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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Older couples in stepfamilies report less positive and more negative relationships with their children
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/older-couples-in-stepfamilies-report-less-positive-and-more-negative-relationships-with-their-children-220817

<p>A study focusing on the relationships between older couples and their children revealed that those in stepfamilies generally reported less positive and more negative interactions with their children compared to couples in non-stepfamilies. In general, mothers reported more positive relationships than fathers. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12946"><em>Journal of Marriage and Family</em></a>.</p>
<p>Stepfamilies, also known as blended families, are formed when one or both partners in a relationship have children from previous relationships, and these children become part of the new family dynamic. This type of family structure emerges when parents remarry or form a new cohabiting relationship, bringing together children from their previous unions. Stepfamilies often face unique challenges, such as navigating relationships between step-siblings and step-parents, and establishing new family norms and boundaries.</p>
<p>The increasing rates of divorce and remarriage in the latter part of the 20th century, a trend continuing today, imply that middle-aged and older couples are now more likely to have children from previous relationships. In the United States, approximately 40% of older couples with children (where at least one partner is over 50 years of age) are part of stepfamilies.</p>
<p>In their new study, I-Fen Lin of Bowling Green State University and her colleagues sought to understand how the stepfamily structure might influence parent-child relationships. They were particularly interested in examining the association between stepfamily structure and the quality of relationships between older couples and their children, and how this varied for fathers and mothers.</p>
<p>They hypothesized that couples in stepfamilies would report less positive relationships with their children compared to those in non-stepfamilies. They also believed that having a joint child would enhance positive parent-child interactions in stepfamilies and that longer duration in stepfamilies would correlate with more positive relationships. Conversely, they expected more negative relationships in stepfamilies formed when children were older.</p>
<p>The data for this study were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study&#8217;s 2016 and 2018 data collections. This longitudinal study focuses on a large group of individuals aged 51 or older, along with their partners, in the United States. The study commenced in 1992 with individuals born between 1931 and 1941 and has conducted annual interviews since then. In later years, it expanded to include younger participants through “refresher samples.”</p>
<p>The information on parent-child relationships was collected using the Leave Behind questionnaire. Participants completed this questionnaire after completing the core interview of the Health and Retirement study. This questionnaire provided data on positive and negative parent-child relationships.</p>
<p>Positive relationships were defined by study participants’ perceptions of how much children in their family understand the way participants feel about things, how much they rely on their children if they have a serious problem, and how much they open up to children if they need to talk about their worries. Negative relationships reflected participants’ perceptions of how often children make too many demands on them, how much children criticize them, how much children let them down when participants are counting on them, and how much children get on their nerves.</p>
<p>The study analyzed responses from 2,150 married couples. The researchers considered various factors, such as whether couples in stepfamilies had a joint child, the age of the youngest or oldest stepchild when acquiring a stepparent, the cause of the previous union&#8217;s termination (divorce or widowhood), and the duration of the current marriage.</p>
<p>Results showed that fathers in stepfamilies reported lower levels of positive parent-child relationships compared to fathers in non-stepfamilies. However, there were no differences in negative father-child relationships. Mothers in stepfamilies also reported lower levels of positive parent-child relationships, but also higher levels of negative mother-child relationships.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Stepfamilies in this study were less likely to have a child living in their household (11% vs 18%) and less likely to have at least one spouse with a college degree or higher. They were more likely to have at least one spouse who is a minority. In more than 9 out of 10 cases, the previous union of the partners ended in divorce.</p>
<p>Overall, couples in stepfamilies tended to rate parent-child relationships as less positive and more negative compared to couples in non-stepfamilies. Couples in stepfamilies, but with joint children tended to rate parent-child relationships as better compared to couples in stepfamilies without joint children. Mothers evaluated parent-child relationships more positively than did fathers.</p>
<p>“We found that couples in stepfamilies perceived relationships with their children less positively than did couples in non-stepfamilies, in line with Hypothesis 1. Having a joint child was associated with more positive parent–child relationships in stepfamilies, supporting the concrete baby effect [a joint child cementing the bond between partners] specified in Hypothesis 2. Non-stepfamilies had more positive parent–child relationships than in all of the stepfamily configurations (except “hers and ours” families, families where the mother has children from previous relationships), but stepfamily types did not differ from one another,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between family structure and parent-child relationships. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, study authors report that stepfamilies in which both spouses have children tended to be underrepresented in the study. Additionally, conclusions were based on parents’ reports of the parent-child relationships. Results might not be the same if the study was based on children’s reports of these relationships.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12946">Stepfamily variation in parent–child relationship quality in later life</a>”, was authored by I-Fen Lin, Judith A. Seltzer.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
The surprising link between conspiracy mentality and deepfake detection ability
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/the-surprising-link-between-conspiracy-mentality-and-deepfake-detection-ability-220803

<p>Individuals who believe in conspiracy theories and those who spend more time on social media tend to be better at detecting deepfake videos, according to new research published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2023.102093"><em>Telematics and Informatics</em></a>. The findings shed new light on the factors related to human recognition of highly realistic manipulated videos.</p>
<p>Deepfake technology, which involves creating hyper-realistic video content through artificial intelligence, has emerged as a significant concern. It allows the swapping of faces and voices in videos, making it possible to fabricate scenarios that never actually happened. This technology&#8217;s potential misuse includes creating fake evidence, spreading misinformation, or manipulating public opinion. Previous research has primarily focused on developing algorithms for detecting these fakes, but the Leiden University study shifts focus to human detection capabilities.</p>
<p>Understanding how well humans can identify deepfakes is crucial, given the technology&#8217;s widespread availability and realistic outputs. Past studies have offered varying conclusions on human accuracy in detecting these fakes, ranging from moderate to relatively high levels. However, there was limited understanding of how individual characteristics like age, gender, social media usage, and personal beliefs might influence this ability.</p>
<p>&#8220;Deepfake videos are a rapidly developing technology that can have a lot of impact on society,&#8221; said study author Ewout Nas, who is now a researcher at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. &#8220;A fair amount of research had already been done on algorithmic recognition of deepfakes, but little was known about human recognition of deepfake videos.I was very interested in human performance in recognising deepfake videos and its predictors.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study enrolled 130 participants through Leiden University&#8217;s research participant platform and social networks. The participants, mostly young adults, were tasked with a deepfake detection challenge. This task utilized the <a href="https://github.com/yuezunli/celeb-deepfakeforensics">Celeb-DF dataset</a>, a collection of videos featuring 59 celebrities in both authentic and deepfake formats. Participants were shown 174 videos in random order and asked to judge whether each was real or fake. They were also asked if they recognized the celebrities in the videos.</p>
<p>The researchers assessed participants’ conspiracy mentality using the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories (e.g. &#8220;events which superficially seem to lack a connection are often the result of secret activities&#8221;). They also gathered data on participants&#8217; social media habits, including the time spent on these platforms and the number of posts they made.</p>
<p>Participants demonstrated a reasonable level of accuracy in distinguishing deepfakes from real videos, with an average accuracy rate of 80%. However, the more intriguing findings lay in the nuanced analysis of various influencing factors.</p>
<p>Firstly, a surprising positive correlation was found between conspiracy mentality and deepfake detection performance. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, individuals who scored higher on the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire were better at identifying deepfake videos. This suggests that a conspiratorial mindset might enhance one’s ability to scrutinize and detect fabricated content.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found a positive correlation between conspiracy beliefs and deepfake detection performance. We expected to find the opposite,&#8221; Nas told PsyPost.</p>
<p>In addition, the researcher found a strong link between time spent on social media and deepfake detection capability. Participants who spent more hours per week on social media platforms showed a higher aptitude in recognizing deepfakes. This finding implies that regular exposure to a wide range of content, including potentially manipulated media, might hone one&#8217;s ability to discern authenticity.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Time spent on social media and belief in conspiracy theories are positively correlated with deepfake detection performance,&#8221; Nas said. &#8220;In general terms, deepfake videos are becoming more realistic and harder to recognize. One can no longer automatically believe everything you see on video footage.&#8221;</p>
<p>As expected, participants were more adept at identifying deepfakes when they were familiar with the celebrities featured in the videos. This familiarity likely aids in spotting discrepancies and inconsistencies in the fake representations. Interestingly, age and gender did not significantly impact the ability to detect deepfakes.</p>
<p>While the study offers significant insights, it also acknowledges certain limitations. For instance, the research only included visual content without audio, which might affect the generalizability of the findings. Participants were also aware that they were being tested for deepfake detection, which is not typically the case in real-life scenarios where deepfakes might be encountered unsuspectingly.</p>
<p>Moreover, the rapidly evolving nature of deepfake technology means that the study&#8217;s findings, based on the current state of this technology, might need updating as newer, more sophisticated methods emerge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Since deepfake technology is evolving rapidly, it is important to keep assessing the human performance at detecting state of the art deepfake videos,&#8221; Nas said. &#8220;It would also be interesting to study the relationship between cognitive performance/ability and deepfake detection performance.&#8221;</p>
<p>Moving forward, researchers suggest expanding the demographic range of participants to include a broader age spectrum. This could offer more definitive insights into whether age influences deepfake detection. Additionally, investigating the role of specific digital skills, cognitive abilities, and the impact of deepfakes on people&#8217;s perceptions and attitudes would provide a more holistic understanding.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585323001570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conspiracy thinking and social media use are associated with ability to detect deepfakes</a>&#8220;, was authored by Ewout Nas and Roy de Kleijn.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
New research brings to light the psychological costs of lying
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-research-brings-to-light-the-psychological-costs-of-lying-220811

