation, comparing these measurements to those from untreated control mice.</p>
<p>The results were striking: gamma-treated mice exhibited a significant increase in CSF flow through the brain tissue, as well as an enhanced rate of interstitial fluid exit, suggesting an active engagement of the glymphatic system in clearing amyloid proteins.</p>
<p>Delving further into the molecular mechanisms, the team explored the role of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels located on astrocyte cells, which are crucial for the exchange of glymphatic fluid. By chemically blocking AQP4 function, they observed a prevention of amyloid reduction and cognitive improvement effects from gamma stimulation, highlighting the pivotal role of AQP4 and astrocytes in this process. Additionally, genetic techniques disrupting AQP4 confirmed its essential role in facilitating amyloid clearance through gamma-driven stimulation.</p>
<p>Another fascinating discovery emerged from examining the role of specific neurons and peptides in this process. The researchers found that gamma stimulation led to an increase in the production of certain peptides by a subset of neurons known as interneurons. Among these peptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) stood out for its potential Alzheimer&#8217;s-fighting benefits.</p>
<p>Experiments revealed that increasing VIP in the brains of gamma-treated mice played a crucial role in mediating the glymphatic clearance of amyloid. Further, chemically shutting down VIP-expressing neurons negated the benefits of gamma stimulation, underscoring the importance of peptide signaling in this context.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s findings illuminate a complex interplay between neuronal activity, peptide signaling, and the brain&#8217;s waste clearance systems, providing valuable insights into how sensory stimulation at a gamma frequency can influence the pathology of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. The results suggest a promising new avenue for therapeutic intervention, highlighting the glymphatic system&#8217;s role in clearing amyloid proteins and offering a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms that could be leveraged to combat neurodegenerative diseases.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07132-6">Multisensory gamma stimulation promotes glymphatic clearance of amyloid</a>,&#8221; was authored by Mitchell H. Murdock, Cheng-Yi Yang, Na Sun, Ping-Chieh Pao, Cristina Blanco-Duque, Martin C. Kahn, TaeHyun Kim, Nicolas S. Lavoie, Matheus B. Victor, Md Rezaul Islam, Fabiola Galiana, Noelle Leary, Sidney Wang, Adele Bubnys, Emily Ma, Leyla A. Akay, Madison Sneve, Yong Qian, Cuixin Lai, Michelle M. McCarthy, Nancy Kopell, Manolis Kellis, Kiryl D. Piatkevich, Edward S. Boyden, and Li-Huei Tsai.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Study uncovers astrocytes’ role in repetitive behaviors linked to psychiatric disorders
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/study-uncovers-astrocytes-role-in-repetitive-behaviors-linked-to-psychiatric-disorders/

<p>In a new study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health, a specific group of brain cells known as astrocytes has been found to play a significant role in behaviors associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders. Published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07138-0"><em>Nature</em></a>, this research challenges the long-standing belief that neurons are the sole controllers of behavior by highlighting the crucial function of a distinct group of astrocytes located in the central region of the brain, known as the central striatum.</p>
<p>These astrocytes, characterized by their expression of the gene <em>Crym</em>, which encodes for the protein μ-crystallin, have been linked to the regulation of communication between neurons, thereby influencing repetitive behavioral patterns indicative of several neurological and psychiatric disorders.</p>
<p>Astrocytes, star-shaped cells that form the support structure for neural communication networks in the central nervous system, have traditionally been viewed as passive players in brain function. However, this study reveals their active participation in the modulation of neurotransmitter communication at synapses, particularly in behaviors related to perseveration — repetitive or continuous behavior that serves little or no purpose, making it challenging for individuals to switch to other activities. This behavior is a common feature in disorders such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Huntington’s disease, and Tourette syndrome.</p>
<p>“Several years ago the lab identified that astrocytes in the striatum express <em>Crym</em>. It was my job to find out what it did. By reducing expression of this gene in astrocytes of the central striatum, I uncovered mechanisms related to a specific behavior called perseveration,” said Matthias Ollivier, the study’s first author and postdoctoral scholar at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.</p>
<p>To investigate the function of <em>Crym</em>-positive astrocytes, the researchers employed a genetic manipulation technique. They reduced the expression of the <em>Crym</em> gene in the central striatum astrocytes of mice, aiming to observe the impact on behavior.</p>
<p>This approach allowed the team to specifically target and alter the function of these astrocytes without affecting the rest of the brain&#8217;s cells. The behavior of the genetically modified mice was then meticulously recorded and analyzed, focusing on patterns indicative of perseveration, a form of repetitive behavior seen in various neurological and psychiatric conditions.</p>
<p>Mice with reduced <em>Crym</em> expression in their astrocytes exhibited a significant increase in perseverative behaviors. Specifically, these mice showed enhanced repetitive patterns of activity that served no apparent purpose, such as excessive grooming or difficulty in shifting from one action to another.</p>
<p>This behavior mirrors aspects of human neuropsychiatric conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, Huntington’s disease, and Tourette syndrome, suggesting a potential link between <em>Crym</em>-positive astrocytes and these disorders.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study delved into the biochemical mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes. The researchers discovered that Crym-positive astrocytes in the central striatum play a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitter communication between neurons at synapses.</p>
<p>By altering the expression of μ-crystallin, these astrocytes directly influenced the flow of information within the brain, leading to changes in behavior. This insight into the synaptic mechanism highlights the importance of astrocytes in neural communication networks and their potential as targets for therapeutic intervention.</p>
<p>“At a basic biology level, the study provides evidence that distinct types of astrocytes have important neurobiological functions,” said Baljit Khakh, the senior author of the study and professor of physiology and neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.</p>
<p>Further research is needed to unravel the detailed mechanisms by which μ-crystallin influences brain function and to explore the potential for developing targeted therapies based on these findings.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07138-0">Crym-positive striatal astrocytes gate perseverative behaviour</a>,&#8221; was authored by Matthias Ollivier, Joselyn S. Soto, Kay E. Linker, Stefanie L. Moye, Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi, Anthony E. Jones, Ajit S. Divakaruni, Riki Kawaguchi, James A. Wohlschlegel, and Baljit S. Khakh.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Three problems with using the trolley dilemma in moral philosophy
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/three-problems-with-using-the-trolley-dilemma-in-moral-philosophy/

<p>In a recent paper published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v26i2.2317"><em>Journal of Ethics and Social Philosophy</em></a>, Guy Crian critiques the “trolley method” of moral philosophy for its unrealistic simplification of moral decision-making, lack of consideration for the complexity and diversity of real-life ethical situations, and potential to mislead about the nature of moral agency and ethical reasoning.</p>
<p>First, the trolley method emphasizes dramatic scenarios that are rare or extreme compared to the everyday ethical decisions that people face. This focus on high-stakes dilemmas, such as choosing between the lives of different individuals, neglects the more common and less dramatic aspects of moral life, such as showing kindness, making personal sacrifices, or engaging in civic duties. By highlighting such exceptional cases, the method distorts the perception of ethics as primarily concerned with life-and-death decisions, overlooking the mundane but pervasive ethical considerations that shape our daily lives and relationships.</p>
<p>Second, the method tends to present moral agents as generic or anonymized figures, ostensibly to make the scenarios universally applicable. However, this approach overlooks the fact that respondents often unconsciously fill in missing details based on their own biases or assumptions, such as imagining the moral agent as a young, able-bodied male. This implicit shaping of the moral agent’s identity excludes a wide range of potential agents from consideration, such as those who are elderly, disabled, or from diverse cultural backgrounds, thereby narrowing the scope of ethical inquiry to a limited set of perspectives.</p>
<p>Third, the critique points out that the trolley method models ethical decision-making as a clear-cut choice between distinct options. Real-life ethical decision-making is often automatic and influenced by factors beyond immediate conscious deliberation. Factors such as cultural background, personal history, psychological state, and even physical environment can subtly influence decisions in ways individuals may not be fully aware of. The critique emphasizes the need for ethical theories to account for these influences, recognizing that ethical behavior is often the result of deeply ingrained habits, societal cues, and situational pressures rather than isolated, deliberate choices.</p>
<p>Crain acknowledges the educational and psychological value of trolley problems but criticizes their dominance in moral philosophy for failing to address the full range of ethical experiences and decisions. The critique calls for a broader, more nuanced approach to ethics that considers the complexity of human life, the diversity of moral agents, and the everyday nature of most ethical decision-making.</p>
<p>The critique, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v26i2.2317">Three Shortcomings of the Trolley Method of Moral Philosophy</a>”, was authored by Guy Crain.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
New psychology research uncovers the crucial role of feeling known in relationship satisfaction
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-uncovers-the-crucial-role-of-feeling-known-in-relationship-satisfaction/