<p>A series of four studies published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12711"><em>British Journal of Social Psychology </em></a>reported that lying decreases self-esteem and increases negative emotion, irrespective of whether the lie benefits the self or others.</p>
<p>Despite being a moral taboo and having the potential to negatively impact one’s image and relationships, lying is a fairly common phenomenon. Most lies go undetected; in fact, the ability to successfully distinguish between falsehoods and truths hovers just above chance. In this work, Sanne Preuter and colleagues look at the impact of lying on the liar’s self-esteem and emotions. Is it possible that lying has a psychological cost, even if undetected?</p>
<p>The researchers focus on two types of lies, including self-centered lies which are shared for personal gain or protection, and other-oriented lies with the goal of protecting another’s feelings.</p>
<p>Study 1 used a 2&#215;2 between-subjects design, focusing on behavior (lying vs. truth-telling) and type of dilemma (self-centered vs. other oriented). Participants were presented with one of eight scenarios that simulated common life dilemmas. They were tasked with recalling and reporting how they had responded to a similar real life-situation (i.e., had lied, had told the truth, have never been in such a situation).</p>
<p>The following are examples of self-centered and other-oriented dilemmas, respectively: “You are at a job interview. You are being asked if you have experience in a relevant aspect of the job, which you haven’t” or “Your friend is very happy about her new dress. You don’t like it.” Participants then completed measures of self-esteem, negative emotion, and perceived acceptability of lying.</p>
<p>Participants who opted to lie in the presented situations reported lower self-esteem and more negative emotion compared to those who told the truth. These results were consistent across both self-centered and other-oriented dilemmas.</p>
<p>Study 2 involved 192 participants using a between-subjects design similar to Study 1. In this case, participants were asked to describe past situations in which they lied or told the truth, either for self-benefit or to benefit others. State self-esteem was measured with three items, and emotion was measured by asking participants the extent to which they experienced positive or negative emotion in relation to their described situation. Similar to Study 1, participants who recalled lying situations reported lower self-esteem and less positive emotion compared to those who recalled having told the truth.</p>
<p>In Study 3, 285 participants were asked to track their lying behavior for one day and to report their self-esteem (e.g., “I was satisfied with myself”) and affect (e.g., anger, shame, pride, happiness), with the goal of minimizing memory bias by having participants report their experience on the day of the study. In line with the prior studies, participants who lied on the day of the study reported lower self-esteem and experienced more negative emotion compared to those who did not lie, irrespective of the type of lie told.</p>
<p>Study 4 recruited 100 individuals who participated in a 5-day diary study. On each day, they reported their lying behavior, self-esteem, and emotions. Adopting a within-subjects design allowed the researchers to track changes in self-esteem relative to lying behavior over multiple days. Does lying decrease self-esteem over time, and can self-esteem levels on a given day predict lying behavior on subsequent days? Indeed, participants who lied experienced a reduction in self-esteem. However, self-esteem levels on one day did not predict lying behavior on the following day.</p>
<p>Across four studies with varying methodologies, Preuter and colleagues found that both self-centered and other-oriented lies decreased self-esteem and increased negative emotion in the liar, suggesting that lying comes with a psychological cost.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12711">The costs of lying: Consequences of telling lies on liar’s self-esteem and affect</a>”, was authored by Sanne Preuter, Bastian Jaeger, and Mariëlle Stel.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Psychedelic breakthrough? Microdoses of LSD show antidepressant effects in placebo-controlled study
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/psychedelic-breakthrough-microdoses-of-lsd-show-antidepressant-effects-in-placebo-controlled-study-220805

<p>In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered that low doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (<a href="https://www.psypost.org/exclusive/drugs/psychedelic-research/lsd">LSD</a>), a psychedelic drug, may have potential antidepressant effects in individuals showing mild to moderate depressive symptoms. This new insight could pave the way for alternative treatments in mental health care. The findings have been published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01772-4"><em>Neuropsychopharmacology</em></a>.</p>
<p>For years, depression has remained a significant challenge in mental health, with traditional treatments like medications and psychotherapy not always effective for all patients. This gap in treatment efficacy has spurred interest in alternative therapeutic approaches. Recently, the focus has shifted towards psychedelic compounds like psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) and LSD.</p>
<p>LSD is a powerful, synthetic psychedelic drug known for its profound effects on perception, emotions, and thoughts. Originally synthesized in 1938, it gained prominence in the 1960s and is characterized by its ability to induce vivid hallucinations and altered states of consciousness, even at low doses.</p>
<p>While high doses of psychedelic substances have shown promising results when combined with therapy, they come with risks and require significant resources. An alternative, and increasingly popular yet medically unsanctioned practice, is <a href="https://www.psypost.org/exclusive/drugs/psychedelic-research/microdosing">microdosing</a> – taking very low doses of psychedelic drugs.</p>
<p>Previous studies on microdosing have primarily involved healthy individuals, yielding mixed results. Most did not find significant psychiatric benefits, prompting researchers at the University of Chicago to explore whether individuals with existing depressive symptoms might respond differently to low doses of LSD.</p>
<p>&#8220;There has been a great deal of public interest in &#8216;microdosing,&#8217; or the idea that very low doses of LSD, taken every 3-4 days, can improve mood, cognition and creativity, among many other claims,&#8221; explained study author Harriet de Wit, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience. &#8220;However, such effects are <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2022/09/placebo-controlled-study-suggests-that-the-benefits-of-psilocybin-microdosing-can-be-explained-by-expectancy-effects-63862">highly susceptible to expectancy effects</a>, i.e., people experience what they expect to experience. Therefore, controlled studies are essential to determine whether the effect of the drug exceeds that of a placebo.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Several such controlled studies have been conducted in healthy volunteers, but until now, the effects of the microdoses have been <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/psilocybin-microdosing-does-not-reduce-symptoms-of-depression-or-anxiety-according-to-placebo-controlled-study-62495">difficult to demonstrate</a>. One limitation of most of the studies to date is that they have tested healthy adults, whereas its effects may be more apparent in participants with some psychiatric symptomatology. This study investigated a low dose of LSD in participants who reported some level of depression.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study involved 39 healthy volunteers, aged 18 to 35, who were recruited from the university community. Participants were divided into two groups based on their scores on the Beck Depression Inventory-II, a standard measure of depression. Those with scores indicating mild to moderate depression formed the &#8220;high&#8221; depression group, while those with lower scores comprised the &#8220;low&#8221; depression group.</p>
<p>Each participant underwent two five-hour laboratory sessions, receiving either a 26 microgram dose of LSD or a placebo in a random order, with sessions spaced at least a week apart. To ensure a double-blind study, neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received LSD or the placebo during each session. The study included various measures to assess the effects of LSD: subjective mood and drug effects ratings, creativity tasks, emotional facial recognition tasks, cardiovascular measures, and blood tests to measure LSD levels.</p>
<p>Participants, regardless of their depression level, reported feeling the effects of LSD and liked the drug effect more compared to the placebo. The high-depression group showed a tendency to enjoy the effects of LSD more than the low-depression group. Participants with higher depression scores also experienced significant increases in mood measures like elation and vigor following LSD consumption, a trend not observed in the low-depression group.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We were surprised that the drug preferentially increased feelings of positive mood in the depressed sample, compared to the controls. There are many possible reasons for this, which will need to be examined in future studies,&#8221; de Wit told PsyPost.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the most significant findings of the study was observed 48 hours after the LSD session. Participants in the high depression score group reported a notable decrease in their depression scores, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II, compared to their scores after the placebo session. This suggests a potential lasting antidepressant effect of LSD, particularly in individuals with existing depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The findings provide preliminary evidence that &#8220;people with depressed mood may experience different effects from a single dose of the drug, compared to nondepressed people,&#8221; de Wit explained. &#8220;However, this initial finding needs to be replicated and extended to other samples.&#8221;</p>
<p>Contrary to popular claims about microdosing enhancing creativity, LSD did not significantly alter performance on various creativity-related tasks. Additionally, the drug did not affect emotional facial recognition abilities. In terms of physiological effects, LSD was found to increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, while heart rate remained unaffected. Interestingly, the plasma levels of LSD did not correlate with either the subjective experience of the drug or how much participants liked its effects.</p>
<p>However, the study is not without its limitations. The high depression group reported only mild to moderate symptoms, and it&#8217;s unclear whether the findings would apply to those with more severe depression. Additionally, the study used only a single dose of LSD, leaving the potential effects of repeated microdosing unexplored. Another limitation was the homogenous nature of the participant pool, primarily consisting of young adults with some prior psychedelic experience and minimal negative reactions.</p>
<p>&#8220;The subject sample was small,&#8221; de Wit said. &#8220;The participants in the ‘depressed’ group reported a relatively low level of symptoms, and so it will be important to see whether this finding is replicable in larger samples including those with more severe symptoms. We do not know why the groups differed: It could have been because of long-lasting neurobiological adaptations (e.g., related to prior stress), or it could be related more directly to their mood state on the day of the drug sessions. We do not know if similar findings would be obtained with other symptomatic samples (e.g., anxiety). We do not know what the effects of repeated administration of the drug would be, in the pattern that people report ‘microdosing’ outside the laboratory.&#8221;</p>
<p>Future research should focus on a more diverse demographic, including individuals with a broader range of psychiatric symptoms and past drug use history. It will also be important to investigate whether these findings can be replicated, how long the effects last, and if the results are more pronounced when combined with psychotherapy or in individuals with more severe depression. Further studies should also explore the potential antidepressant effect of even lower doses that do not produce perceptual effects.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-023-01772-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greater subjective effects of a low dose of LSD in participants with depressed mood</a>&#8220;, was authored by Hanna Molla, Royce Lee, Ilaria Tare, and Harriet de Wit.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 01:17AM
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TITLE:
Streamlining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176760&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240117143626.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>A combination of cognitive and behavioral strategies&mdash;ideally, delivered in person by a therapist&mdash;maximizes the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), according to new research published in JAMA Psychiatry. CBT-I is a form of talk therapy that can be delivered in person or through self-help guides. By analyzing 241 studies involving over 30,000 adults, researchers identified the most beneficial components of CBT-I.</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 01:17AM
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TITLE:
Harsh Anti-Palestinian Rhetoric Central to South Africa's Genocide Case
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176766&url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/harsh-israeli-rhetoric-palestinians-central-south-africas-genocide-106471144

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/international" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - International</a></p>Fighting &quot;human animals.&quot; Making Gaza a &quot;slaughterhouse.&quot; &quot;Erasing the Gaza Strip from the face of the earth.&quot; Such harsh rhetoric is a key component of South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide at the U.N. world court, a charge Israel denies. South Africa says comments by Israeli leaders, soldiers, and entertainers about Palestinians in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 is proof of Israel's intent to commit genocide.</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 01:17AM
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TITLE:
U.S. Air Quality Is Improving More in Wealthier Areas
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176745&url=https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/01/17/air-quality-wealthy-areas/3431705508513/

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Health_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Health News</a></p>American incomes and ethnicity play a role in how clean the air is that they breathe, according to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications. Overall, U.S. air pollution emissions have decreased substantially, but the magnitude of the change varies based on demographics, the study reported. Air pollution emissions have fallen more in wealthier areas, and less in areas with larger Hispanic or American Indian populations.</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 18, 2024 at 01:16AM
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TITLE:
YouTube Profiting From New Breed of Climate Denial, Report Says
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176710&url=https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2024-01-16/youtube-making-money-off-new-breed-of-climate-denial-monitoring-group-says

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>YouTube is making millions of dollars a year from advertising on channels that make false claims about climate change because content creators are using new tactics that evade the social media platform's misinformation policies, according to a new report. Instead of classic climate denial, the new tactics focus on attacking climate solutions as unworkable, portraying global warming as harmless or beneficial, and casting doubt on climate science.</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 18, 2024
.
TITLE:
Ethics Alive! Social Work Values and Roles in Times of War
.
URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/social-work-values-roles-times-of-war/