<p>The quality of feeling seen and recognized by others plays a pivotal role in how satisfied we are in our connections with them, according to new research published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103123001166"><em>Journal of Experimental Social Psychology</em></a>. These findings hold profound implications for understanding what fosters satisfaction in relationships. They suggest that efforts to deepen mutual understanding and empathy could be more beneficial if focused on ensuring individuals feel known and understood by their partners.</p>
<p>The desire to form deep, meaningful relationships is a fundamental human trait. Prior studies have underscored the importance of mutual understanding and knowledge exchange in strengthening these bonds.</p>
<p>For instance, the “Fast Friends” protocol illustrates how reciprocal sharing of personal information can rapidly enhance closeness between individuals. Despite this understanding, a pivotal question remains: Is knowing someone more crucial for relationship satisfaction, or is being known by them the key?</p>
<p>&#8220;In <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1948550615597976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an earlier paper</a> with my co-author Ayelet Fishbach, we found evidence that patients focus relatively more on their physicians&#8217; traits that are relevant to their own healthcare (e.g., physicians&#8217; competence) and less on traits that are irrelevant to them (e.g., physicians&#8217; personal needs),&#8221; said study author Juliana Schroeder, the Harold Furst Chair in Management Philosophy and Values Professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.</p>
<p>&#8220;We theorized that, in instrumental relationships in which one person needs another person to fulfill their goals (e.g., patients and physicians), people might actually prefer a relationship partner who focuses mostly on them rather than a more symmetric relationship (mutual focus). We called this the &#8217;empty vessel&#8217; hypothesis.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;After this paper was published, we speculated that maybe people even have such preferences for their closer, non-instrumental relationship partners. This is obviously a provocative idea because people would probably not explicitly admit to wanting relationship partners to focus primarily on them.</p>
<p>&#8220;So to test this idea in a more subtle way, we examined whether people would feel greater relationship satisfaction when they felt more known by a partner than felt that they knew the partner,&#8221; Schroeder explained. &#8220;I was pretty surprised by how consistently we observed that feeling known was a bigger predictor of satisfaction than (the feeling of) knowing. We found this result in almost every relationship we tested.&#8221;</p>
<p>The research specifically distinguished between two types of subjective knowledge: &#8220;feeling known&#8221; (how well individuals believe their partner knows them) and &#8220;felt knowing&#8221; (how well they believe they know their partner). Spanning seven distinct studies with a total of 2,036 participants, the research examined these dynamics across various relationship types, including familial, romantic, and platonic connections. The researchers employed a combination of correlational and experimental designs.</p>
<p>In the correlational studies, participants were asked to reflect on their existing relationships with siblings, parents, romantic partners, and friends. They reported their perceptions of feeling known and felt knowing through detailed questionnaires, which included items measuring their satisfaction within these relationships.</p>
<p>Experimental manipulations further enriched the study&#8217;s findings. In these scenarios, participants were asked to imagine relationships characterized by different levels of knowing and being known, including situations where they might feel unknown by a friend or acquaintance. These imagined scenarios allowed the researchers to isolate the effects of subjective knowledge on expected relationship satisfaction, offering a clearer picture of the causal relationships between these variables.</p>
<p>The results showed that across different studies, participants reported higher levels of satisfaction in relationships where they felt known by their partner compared to those where they felt they knew their partner well. This was evident in relationships with siblings, parents, romantic partners, and friends.</p>
<p>&#8220;I really liked the way that Adam Grant framed this research when he promoted it on Valentine&#8217;s Day,&#8221; Schroeder told PsyPost. &#8220;It extrapolates a little from the data but gets the idea exactly right. He <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMGrant/status/1757790567906345462">wrote</a>: &#8216;It&#8217;s good to be interesting. It&#8217;s better to be interested. We gravitate toward people who want to understand us. Feeling seen is core to feeling loved.&#8217; I hope that&#8217;s the sentiment people take away from this work.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers explored the underlying reasons why feeling known might be more critical for relationship satisfaction than knowing the other. They hypothesized and found evidence supporting the idea that feeling supported in one&#8217;s goals and aspirations could be a key mediator.</p>
<p>The perception of being known lays the groundwork for feeling supported, which in turn, enhances relationship satisfaction. This suggests that the pathway from feeling known to satisfaction is not merely about the knowledge itself but about the emotional and psychological support that perceived knowledge signifies.</p>
<p>Notably, parents did not prioritize feeling known by their children to the same extent as in other relationships. Instead, what mattered most for their satisfaction was how well they knew their child, not how well the child knew them. This finding underscores the unique nature of the parent-child relationship, where the primary expectation and fulfillment come from the parent&#8217;s role in offering support, rather than receiving it.</p>
<p>This exception lends credence to the hypothesis that the importance of feeling known for relationship satisfaction is significantly tied to the dynamics of support within the relationship. In relationships where one party is expected to be the primary supporter—such as that between parents and their children—the need to feel known may not be as crucial for satisfaction.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the researchers identified an interesting implication for how individuals approach relationship formation, particularly in the context of online dating. A pilot study on online dating profiles revealed a tendency for individuals to emphasize their desire to be known more than their desire to know their partners.</p>
<p>However, subsequent experiments demonstrated that potential partners found profiles more appealing when they expressed a desire to know the other, suggesting a mismatch between what individuals believe will attract partners and what actually does.</p>
<p>This finding points to a potential obstacle in forming satisfying relationships: individuals may inadvertently prioritize their need to be understood over showing interest in understanding their partners, which could hinder the development of mutually satisfying connections.</p>
<p>&#8220;People want to be known, so they’re looking for partners who will know them and support them,&#8221; Schroeder explained. &#8220;But because other people also want to be known, they end up writing these not-super-appealing profiles when trying to attract partners.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, while extensive, is not without its limitations. It primarily relies on subjective reports of feeling known and knowing, which may not always align with actual knowledge. Additionally, the research focuses on perceived knowledge without delving into the quality or accuracy of that knowledge. Future studies might explore these dimensions to provide a more nuanced understanding of relationship satisfaction.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104559">Feeling known predicts relationship satisfaction</a>,&#8221; was authored by Juliana Schroeder and Ayelet Fishbach.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 08:00AM
.
TITLE:
Grey divorce: Losing touch with adult children aggravates depression
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/grey-divorce-losing-touch-with-adult-children-aggravates-depression/

<p>A new study analyzing panel data collected over two decades has revealed that individuals who divorce after the age of 50 tend to exhibit more severe symptoms of depression. This condition worsens if the individual loses contact with at least one adult child following the divorce. However, depressive symptoms showed a brief improvement after the individual found a new partner. The research was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12936"><em>Journal of Marriage and Family</em></a>.</p>
<p>In recent decades, it has become increasingly common for individuals to experience divorce later in life. Between 1990 and 2010, the rate of divorce among people over the age of 50 doubled. These instances, where couples over 50 decide to end their marriage, often after many years together, are referred to as &#8220;grey divorces.&#8221;</p>
<p>Following a grey divorce, 22% of women and 37% of men find another partner within ten years. Nonetheless, for most people, divorce ranks as one of the most stressful life events. Occurring at a time when many are beginning to face various age-related health issues, a divorce can exacerbate the decline in health. The situation may be even more dire if the divorce leads to losing contact with adult children from the marriage. However, few studies have explored the specific associations between grey divorce and mental health.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s lead researcher, I-Fen Lin, and her colleagues aimed to investigate whether losing contact with an adult child exacerbates the negative impact of grey divorce on depression symptoms. They hypothesized that disconnection from a child would intensify the negative effects of divorce and dampen the &#8220;honeymoon effect&#8221; of finding a new partner on mental health. They also posited that maintaining frequent contact with at least one child could mitigate the negative impact of having a disconnected child.</p>
<p>The researchers noted that since divorce is a process that starts while the marriage is still intact, longitudinal data tracking individuals over many years are necessary for such studies. They utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study, a prospective, nationally representative survey of adults aged 51 and older in the United States, including their spouses. This study collected data between 1998 and 2018, with updates every two years and the addition of new participants every six years.</p>
<p>The authors analyzed data from 29,702 participants of the Health and Retirement Study who were aged 50 or older and reported being married in 1998 or later. They selected those who reported a divorce at age 50 or later from a heterosexual marriage and for whom data were available at at least one time point before the divorce.</p>
<p>The researchers linked participants&#8217; data to information about their children aged 18 or older that was also available. They excluded data from individuals without adult children during the study period and those for whom data on depressive symptoms for the studied period were missing from their analyses. This led to a final sample of 930 participants who had experienced a grey divorce.</p>
<p>For this group, the researchers analyzed data on the timing of their divorce, whether they found another partner after the divorce (Yes/No), the frequency of contact with each of their adult children over the past 12 months (those reporting no contact with at least one child were considered to have a disconnected child), and depression symptoms (using an abbreviated version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale).</p>
<p>The results indicated that, on average, these individuals reported 1.87 depressive symptoms. Seven percent had at least one child from whom they were disconnected. Eighty-six percent had weekly contact with at least one child. On average, respondents had two adult children, and less than 25% had a child under 18.</p>
<p>The examination of the links between divorce and depressive symptoms showed that divorce was associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. This increase was further exacerbated in participants who had at least one disconnected adult child. Levels of depressive symptoms tended to decrease immediately after finding a new partner (among those who did find one), but this effect faded over time. Having a disconnected child did not alter the effects of the new partner on depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The impact of being disconnected from a son on depressive symptoms was roughly the same as the impact of being disconnected from a daughter. The effects were approximately equal for men and women. Individuals who were better educated and wealthier tended to report fewer depressive symptoms compared to their less educated and wealthier counterparts.</p>
<p>“Our study demonstrates that parent–child disconnectedness plays a significant role in shaping the impact of gray divorce on depressive symptoms. Having no contact with at least one adult child worsens the negative effect of divorce on parents’ mental health. Older parents who are out of touch with an adult child typically report decreased psychological well-being, including high levels of anxiety and feelings of anger, sadness, and disappointment,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between family relationships in advanced age and mental health. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, to acquire such a large longitudinal sample, researchers were limited to using very brief assessments. This limited their ability to interpret the findings. Additionally, the study did not take into account who severed the parent-child contact in participants with disconnected children and why. It also remained unknown what the relationship quality with the children was before the divorce.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12936">Gray divorce and parent–child disconnectedness: Implications for depressive symptoms,</a>” was authored by I-Fen Lin, Susan L. Brown, and Kagan A. Mellencamp.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:41AM
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TITLE:
Antidepressant Use Surged Among Young People During Pandemic
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177726&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiTmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyNC8wMi8yNy8xMjM0MTEyMDY4L2FudGlkZXByZXNzYW50cy15b3V0aC1wYW5kZW1pYy1zdHVkedIBAA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News</a></p>The monthly rate of antidepressants being dispensed to young people increased about 64% more quickly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. The increase was especially prominent among young women and girls. The monthly antidepressant dispensing rate increased about 130% faster among 12- to 17-year-old girls, and about 57% faster among young women between the ages of 18 and 25.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:41AM
.
TITLE:
APA Adopts Policy Supporting Trans and Gender Diverse People
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177772&url=http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/policy-supporting-transgender-nonbinary