In times of war, terrorism, and violence, many people grapple with a broad range of emotions. As social workers, it is crucial for us to recognize these emotions in ourselves and manage them effectively.
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 17, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Children Anticipate What Others Want, But Great Apes Don't
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/children-anticipate-what-others-want-but-great-apes-dont/

<p>New cross-species research suggests a theory of mind is one thing that sets humans apart from apes</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 17, 2024 at 02:00PM
.
TITLE:
A new window into early detection of Alzheimer’s disease
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/a-new-window-into-early-detection-of-alzheimers-disease-220763

<p>Researchers have uncovered a significant link between subtle changes in everyday memory, attention, and navigation abilities and biological markers of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. This finding, published in the <em><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/alzheimer-disease-biomarkers-are-associated-with-decline-in-subjective-memory-attention-and-spatial-navigation-ability-in-clinically-normal-adults/B21CAEB7B0AB7B5724F229E0B8D65539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society</a></em>, suggests that simple self-reported and informant-reported assessments could serve as early indicators of Alzheimer&#8217;s.</p>
<p>Alzheimer&#8217;s disease is a progressive neurological condition predominantly seen in older adults. It is characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, reasoning, and communication skills. This decline is caused by the degeneration and death of brain cells, leading to a decrease in brain size and function over time. Alzheimer&#8217;s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a broad term for conditions that negatively affect mental capabilities severely enough to interfere with daily life.</p>
<p>Previous research in the field of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease has primarily focused on identifying the disease after symptoms have become apparent. However, by the time symptoms are noticeable, significant brain damage has already occurred, making treatment and management more challenging. This has led scientists to explore ways to detect Alzheimer&#8217;s earlier, potentially even before symptoms are noticeable. A key area of interest has been identifying subtle cognitive changes that may occur in the preclinical stages of the disease, which could serve as early warning signs.</p>
<p>&#8220;The pandemic and subsequent shift toward virtual healthcare highlighted the need for cognitive assessments that could be conducted remotely. This led to my interest in examining subjective changes in memory and thinking ability using questionnaires,&#8221; said study author Taylor F. Levine, a postdoctoral fellow at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, who completed the research while a graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis.</p>
<p>The study utilized data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, focusing on 320 participants who were clinically normal at the outset. These participants, along with their informants (people who know them well, such as family members), completed the Everyday Cognition (ECog) scale &#8212; an assessment designed to gauge changes in everyday cognitive functions. Additionally, biological markers linked to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, specifically proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and hippocampal volume (a brain area crucial in memory formation), were measured.</p>
<p>There was a noticeable decline over time in both self-reported and informant-reported cognitive abilities. Interestingly, informant-reported declines in cognitive abilities were generally steeper than self-reported changes. This implies that informants might be more attuned to or able to detect subtle changes in cognitive abilities than the individuals themselves, especially in the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.</p>
<p>The researchers found that declines in self-reported and informant-reported memory, attention, and spatial navigation abilities over time could be predicted by certain brain changes and biomarker levels. Specifically, a higher ratio of certain proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid and smaller hippocampal volumes were associated with these declines. This suggests that changes in these biological markers are closely linked to the subtle cognitive changes that the participants or their informants reported.</p>
<p>The findings indicate that &#8220;tracking subjective changes in memory and thinking ability may be useful for the individual and/or their treating providers to monitor for brain changes related to Alzheimer&#8217;s disease,&#8221; Levine told PsyPost.</p>
<p>However, there were some limitations to the study. The participants were predominantly Non-Hispanic White, which raises questions about the applicability of these findings across different racial and ethnic groups. Also, the data used in the study was pre-collected, meaning the researchers could not control when the cognitive assessments or biological samples were taken relative to each other. This factor could have influenced the results, although the researchers made considerable efforts to mitigate its impact.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was interested in examining subjective cognitive change in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, before individuals have dementia symptoms,&#8221; Levine said. &#8220;The questionnaire used for this study was not originally developed for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Questionnaires developed specifically for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease may provide more/better information than the one used in this study.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Looking ahead, this study opens several avenues for future research. Comparing the effectiveness of the Everyday Cognition scale with other cognitive assessment tools could further refine the detection of Alzheimer&#8217;s in its early stages. Additionally, exploring the use of these methods in a more diverse population would help in understanding the applicability of these findings across different groups.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S135561772300070X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alzheimer disease biomarkers are associated with decline in subjective memory, attention, and spatial navigation ability in clinically normal adults</a>&#8220;, was authored by Taylor F. Levine, Steven J. Dessenberger, Samantha L. Allison, Denise Head, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 17, 2024 at 12:00PM
.
TITLE:
Female lawmakers bring new angles to defense issues, study finds
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/female-lawmakers-bring-new-angles-to-defense-issues-study-finds-220791

<p>A study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129211045048" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Political Research Quarterly</a></em> revealed that female lawmakers in the U.S. Congress bring unique and divergent perspectives to defense policy debates — a domain historically dominated by their male counterparts. These findings underscore the significant role gender and party affiliations play in shaping discussions about national security.</p>
<p>Traditionally, research on political representation has concentrated on the involvement of female lawmakers in &#8220;women&#8217;s issues&#8221; like healthcare, childcare, and reproductive rights. Recent investigations, however, have shifted focus to explore women&#8217;s participation in broader policy areas — including national defense. This shift is rooted in the concept of &#8220;issue ownership,&#8221; which suggests that certain demographics or political parties are perceived as more adept in specific policy domains. Historically, defense has been seen as a strength of male and Republican lawmakers — leading to a curiosity about how female legislators navigate this typically male- dominated area.</p>
<p>The researchers’ goals with the study stemmed from a need to understand if women in Congress offered distinct insights into defense-related discussions. With women historically underrepresented in these debates and often associated with more compassionate, care-oriented issues, they aimed to showcase the unique contributions of women in legislative debates on national defense.</p>
<p>To explore these nuances, the study utilized structural topic modeling (STM) to analyze the content of floor speeches from the 109th U.S. Congress. STM is a text analytics method that helps uncover latent topics within large volumes of text, making it ideal for examining how the content and focus of defense-related speeches differ among female and male lawmakers. This approach was particularly apt as it allowed for a detailed examination of the subtle differences in how different groups of lawmakers discuss defense issues.</p>
<p>Women in Congress, regardless of their political affiliation, focused on different aspects of defense policy compared to men. Findings showed that “women are just as active as men—sometimes even more active—on an array of policy topics other than ‘women’s issues.’”</p>
<p>Female Republicans were often linked defense policy with women&#8217;s rights abroad — aligning with the broader War on Terror narrative. Conversely, female Democrats frequently connected defense topics to humanitarian concerns and the impact of war on civilians, reflecting a more care-oriented approach. In other words, the findings show that women in Congress not only participate in defense debate, but bring attention to issues like women&#8217;s rights as linked to humanitarian crises — which may otherwise be overlooked.</p>
<p>However, this study’s focus on a single session of Congress may not fully represent the dynamics in other congressional terms. Additionally, while STM is effective for analyzing speech content, it does not capture other forms of legislative influence like committee work or negotiations. There is also an assumption that floor speeches accurately reflect lawmakers&#8217; priorities, which might not always be the case —as they can be influenced by strategic considerations such as party lines or public image.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/WZAVBCVCUAEQKP5XBG3X/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detecting Diverse Perspectives: Using Text Analytics to Reveal Sex Differences in Congressional Debate About Defense</a>”, was authored by Mary Layton Atkinson, Reza Mousavi, and Jason H. Windett.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 17, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
Scientists show how emotional expressions influence women’s attraction to male faces
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/scientists-show-how-emotional-expressions-influence-womens-attraction-to-male-faces-220781

<p>New research demonstrates that women&#8217;s preferences for certain male facial features are influenced by the perceived emotions on those faces. The findings, published in<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2023.28"><em> Evolutionary Human Sciences</em></a>, indicate that masculine faces are perceived as more attractive when they display a happy expression, suggesting that positive emotions can offset the negative perceptions linked to masculine facial features.</p>
<p>Previous research has identified three key factors that influence facial attractiveness: symmetry, averageness, and sexually dimorphic features (traits that differ between the sexes). Interestingly, sexually dimorphic features, particularly in men, have been a subject of debate. Some theories, like the immunocompetence hypothesis, suggest that masculine traits in men, such as a strong jawline, signal a robust immune system, making them more attractive to women. However, this theory has been contested, with other studies finding feminine male faces more appealing to women.</p>
<p>This inconsistency led researchers to delve deeper, considering other factors like cultural and environmental influences, perceptions of dominance, and associations with traits like fidelity. Another intriguing angle explored the idea that emotional expressions might play a role in this complex dynamic, potentially influencing the attractiveness of masculine traits.</p>
<p>&#8220;The frequently conflicting findings surrounding facial attractiveness and sexual dimorphism have meant that our understanding has remained elusive. This study acknowledges this perplexity and puts forth a novel alternative explanation for why women may not exhibit expected attraction to facial masculinity, as posited by the immunocompetence hypothesis,&#8221; explained lead author Mariana Carrito, a postdoctoral researcher at Centre for Psychology at University of Porto and manager of the <a href="https://sexlab.fpce.up.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Porto Sexlab</a>.</p>
<p>To investigate the relationship between masculine facial features, emotional expressions, and perceived attractiveness, Carrito and her colleagues conducted a series of three experiments.</p>
<p><strong>Experiment 1</strong> was designed to explore how sexually dimorphic differences in face morphology influence the perception of emotions in neutral faces. The study involved 75 participants, including 36 men and 39 women. The stimuli consisted of 24 composite faces, which were manipulated using Psychomorph software to create feminized and masculinized versions. The experiment ensured that only one version of each individual face was presented to the participants.</p>
<p>Participants were asked to evaluate these neutral faces in terms of perceived facial expression (anger or happiness). They used a 100-point visual analogue scale ranging from &#8220;Not angry&#8221; to &#8220;Angry&#8221; or &#8220;Not happy&#8221; to &#8220;Happy&#8221;. Faces were presented in blocks, with the order of presentation randomized.</p>
<p>The results revealed that masculinized faces, regardless of being male or female, were associated with increased anger evaluations compared to their feminized counterparts. Similarly, masculinized male faces were associated with lower happiness evaluations compared to feminized male faces. In summary, male faces were generally perceived as angrier, and female faces as happier, with masculinization enhancing the perception of anger and feminization enhancing the perception of happiness.</p>
<p><strong>Experiment 2</strong> sought to understand whether facial expressions influence the perception of masculinity, particularly in male faces. The study involved 35 heterosexual Caucasian women with normal or corrected vision, aged between 18 and 35 years.</p>
<p>The stimuli were 90 photographed faces from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces, depicting three different emotions (angry, neutral, and happy) each. These faces were manipulated to create three levels of masculinization. Participants rated how masculine each male face appeared on a visual scale from 0 (extremely feminine) to 100 (extremely masculine).</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Experiment 2 found a significant effect of emotional expression on perceived masculinity. Angry faces were rated as more masculine compared to happy and neutral faces. This result suggests a perceptual connection between anger and masculinity in facial expressions.</p>
<p><strong>Experiment 3</strong> aimed to explore female preferences for masculinity in faces with varying emotional expressions. The sample comprised 84 heterosexual Caucasian women aged 18-34, with six participants later excluded due to rapid, seemingly random responses.</p>
<p>Using 30 male faces from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces, the researchers created a continuum of 11 images for each face, ranging from -50% to +50% masculinisation. Participants manipulated these images to achieve what they perceived as the most attractive appearance.</p>
<p>Participants showed a general preference for femininity across all emotional expressions but to varying degrees. The preference for femininity was significantly lower in happy male faces compared to neutral or angry faces. This suggests that happy expressions can mitigate the negative connotations associated with masculinity, influencing women&#8217;s preferences in male faces.</p>
<p>&#8220;Results show that women prefer decreased feminization (or an increased masculinization) in happy male faces,&#8221; Carrito told PsyPost. &#8220;Such findings, may offer valuable insights into the intricate psychology of attraction. Women might feel more attracted to masculinity in men when they are smiling, possibly because the expression of happiness mitigates the negative associations linked with masculinity, such as perceived hostility.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes some caveats. The study&#8217;s sample was predominantly Caucasian and heterosexual, which may limit the generalizability of the results to other ethnicities and sexual orientations. Cultural differences in perceptions of masculinity and emotional expression could lead to different preferences in facial features, suggesting a need for more diverse participant samples in future studies. Additionally, the study primarily used digital manipulations of facial features to assess preferences, which may not entirely capture the natural variability and subtlety found in real human faces.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the findings highlight the importance of considering more than just static facial features in attractiveness research, as the dynamic aspect of facial expressions plays a crucial role.</p>
<p>&#8220;To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the relationship between the preferences of women for the sexually dimorphic shape of male faces and the perception of emotional expressions,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;Based on the three experiments, we conclude that emotional expression does impact women’s preferences for male masculinity. The extent of the interaction between expression and masculinity is unknown, but differences in mouth curvature and hence apparent resting expression may contribute to the divergence in the results of studies on attraction to masculinity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/when-he-smiles-attractiveness-preferences-for-male-faces-expressing-emotions/00C456C5BAD7498CBBEBFE4EB2B3F467" target="_blank" rel="noopener">When he smiles: Attractiveness preferences for male faces expressing emotions</a>&#8220;, was authored by Mariana L. Carrito, Francisca Bismarck, Pedro Bem-Haja, David I. Perrett, and Isabel M. Santos.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 17, 2024 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Agreeable individuals prefer interacting with perceived neurotic others
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/agreeable-individuals-prefer-interacting-with-perceived-neurotic-others-220790