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/" rel="tag" target="_blank">APA Press Releases</a></p>The American Psychological Association has adopted a landmark policy affirming evidence-based care for transgender, gender diverse, and nonbinary children, adolescents, and adults, noting that recent legislative attempts to obstruct access to psychological and medical interventions for such individuals puts them at risk of depression, anxiety, and other negative mental health outcomes.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:41AM
.
TITLE:
Mindfulness, Talk Therapy May Improve Mood, Sleep Issues in Menopause
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177743&url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68413808

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/default.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">BBC News - UK News</a></p>Mindfulness, group and cognitive behavioral therapy can effectively treat menopause symptoms such as low mood and anxiety, a new analysis suggests. The University College London research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, examined 30 studies involving 3,500 women in 14 countries, including the UK, the US, and Australia. CBT and group therapies also improved sleep, memory, concentration.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:40AM
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TITLE:
Yoga Helps Older Women at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177778&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240226114645.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top News</a></p>A new study found that Kundalini yoga strengthened cognition and memory of older women at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, including restoring neural pathways, preventing brain matter decline, and reversing aging and inflammation-associated biomarkers&mdash;improvements not seen in a group who received standard memory training exercises. The study, conducted by UCLA researchers, appears in the journal Translational Psychiatry.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:40AM
.
TITLE:
Some U.S. States Moving to Deny Legal Recognition of Trans People
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177711&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2024-02-27/by-defining-sex-some-states-are-denying-transgender-people-of-legal-recognition

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Kansas enacted a law last year that ended legal recognition of transgender identities. The measure says there are only two sexes, male and female, based on a person's &quot;biological reproductive system&quot; at birth. That law and others introduced around the U.S.&mdash;often labeled as &quot;bills of rights&quot; for women&mdash;are part of a push by conservatives to keep transgender people from competing on sports teams or using bathrooms that align with their gender...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:39AM
.
TITLE:
Artificial Intelligence Identifies New Type of Prostate Cancer
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177803&url=https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/02/29/prostate-cancer-artificial-intelligence/4511709226560/

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Health_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Health News</a></p>Research by two British universities has identified a new aggressive form of prostate cancer by using artificial intelligence, which could change the way the disease is found and treated. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester, was published Thursday in the journal Cell Genomics. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer that affects British men, with about 52,000 cases annually.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 01, 2024 at 01:19AM
.
TITLE:
Transgender Afghan Refugees Escape the Taliban, But Not Persecution
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177798&url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/transgender-afghan-refugees-escape-taliban-find-worse-situation-in-pakistan/

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/world/" rel="tag" target="_blank">CBS News - World News</a></p>Issues of gender and sexuality have long been taboo in Afghanistan, especially since the Taliban retook control of the country in 2021. For some members of the LGBTQ community, the Taliban's comeback seemed too much of a risk, so they fled to neighboring Pakistan. Now, however, many of these refugees have found that life is even harder because they face prejudice against refugees as well as anti-LGBTQ bias.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 09:18AM
.
TITLE:
Colombia's President Calls Gaza War "Genocide" After Mass Shooting
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=177818&url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/colombia-pauses-buying-israeli-weapons-president-calls-war-107698151

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/international" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - International</a></p>Colombia's President Gustavo Petro announced Thursday his government was suspending purchases of weapons from Israel after Palestinians said Israeli troops fired at people seeking food in Gaza. Describing the deaths as &quot;genocide,&quot; Petro said he blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the violence. Health officials in Gaza say at least 112 people were killed, bringing the war's death toll to more than 30,000 people.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 08:45PM
.
TITLE:
Social Work Month 2024: Thank You and a Social Work Month Empowerment Calendar
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URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-project-2024/social-work-month-2024-thank-you-empowerment-calendar/