<p>A study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.91094"><em>Collabra: Psychology</em></a> concluded that the preference to interact with a given person has a differential function influenced by the personality traits of the individuals involved.</p>
<p>There is mixed evidence as to whether similar or complementary personalities lead to positive outcomes in relationships. For example, social interactions have been rated of better quality when with similarly extraverted partners, but of lower quality with similarly disagreeable ones. Partners with similar levels of extraversion and conscientiousness have been found to experience lower marital satisfaction.</p>
<p>Given most research on this subject has been conducted in controlled laboratory settings, focusing on close relationships such as friendships or romantic partnerships, it is unknown whether these findings extend to everyday settings with a variety of interaction partners.</p>
<p>In this work, Martin Weiß and colleagues used ecological momentary assessment to examine whether the way other people’s personalities are perceived affect preferences for social interaction partners in the day to day, and whether one’s own personality traits shape these preferences.</p>
<p>A total of 130 participants who were fluent in the German language were recruited for this study. Participants provided sociodemographic information and completed trait questionnaires, including the IPIP-NEO-120 personality questionnaire which measures Big Five personality (conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) for depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The Ecological Momentary Assessment lasted for seven days with six prompts per day, for a maximum of 42 prompts per participant. In each survey, participants reported on their most recent social interaction. If the interaction took place more than 30 minutes ago, they completed an alternative activity questionnaire in place of the social interaction questionnaire. For social interactions that took place in a group setting, participants were instructed to focus on the main interaction partner of the group.</p>
<p>Participants provided details about the start and duration of their interaction, whether it was online or face-to-face, number of interaction partners, the main interaction partner’s gender, and their relationship to the interaction partner. They responded to questions assessing preferences for interaction partners and perceived personality of these partners via ten unipolar ratings of Big Five personality (with two items per factor),and gave ratings of physical attractiveness and familiarity of partner to account for attractiveness or familiarity biases.</p>
<p>Weiß and colleagues contribute several findings to this literature. Higher agreeableness and extraversion in interaction partners were found to be beneficial, enhancing the preference to interact, while higher partner neuroticism was detrimental to social interaction preferences. Extraverted participants had a preference for other extraverts.</p>
<p>However, agreeable individuals surprisingly preferred neurotic interaction partners. The researchers suggest this could possibly be due to agreeableness being associated with helping behavior and neurotic individuals benefiting from positive interactions. Those high in neuroticism showed a reduced preference to interact with others. In line with prior studies, greater familiarity and perceived physical attractiveness increased preferences to interact.</p>
<p>A limitation to this study is the largely female sample (107 of 130 individuals), and younger demographic (average age 25.43); thus, these results may not be generalizable to both genders and across adulthood.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.91094">Who Is Interacting With Whom? Assessing the Relationship Between Personality Traits and Preferences for Interaction Partners in Real Life</a>”, was authored by Martin Weiß, Marthe Gründahl, Annalena Jachnik, and Grit Hein.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 16, 2024 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
New study reveals dopamine’s crucial role in exercise-induced brain boost
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-study-reveals-dopamines-crucial-role-in-exercise-induced-brain-boost-220777

<p>A new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/JP285173"><em>The Journal of Physiology</em></a> has shed light on the long-debated question of how physical exercise enhances cognitive performance. The study reveals that dopamine, a neurotransmitter and hormone often associated with pleasure and motivation, is a key player in this process. Notably, the research demonstrates that dopamine levels increase during exercise, correlating with faster reaction times, thus providing a clearer understanding of the brain&#8217;s response to physical activity.</p>
<p>For years, scientists have understood that regular physical activity positively impacts various cognitive functions. Previous research suggests that even a single session of low to moderate intensity exercise can sharpen mental performance, notably in reducing reaction time in cognitive tasks. The underlying physiological mechanisms, however, have remained somewhat elusive. Researchers have explored various factors, from neurochemicals to changes in cerebral blood flow, but a definitive answer to how exercise improves cognitive speed has been lacking.</p>
<p>Dopamine, a key neurotransmitter in the brain, has long been studied in the context of cognitive control and behavior. Altered dopamine levels are evident in various neurological and behavioral disorders, making it a focal point in understanding cognitive health. Intriguingly, acute physical activity has been shown to trigger dopamine release in the brain, correlating with improved cognitive performance. This relationship between exercise, dopamine release, and cognitive enhancement formed the basis for the current study.</p>
<p>The study involved a multi-experiment approach, employing neuroimaging and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) techniques to dissect the role of dopamine in exercise-induced cognitive improvements.</p>
<p>In the first experiment, 16 healthy male participants underwent a series of tests, including a submaximal exercise test and familiarization with a Go/No-Go task, a common method to evaluate cognitive performance and reaction time. Participants were then subjected to PET scans during both exercise and rest conditions.</p>
<p>The exercise involved cycling in a supine position at approximately 35% of their peak oxygen uptake for 40 minutes. The Go/No-Go task was completed before and after 25 minutes of exercise. In contrast, the control condition involved performing the cognitive task and PET scan at rest. The researchers used [11C]raclopride in the PET scans to assess dopamine release in the brain.</p>
<p>Results from this experiment showed a significant decrease in reaction time during exercise compared to rest. The PET scans revealed that acute exercise led to an increase in dopamine release. Interestingly, this dopamine release was correlated with improvements in reaction time.</p>
<p>The second experiment involved 18 healthy males who underwent electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) at different frequencies to induce muscle contractions without engaging central motor or cardiovascular command. This approach aimed to isolate the physiological changes resulting solely from muscle contraction during exercise.</p>
<p>Participants performed the same Go/No-Go task before and after the EMS. However, the results of this experiment showed that EMS alone, whether at 4 Hz or 20 Hz, did not affect reaction time or the accuracy of the cognitive task. This suggested that peripheral muscle contraction alone does not contribute to the observed improvement in reaction time.</p>
<p>&#8220;We wanted to remove voluntary muscle movement for part of the study, to see if the process in which acute exercise improves cognitive performance is present during manufactured exercise,&#8221; explained Soichi Ando, an associate professor in the Health &amp; Sports Science Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications in Japan.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;But our results indicate that the exercise has to be from the central signals of the brain, and not just the muscle itself. This suggests that when we tell our central command to move our body during a workout, that’s the process which helps the dopamine release in the brain.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the third experiment, 22 participants engaged in EMS combined with moderate arm cranking, a form of voluntary exercise. The aim was to assess whether a combination of EMS and voluntary exercise could replicate the reaction time improvements seen in traditional exercise.</p>
<p>This experiment revealed that only the combination of EMS and moderate arm cranking improved reaction time. Neither EMS alone nor EMS combined with no-load arm cranking had an impact on reaction time. This indicates that central signals from the brain are necessary for the observed improvements in reaction time following exercise.</p>
<p>The study reinforces the understanding that dopamine is not just a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward but also plays a crucial role in cognitive functions, particularly in improving reaction times.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know cardiovascular exercise improves cognitive performance, but the exact mechanisms behind this process have not been rigorously investigated in humans until now,&#8221; said Joe Costello from the University’s School of Sport, Health &amp; Exercise Science. &#8220;Using novel brain imaging techniques, we were able to examine the role dopamine plays in boosting brain function during exercise, and the results are really promising.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Our current study suggests the hormone is an important neuromodulator for improved reaction time. These findings support growing evidence that exercise prescription is a viable therapy for a host of health conditions across the lifespan.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s limitations include the potential influence of exercise-induced changes in cerebral blood flow on the measurement of dopamine binding potential. Also, the timing of reaction time assessment varied between experiments, which might have affected the results. Nonetheless, these limitations don&#8217;t significantly detract from the study&#8217;s contributions to our understanding of the physiological and behavioral mechanisms underlying improved reaction time in humans.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP285173" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The neuromodulatory role of dopamine in improved reaction time by acute cardiovascular exercise</a>&#8220;, was authored by Soichi Ando, Toshihiko Fujimoto, Mizuki Sudo, Shoichi Watanuki, Kotaro Hiraoka, Kazuko Takeda, Yoko Takagi, Daisuke Kitajima, Kodai Mochizuki, Koki Matsuura, Yuki Katagiri, Fairuz Mohd Nasir, Yuchen Lin, Mami Fujibayashi, Joseph T. Costello, Terry McMorris, Yoichi Ishikawa, Yoshihito Funaki, Shozo Furumoto, Hiroshi Watabe, and Manabu Tashiro.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 16, 2024 at 12:00PM
.
TITLE:
Understanding the impact of parental mental health on children’s school performance
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/understanding-the-impact-of-parental-mental-health-on-childrens-school-performance-220773

<p>A recent study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-023-00182-x"><em>npj Science of Learning</em></a> has shed new light on how parental mental health issues, specifically internalizing disorders like anxiety and depression, impact children&#8217;s academic performance. The research indicates a modest but significant negative association between these parents having these disorders and children&#8217;s school grades, with the effect size diminishing after accounting for socioeconomic and genetic factors.</p>
<p>The study builds on existing research exploring the relationship between parental mental health and child development. Previous investigations have often been hindered by issues of representation and confounding variables. Internalizing disorders are characterized by symptoms like fear and sadness, which are directed inwardly, unlike externalizing disorders that involve outward behaviors. This study stands out for its methodical approach in isolating the impact of these disorders on educational outcomes, aiming to untangle the complex web of environmental and genetic influences.</p>
<p>The researchers embarked on this study to delve deeper into the connection between parental mental health, specifically internalizing disorders, and educational success among children. In Norway, where mental health issues like anxiety and depression are prevalent, there has been a growing concern about their potential role in shaping children&#8217;s emotional and social development, and consequently, their academic achievements. The study aimed to clarify if these parental factors contribute to educational outcomes and social inequality.</p>
<p>To test their hypotheses, the researchers utilized regression models, a statistical method for estimating relationships between variables. The study encompassed all children born in Norway between 1992 and 2002, focusing on their school performance at the age of 16. It analyzed data collected from health service consultations for parental mental disorders, alongside socioeconomic data. The innovative use of sibling and adoptee comparison analyses was a key approach that allowed for a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between genetics and environment.</p>
<p>The findings revealed that 18.8% of children had a parent diagnosed with an internalizing disorder during the last three years of their compulsory education. A negative association between these disorders and children&#8217;s school performance was observed, although this association weakened significantly when controlling for socioeconomic status and other parental mental disorders.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the effect was much weaker in sibling comparisons and nonexistent in adoptees, suggesting environmental factors or shared genetics might be more influential than the disorders themselves. In other words, the study may suggest that the children&#8217;s environment or shared family genes might play a bigger role in their school performance than the parental disorders themselves.</p>
<p>The research implies that while there is a connection between parents who have mental health issues (such as anxiety and depression) and their children&#8217;s performance in school, this link is not as straightforward as it may seem. Initially, it appeared that children with parents who have these mental health problems tend to have lower grades. However, when the researchers took a closer look, considering factors like family income, parents&#8217; education level, and whether siblings in the same family had different experiences, it became clear that a child’s school performance is affected by a mix of various elements, including the family&#8217;s overall social and economic situation and potentially genetic factors.</p>
<p>It is important to keep in mind possible constraints in the study, such as its reliance on administrative register data, which may not capture all instances of internalizing disorders — as not everyone with such issues seeks treatment. Additionally, the findings are based on associations, not causality, and the unique backgrounds of adoptees and the varying experiences of siblings could affect the results. The study&#8217;s inability to conclusively determine causality and the complexity of mental health diagnoses add to the challenges in interpreting the findings.</p>
<p>Overall, this extensive Norwegian study provides critical insights into how parental mental health, specifically internalizing disorders, can influence children&#8217;s academic performance. While it confirms a modest association, the findings also highlight the significant roles of socioeconomic and genetic factors in this complex relationship. This research is a crucial step in understanding the multifaceted nature of educational success and mental health.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-023-00182-x">The association between parental internalizing disorders and child school performance</a>&#8220;, was authored by Magnus Nordmo, Thomas Kleppesta, Hans Fredrik Sunde, Martin Flatø, Perline Demange, and Fartein Ask Torvik.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 16, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
Psychedelic research: Linguistic tools uncover mystical and emotional dimensions in online trip reports
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/psychedelic-research-linguistic-tools-uncover-mystical-and-emotional-dimensions-in-online-trip-reports-220758