Empowering Social Workers. Please spend Social Work Month with us at The New Social Worker. THANK you for all you do. Follow us all month (March 2024) to celebrate the social work profession and the ways we empower and are empowered.
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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Surprising link observed between body temperature and depression
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/surprising-link-observed-between-body-temperature-and-depression/

<p>In a groundbreaking study that draws attention to the intersection between physiology and mental health, researchers have uncovered a link between depression and higher body temperatures. This discovery, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51567-w"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a>, not only deepens our understanding of depression but also hints at innovative treatments that might involve regulating body temperature to alleviate symptoms of the disorder.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this study was rooted in the alarming rise of depression rates globally and the pressing need for new treatment avenues. Depression, particularly major depressive disorder (MDD), has seen a surge in prevalence across various demographics, notably among youth and young adults in the United States.</p>
<p>This rise coincides with increased antidepressant usage, despite the limitations of these medications in terms of efficacy. Identifying physiological signatures unique to individuals with MDD could pave the way for developing targeted treatments, especially for those within a biologically homogeneous subgroup.</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers harnessed data from 20,880 individuals from the TemPredict Study, a prospective, worldwide cohort study initially designed to identify the onset of COVID-19 using physiological metrics collected by the Oura Ring, a wearable device. The TemPredict Study spanned several months, during which participants provided daily self-reported body temperature readings and completed monthly surveys assessing depression severity.</p>
<p>&#8220;To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date to examine the association between body temperature, assessed using both self-report methods and wearable sensors, and depressive symptoms in a geographically broad sample,&#8221; said Ashley Mason, an associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences and the study’s lead author. &#8220;Given the climbing rates of depression in the U.S., we’re excited by the possibilities of a new avenue for treatment.&#8221;</p>
<p>The use of the Oura Ring added a layer of precision and continuity to the data collection process. This wearable device, worn on the finger, measures distal body temperature every minute, providing a continuous stream of data on the participants&#8217; thermal state. This allowed the researchers to analyze not just static temperature readings, but also the dynamic changes in temperature throughout the day and night.</p>
<p>The researchers found that higher levels of depressive symptoms were consistently associated with higher body temperatures. This correlation was observed across both self-reported data and minute-level temperature data collected by the Oura Ring. This pattern suggests a robust relationship between elevated body temperature and the presence of depressive symptoms, reinforcing the hypothesis that thermoregulatory dysregulation may play a role in depression.</p>
<p>&#8220;Though there are studies from decades ago documenting a correlation between depression and body temperature, those studies were small, often with 10-20 people in them,&#8221; Mason said. &#8220;This study that we have just published shows this correlation in a much larger sample, and will hopefully inspire more work into the mechanisms that underpin this correlation.&#8221;</p>
<p>Moreover, the analysis of wearable sensor data revealed nuanced details about the thermoregulatory patterns associated with depression. The study identified smaller differences between awake and asleep distal body temperatures in individuals with more severe depressive symptoms. This finding indicates that depression may affect the body&#8217;s ability to regulate temperature across different states of consciousness, potentially impacting the natural cooling processes that facilitate sleep onset and quality.</p>
<p>The consistency of these temperature elevations, particularly during periods that are crucial for thermoregulatory cooling, underscores the potential significance of body temperature as a physiological marker of depression.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study also explored the diurnal amplitude of distal body temperature, which refers to the variation in temperature between daytime and nighttime. Participants with depression showed lower diurnal temperature amplitudes, suggesting a blunted circadian rhythm in body temperature. This aligns with previous research indicating circadian rhythm disturbances in depression and adds further evidence to the complex relationship between sleep, thermoregulation, and mood disorders.</p>
<p>The researchers noted the potential for decreased ability to induce thermoregulatory cooling or increased metabolic heat production, or a combination of both, as mechanisms underlying the observed temperature elevations in individuals with depression.</p>
<p>But the findings do not establish a causal relationship between body temperature and depression. The study was unable to determine whether elevated body temperatures contribute to the development or exacerbation of depressive symptoms, or if depression leads to an increase in body temperature due to altered metabolic or thermoregulatory processes.</p>
<p>Future research directions include exploring the underlying biological mechanisms of this association, examining the potential of temperature-based interventions for depression, and investigating the impact of controlled body temperature modulation on depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>&#8220;The link is particularly fascinating because there are data showing that when people recover from their depression – regardless of how they got better – their temperature tends to regularize,&#8221; Mason explained. &#8220;Then we have newer data suggesting that temperature-based interventions may reduce depression symptoms.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;For example, data have shown that using heat-based treatments, in particular infrared sauna, cause acute increases in body temperature. These increases in body temperature engage the body’s self-cooling mechanisms (think, sweating) and can lead to subsequent decreases in body temperature (we sweat, we cool ourselves down).&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;And one study showed that decreases in a person’s body temperature in the days after a single heat treatment correlated with decreases in their depression symptoms over that same time period,&#8221; Mason continued. &#8220;So what’s exciting here is that the link might operate in multiple ways – what’s new is that we might be able to intervene directly on body temperature to address depression symptoms.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We are actively studying heat treatments, in particular sauna treatments, as a body-based intervention for depression symptoms here at UCSF in the heart of San Francisco. We have an ongoing trial right now for individuals with clinical depression where we are pairing sauna treatments with cognitive behavioral therapy for depression. Interested parties can learn more here: <a href="https://www.sealab.ucsf.edu/heatbedstudy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.sealab.ucsf.edu/heatbedstudy</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-51567-w">Elevated body temperature is associated with depressive symptoms: results from the TemPredict Study</a>,&#8221; was authored by Ashley E. Mason, Patrick Kasl, Severine Soltani, Abigail Green, Wendy Hartogensis, Stephan Dilchert, Anoushka Chowdhary, Leena S. Pandya, Chelsea J. Siwik, Simmie L. Foster, Maren Nyer, Christopher A. Lowry, Charles L. Raison, Frederick M. Hecht, and Benjamin L. Smarr.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Why dancers are better workers, according to research
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/why-dancers-are-better-workers-according-to-research/

<p>Breakdancing in the break room might not seem like the best way to get ahead at work, but research shows recreational dance can actually improve productivity performance in the workplace.</p>
<p>It is well known that engaging in physical activity has many health benefits – from reducing the risk of diabetes, to lowering the risk of developing coronary heart diseases and dementia. The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241599979">World Health Organization (WHO)</a> has even linked the increasing incidence of noncommunicable diseases (those characterised by slow progression and long duration) to unhealthy lifestyles.</p>
<p>If you still need motivation to move, there is evidence that a lack of physical exercise can result in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537115000445?casa_token=2tRKjiPws6QAAAAA:yJNYdY0kMq-WfMYGiGhLjdKw1K_kIevdhxMIcH5w-ymejJPqyvslwZ9hKuBYTE4xyZqu2HSBVg">lower earnings</a>, and lower probability of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053535711000990?casa_token=hnhqFYfxQcoAAAAA:hhnfDeDE_NWOdUeGQKlgdvUryV_uOxlgnfmRX3wIZazfQZU10egnckITAGjjDM9zECWYXadkVQ">finding employment</a> or even being <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927537110001272?casa_token=9VatwazLHWUAAAAA:R42McSUoFvP6mWzELLTyj0FFpKRJouUOimph-w6CZ6qogVItB2KQczinPS_bLYHDcqfs1h8q9Q">invited to interview</a>.</p>
<p>So, moving is good for you. But when it comes to work, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1069031X221079609">our research shows</a> that dance, in particular, could help you – and your company – get ahead.</p>
<h2>Let’s dance</h2>
<p>Dance is special. Neuroscience and psychology researchers have not only recognised the positive health effects of dance but have also discovered that dancing has <a href="https://myacare.com/blog/is-dance-the-best-form-of-exercise-health-benefits-of-dance-explained">additional benefits</a> compared to other forms of physical exercise. Cognitive psychologist – and dancer – <a href="https://www.dance-masterclass.com/dance-psychology-with-dr-peter-lovatt">Peter Lovatt</a> explains that dance is a cognitive activity that engages the brain through learning dance routines, processing music and thinking about rhythm and coordination.</p>
<p>Several studies have focused on the benefits of dancing for the ageing brain and its effectiveness in improving quality of life among those affected by degenerative conditions such as <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dancing-to-music-may-halt-progression-of-parkinsons-disease">Parkinson’s disease</a>. And while there have been no specific studies on the economics of dance, <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jel.46.3.607">research tends to relate</a> cognitive skills to higher wages and productivity.</p>
<p>And so, because it improves cognitive abilities, we believe dance can also improve productivity in the workplace.</p>
<h2>The workplace benefits of dance</h2>
<p>To show this, we used a survey-based approach to collect data from a sample of dancers located in Italy, the UK and Brazil. We also collected data from a control group from the same three countries – these participants actively exercise but do not dance.</p>
<p>To measure performance in the workplace, we used a selection of questions on absenteeism (not turning up to work) and presenteeism (not working as hard as usual when at work).</p>
<p>We picked five questions from the WHO’s <a href="https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/hpq/">Health and Work Performance questionnaire</a> to measure presenteeism: how often respondents have not worked when they were supposed to, how often they have not worked carefully, how often their work has been of poor quality, how often they have not been concentrating while working, and how they self-rate their job performance.</p>
<p>To evaluate absenteeism, we used respondents’ reports about how many times they had missed a whole day of work (or part of a day) for health reasons and for non-health related reasons over the week prior to the survey.</p>
<p>For a more meaningful comparison of productivity performance, we matched each dancer with a non-dancer with similar personal and job characteristics. This way, the only observable difference between the matched participants is how they exercise. So, any differences in productivity could be due to dance.</p>
<p>We found that presenteeism is lower among dancers compared to non-dancers. We also found that dancers are more productive compared to non-dancers because they exhibit less absenteeism.</p>
<h2>Dance or wellbeing – or both?</h2>
<p>So, the research indicates that dance could improve productivity directly through enhanced cognitive abilities. But there are other potential ways that doing a few pirouettes could benefit you at work.</p>
<p>Several studies have found <a href="https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10454/18268/pp-wellbeing-report.pdf?sequence=2">a positive relationship</a> between wellbeing and performance in the workplace. This makes sense. If you feel happy and satisfied with your life, you’re more likely to concentrate on your work tasks and perform them more effectively, possibly because you’re less <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/681096?casa_token=hV5IwdM78xkAAAAA%3A1aRwS9Kk4XbpocnUcSjXSQ6x2Ui1tZ5nhMZtmlcBXKC9soy-xcyA3OZSD_ifaoiQpKxQhcHs03g">distracted</a>.</p>
<p>Equally, scholars have identified <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=q28sDwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PP1&amp;dq=dance+and+wellbeing&amp;ots=SAHIkGHg1b&amp;sig=C5H9pr3U8SIufFCYrpTfFms_IcY#v=onepage&amp;q=dance%20and%20wellbeing&amp;f=false">a positive relationship</a> between dance and wellbeing. We also found that the dancers in our sample enjoy higher levels of wellbeing compared to the non-dancers. So, our results could simply indicate that dance improves wellbeing, and wellbeing leads to higher productivity, rather than dance improving productivity directly.</p>
<p>To probe this issue further, we compared dancers and non-dancers who match in terms of other personal and job characteristics, but who also have similar levels of wellbeing. After controlling for wellbeing like this, we found dancers still perform better in terms of presenteeism and absenteeism. This suggests that the positive correlation between dance and productivity goes beyond the well-known wellbeing effects. Dance has a direct effect on worker productivity, it’s not just making dancers feel happier.</p>
<h2>Who benefits from dancing at work?</h2>
<p>The productivity difference between dancers and non-dancers is most concentrated in respondents with jobs involving below average levels of cognitive tasks and above average levels of routine tasks, such as packaging, package delivery or payment processing. It’s reasonable to assume that this group is not cognitively stimulated at work, so dancing seems to provide a way of improving cognitive skills which, in turn, affects their performance.</p>
<p>The productivity-enhancing effect of dance is also stronger in activities involving high levels of teamwork. Also, although the matched male sample is rather small, our results suggest that men who practice recreational dance benefit more than women in terms of presenteeism and absenteeism.</p>
<p>The relationship between dance and presenteeism or absenteeism is very important economically. The annual cost of poor mental health for UK employers could be as much as £45 billion, <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consulting/articles/mental-health-and-employers-refreshing-the-case-for-investment.html">according to research</a> by Deloitte. A large part of this cost arises from presenteeism and absenteeism. So, a workplace dance intervention could help reduce such costs, as well as being beneficial for workers.</p>
<p>Dancing is a universal activity, it’s part of the cultural heritage of most countries. It could be used worldwide to promote health and performance in the workplace as well.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220929/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-dancers-are-better-workers-according-to-research-220929">original article</a>.</em></p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
High-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces craving for cocaine
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/high-frequency-transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-reduces-craving-for-cocaine/

<p>A systematic review of experiments examining the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating cocaine addiction revealed that the most effective results were achieved in studies utilizing high-frequency pulses (at least 5 Hz) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the brain. Individuals undergoing this treatment reported significantly reduced cravings for cocaine and exhibited less impulsivity in response to extreme negative emotions. The findings were published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115491"><em>Psychiatry Research</em></a>.</p>
<p>Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug derived from the leaves of the coca plant, native to South America. Although classified as an illicit drug practically everywhere, many use it recreationally for its euphoric and energizing effects. The use of this drug leads to increased alertness, feelings of extreme happiness, and a sense of increased energy. Cocaine can be snorted, smoked, or injected. However, its effects are short-lived, leading to a cycle of repeated use to maintain the desired high. This, in time, leads to cocaine addiction.</p>
<p>Cocaine addiction, or cocaine use disorder, is a chronic, relapsing condition marked by an uncontrollable desire to consume cocaine despite its detrimental effects. It arises from alterations in the brain&#8217;s reward system, resulting in intense cravings and compulsive drug-seeking behavior. The addiction can have severe physical, psychological, and social repercussions, including cardiovascular issues, mental health disorders, relationship problems, and financial and legal difficulties.</p>
<p>Traditional treatments for cocaine addiction involve a blend of behavioral therapies, support groups, and medications to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings. However, these treatments often fall short of being fully effective, driving researchers to explore new treatment avenues.</p>
<p>One of the promising new methods to treat cocaine addiction is transcranial magnetic stimulation. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. It has become prominent as a way to treat depression, but multiple studies evaluated its potential for treating cocaine addiction as well.</p>
<p>Study author Andrea Amerio and her colleagues conducted a systematic review of these studies with the goal of evaluating their results i.e., making an assessment of how effective magnetic transcranial stimulation is in treating cocaine addiction based on their findings.</p>
<p>These authors conducted a search of the most popular electronic databases of scientific articles using various combinations of terms related to cocaine use, craving, dependence, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. They looked for articles published by the end of November 2022. The review focused on studies involving adults up to 65 years old diagnosed with cocaine use disorder, requiring at least two treatment groups and a comparison of rTMS efficacy against traditional treatments or a sham.</p>
<p>This search yielded 92 articles, but only 8 met the inclusion criteria after a manual review. All of these studies had two groups of participants. One group was undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation, while the other was subjected to a sham treatment. A sham treatment typically means that participants were either made to believe that they were receiving transcranial magnetic stimulation when they were not or that participants in neither group knew whether the magnetic transcranial stimulation equipment used on them was actually turned on or not.</p>
<p>The studies varied in their stimulation targets within the prefrontal cortex of the brain, employing different frequencies of magnetic pulses. Some stimulated both sides of the prefrontal cortex, while others focused on the middle part (medial prefrontal cortex) or the upper part (dorsolateral). They used different frequencies of magnetic pulses.</p>
<p>The findings indicated that treatments utilizing at least 5 Hz, administered over multiple sessions and targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, were most effective. These treatments, employing repetitive pulses at a regular frequency, were more effective than those using continuous theta burst stimulation patterns, which mimic the brain&#8217;s natural theta rhythm.</p>
<p>Participants in groups subjected to these treatments tended to show a significant decrease in craving for cocaine compared to groups treated with low-frequencies of pulses and those exposed to sham treatments. These treatments also seemed to produce a considerable amelioration in participants’ tendency to act rashly under extreme negative emotions compared to control groups.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although still scant and heterogeneous, the strongest evidence so far on the use of rTMS [repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation] on individuals with CUD [cocaine use disorder] support the high-frequency stimulation over the left DLPFC [dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region of the brain] as a potential treatment of cocaine craving and impulsivity. Overall, rTMS has proven to be well tolerated and there were no significant differences in adverse events across the active and sham groups,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study systematizes the scientific knowledge on the effects of transcranial stimulation on cocaine addiction symptoms. However, it should be noted that the findings are based on the results of just a handful of studies, some of which reported no effects of the treatment.</p>
<p>The paper “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115491">Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cocaine addiction: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials</a>” was authored by A. Amerio, C. Baccino, G.S. Breda, D. Cortesi, V. Spiezio, L. Magnani, D. De Berardis, B. Conio, A. Costanza, G. De Paola, G. Rocca, G. Arduino, A. Aguglia, M. Amore, and G. Serafini.</p>

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psychbot , 4 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
February 29, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Twitter (now X) linked to reduced psychological wellbeing, increased outrage, and heightened boredom
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/twitter-now-x-linked-to-reduced-psychological-wellbeing-increased-outrage-and-heightened-boredom/

<p>A recent study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-024-00062-z"><em>Communications Psychology</em></a> sheds light on the potential psychological impacts of the social media website commonly known as Twitter (now known as &#8220;X&#8221;). The findings, based on experience sampling methods to capture real-time data, suggest that the use of Twitter is associated with decreases in well-being, and increases in political polarization, outrage, and sense of belonging.</p>
<p>Despite Twitter&#8217;s relatively smaller size compared to platforms like Facebook and TikTok, its significant role in shaping public opinion — especially among elites in entertainment, journalism, and politics — makes it a critical area of study.</p>
<p>Previous studies have linked social media use with political polarization, expressions of outrage, and declines in subjective well-being. However, these studies often rely on public Twitter data, which may not accurately reflect the average user&#8217;s experience. This study aims to bridge that gap by examining Twitter&#8217;s impact using a sample more representative of the general population and by focusing on the platform&#8217;s specific features.</p>
<p>&#8220;My fascination with social media platforms began in my teenage years, drawn by the allure of virtual environments designed to simulate social interactions,&#8221; explained study author Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello (<a href="https://twitter.com/vicoldemburgo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@vicoldemburgo</a>), a PhD student at the University of Toronto.</p>
<p>&#8220;This interest deepened with Twitter, a platform distinguished by its unique dynamics. Despite not being among the largest of its kind, Twitter is a hub for highly influential individuals. It has a distinctive way of promoting certain types of content and behavior, which appears to foster an environment where expressions of outrage are more common.&#8221;</p>
<p>To dissect the psychological impacts of Twitter use, the researchers used Prolific Academic to recruit a sample of 252 individuals who used Twitter at least twice a week. This group was more representative of the broader Twitter user base in terms of age, gender, and race compared to previous studies, which often relied on convenience samples like undergraduate students. Data was collected between March and June 2021.</p>
<p>The core of the study involved sending participants surveys five times a day for a week, between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. This design, known as experience sampling, allowed for the capture of participants&#8217; experiences and reactions in real-time, ensuring that the data reflected genuine, spontaneous interactions with Twitter. This method reduces the potential for recall bias and provides a more accurate understanding of the psychological impact of social media use in daily life.</p>
<p>In each survey, participants reported whether they had used Twitter in the preceding 30 minutes and, if so, detailed their activities on the platform. These activities were categorized into observable behaviors, such as scrolling, liking, tweeting, and messaging, as well as the functions of these behaviors, like seeking information or entertainment.</p>
<p>Well-being was gauged using a modified version of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, asking participants to rate their feelings over the past 30 minutes. This tool helped quantify momentary well-being as a balance between positive and negative emotions.</p>
<p>Additionally, participants&#8217; sense of belonging was measured through a two-item scale, and political polarization was assessed using a thermometer scale to gauge warmth towards Democrats and Republicans. Outrage was operationalized as a combination of anger, disgust, and repulsion.</p>
<p>The data indicated that Twitter use, on average, was associated with lower well-being. Specifically, when participants used Twitter, they reported a decrease in well-being to the tune of 0.10 standard deviations. This effect was found at the within-person level, suggesting that Twitter use could momentarily dampen users&#8217; mood. Additionally, the study found Twitter use to be associated with increased feelings of boredom and loneliness, particularly among frequent users.</p>
<p>Contrasting its effects on well-being, Twitter use was positively related to a sense of belonging. This finding indicates that interactions on the platform can foster a feeling of community and connectedness among users. The increase in sense of belonging was measured at 0.11 standard deviations, occurring at the within-person level.</p>
<p>Twitter use was associated with a marginal increase in affective polarization at the within-person level, suggesting that Twitter usage could slightly exacerbate users&#8217; feelings towards opposing political groups. The effect size was relatively small, indicating that the platform&#8217;s role in driving political divides may be more complex than previously assumed. More pronounced was the relationship between Twitter use and outrage, with users reporting a 0.19 standard deviation increase in such emotions.</p>
<p>&#8220;The key takeaway from our study is the potential link between Twitter usage and certain adverse effects,&#8221; de Mello told PsyPost. &#8220;While we cannot definitively assert causality, our study suggests that Twitter usage correlates with diminished well-being, increased outrage, polarization, and sense of belonging. The observation regarding sense of belonging is particularly intriguing, as it indicates that Twitter can also offer benefits, highlighting a complex relationship between social media use and psychological outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers also investigated how different Twitter behaviors and functions relate to these psychological effects. Passive uses of Twitter, such as scrolling through the feed, were linked to decreases in well-being, aligning with theories that passive consumption of social media content can be detrimental. In contrast, active engagement, such as replying to tweets or checking trending topics, was associated with an increased sense of belonging.</p>
<p>These findings underscore the importance of how users engage with Twitter, suggesting that active, community-oriented use may mitigate some of the negative emotional impacts associated with the platform.</p>
<p>&#8220;Another key takeaway is that how people use Twitter really matters,&#8221; de Mello said. &#8220;By breaking down the different types of uses, we learned that different usage patterns are linked to different outcomes for the users.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the study&#8217;s design does not allow for definitive conclusions about cause-and-effect relationships. &#8220;Despite the control variables we used, it is still a correlational study, so it&#8217;s hard to draw strong causal conclusions,&#8221; de Mello noted.</p>
<p>The researchers also noted the potential for selection bias, as their sample included only active Twitter users, possibly excluding those who might have left the platform due to negative experiences. In addition, the focus on short-term effects also leaves open questions about long-term impacts.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have a rich dataset of participants public Twitter data (their tweets, timelines, likes, etc.) In our next study, we will analyze the influence of timeline content on self-reported psychological states,&#8221; de Mello said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00062-z">Twitter (X) use predicts substantial changes in well-being, polarization, sense of belonging, and outrage</a>,&#8221; was authored by Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello, Felix Cheung, and Michael Inzlicht.</p>

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