<p>Researchers have unearthed new insights into the nature of psychedelic experiences by using computerized linguistic tools to analyze posts made in online forums. The study, published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2274382"><em>Journal of Psychoactive Drugs</em></a>, found that more intense psychedelic experiences are often accompanied by an increase in both mystical language and negative emotions.</p>
<p>Previous research into psychedelic experiences, often conducted in clinical settings, has predominantly used structured questionnaires to understand these profound and often transformative experiences. However, these methods have limitations, particularly in capturing the depth and nuances of these experiences.</p>
<p>Recognizing this gap, a group of researchers turned to a novel approach, analyzing real-world, self-reported experiences of psychedelic use to gain a deeper understanding. Their goal was to explore how people describe their experiences in their own words, specifically focusing on the presence of mystical language and the emotional sentiments expressed.</p>
<p>&#8220;This was an idea that started out of curiosity. There are many anonymous experience reports of recreational psychedelic use on the internet, and we wanted to see if we could explore this rich data source using modern software-based language analysis methods,&#8221; said study author Marija Franka Žuljević of the Department of Medical Humanities at the Medical School at the University of Split.</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers analyzed a vast number of &#8220;trip reports&#8221; from <a href="https://www.shroomery.org/6255/Trip-Reports">Shroomery.org</a>, a popular online forum. They selected 7,317 reports, predominantly detailing experiences with psilocybin, though some accounts also included substances like LSD and DMT. The researchers chose reports that had a self-assessed intensity level, ranging from mild to extremely intense, provided by the users during submission.</p>
<p>The team employed a novel method to decipher these accounts: the creation of a &#8220;mystical language dictionary.&#8221; This dictionary comprised words that, when present in a text, indicated elements of a mystical experience. The dictionary was based on the theoretical work of W. T. Stace on the dimensions of mystical experiences and was refined through several iterations. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was then used to quantify the presence of these mystical words in the reports. Additionally, the researchers utilized the VADER sentiment analysis tool to explore the positive and negative sentiments expressed in the experiences.</p>
<p>&#8220;We chose &#8216;mystical&#8217; experiences because they are a very interesting concept in the current discourse on the therapeutic effects of psychedelics,&#8221; Žuljević explained. &#8220;Our team took on a challenge to see if we could try and define a dictionary of single, decontextualized words that could indicate that a person is indeed describing a mystical psychedelic experience. Some examples of the words we chose are &#8216;oneness,&#8217; &#8216;serenity,&#8217; &#8216;indescribable,&#8217; and &#8216;divine.'&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that 36.7% of the analyzed reports contained words from the mystical language dictionary. A notable finding was the correlation between the intensity of the psychedelic experience and the use of mystical language. Interestingly, this relationship was not linear. Instead, it followed a U-shaped curve: experiences rated as least and most intense exhibited higher mystical language scores than those of mid-intensity. This suggests that at both ends of the intensity spectrum – the most profound and the least intense experiences – individuals are more likely to describe their experiences in mystical terms.</p>
<p>&#8220;Based on what clinical data informs about mystical experiences during psychedelic use, we expected that language indicating an experience is mystical would increase in linear association with the experience in question being more intense,&#8221; Žuljević told PsyPost. &#8220;We cannot be sure, but can only speculate, that it could be that first-time psychedelic users may interpret a less intense experience as mystical simply because it is their first encounter with such phenomena.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers also found a weak negative correlation between mystical language scores and negative sentiment, indicating that as the usage of mystical language increased, the negative sentiment in the experience reports slightly decreased. Conversely, there was a weak positive correlation between mystical language and positive sentiment, suggesting that the use of mystical language was slightly associated with increased positive emotions​​.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Since the most widely accepted idea of mystical experiences defines them as being charged with very positive emotion (joy, euphoria, etc.), we were surprised not to see a stronger association of positive emotion and the presence of words related to mystical experiences,&#8221; Žuljević said.</p>
<p>The study also found that negative sentiments in these reports increased with the intensity of the experience, while positive sentiments decreased. This suggests a complex emotional landscape in higher intensity psychedelic experiences, where profound, possibly transformative experiences might coexist with challenging or difficult emotions.</p>
<p>Despite its innovative approach and significant findings, the study had limitations. The researchers acknowledged the self-reported nature of the data, which could be subject to recall bias. The convenience sampling method used also means that the findings might not be representative of all psychedelic users. Furthermore, the uncontrolled, naturalistic setting of the experiences could have influenced the results, as past research has shown that such settings are associated with more challenging experiences compared to controlled clinical settings.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings related to positive and negative sentiment scores imply a need to further study the emotional complexity of psychedelic-induced mystical states,&#8221; Žuljević said. &#8220;It is possible that more nuances exist related to these experiences than the currently most represented theoretical framework suggests, which describes them as almost universally positive.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The set of words related to mystical experiences that we defined in this study is freely available for anyone who wants to use them,&#8221; the researcher added. &#8220;We also suggest that this list of words can be expanded and modified. This kind of experimental approach allows us to try and quantify a complex and subjective concept such as a mystical experience, so it can be an additional tool to help us better understand psychedelics&#8217; effects.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2023.2274382?src=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mystical and Affective Aspects of Psychedelic Use in a Naturalistic Setting: A Linguistic Analysis of Online Experience Reports</a>&#8220;, was authored by Marija Franka Žuljević, Antonija Mijatović, Stjepan Ljudevit Marušić, Gunnar Kudrjavets, Ivan Buljan, and Darko Hren.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 16, 2024
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TITLE:
Self-Care A-Z: Self-Care Is the Lifeline That Prepares You To Power Up Your Resiliency
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URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/self-care/self-care-lifeline-resiliency/

Resiliency is not a fixed construct or static experience. As you embrace a self-care practice that you feel good about, resiliency increases. How will you use the lifeline of self-care to power up your resiliency?
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 16, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Exploring the gender-equality paradox: New research uncovers surprising trends
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/exploring-the-gender-equality-paradox-new-research-uncovers-surprising-trends-220770

<p>A comprehensive investigation involving 54 articles and new analyses on 27 meta-analyses and large-scale studies looked into the gender equality paradox, examining the relationship between living conditions and psychological sex differences. This research was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231202685"><em>Perspectives on Psychological Science</em></a>.</p>
<p>Studies have shown that better living conditions are associated with larger sex differences in personality and cognitive function, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the “gender-equality paradox.” However, this observation does not uniformly apply across all domains. For example, smaller sex differences in sexuality or no significant differences in spatial skills have been observed in countries with higher living conditions.</p>
<p>In this work, Agneta Herlitz and colleagues strived to determine the extent to which variations in living conditions correspond with either larger or smaller psychological sex differences.</p>
<p>Psychological sex differences are well-documented, with numerous studies reporting differences in cognitive abilities, emotions, and behaviors between men and women. Women often have higher academic grades and outperform men in areas like reading comprehension and episodic memory, while men typically excel in spatial and numerical tasks. In terms of mental health, men usually experience fewer depressive symptoms but are more affected by suicide and addictive behaviors. The reasons behind these differences are not fully understood and are a subject of considerable debate.</p>
<p>Some literature has focused on the impact of living conditions on individuals’ lives, concluding that environmental factors significantly influence psychological traits (e.g., <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2021/11/brains-are-getting-smaller-in-modern-humans-62124">the Flynn effect</a>). Various country-level indicators of living conditions, such as gender equality, economic opportunities, education, health, and longevity, are used to study their potential effects on psychological dimensions.</p>
<p>The present research studied if and how these living conditions might influence the magnitude of psychological sex differences. The researchers conducted literature searches of previous studies and meta-analyses. To be included, papers had to involve quantitative research on human subjects, examine sex differences, assess specific psychological measures or behaviors, and include data from more than 1000 participants and at least five countries.</p>
<p>A systematic and quantitative review was conducted on a combined 54 articles (“old analyses”), along with new analyses performed on 27 meta-analyses and large-scale studies. The researchers analyzed the effect sizes of the included studies, examining how they were linked to different indicators of living conditions such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), gender equality, and education, across numerous countries.</p>
<p>Dependent variables were grouped into various categories, including personal characteristics, cognition, interpersonal relations, mental health, emotion, academic self-concept, morals and values. Each category was then analyzed in relation to indicators of living conditions.</p>
<p>Herlitz and colleagues employed a variety of statistical methods to better understand the relationship between living conditions and sex differences, tracking correlations and trends across different countries and time periods. There were three main takeaways.</p>
<p>First, sex differences in personality, verbal episodic memory, verbal ability, aggressive behavior, female negative emotions, depression, and general self-esteem were larger in countries with higher living conditions. On the other hand, sex differences in mathematics, semantic memory, sexual behavior, partner preferences, and aggression towards partners were smaller in these countries.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Second, most indicators of living conditions were not associated with the magnitude of sex differences. However, more sex differences were larger, rather than smaller, in countries with higher living conditions. This pattern suggests that despite societal advancements, certain psychological sex differences persist or even amplify.</p>
<p>Third, economic indicators, such as GDP, were more sensitive in detecting associations with the magnitude of sex differences compared to indicators of gender equality. This suggests that economic factors play a more significant role than gender equality measures in influencing psychological sex differences.</p>
<p>A limitation the researchers note is the variety of methodologies that were used across studies in the included meta-analyses; this has the potential of introducing noise in the data, and thus reported results. As well, the analyses were confined to publicly available indicators of living conditions, which largely offered crude summary measures.</p>
<p>Overall, these findings challenge the basic assumption that improved living conditions would reduce gender disparities.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231202685">A Systematic Review and New Analyses of the Gender-Equality Paradox</a>”, was authored by Agneta Herlitz, Ida Hönig, Kåre Hedebrant, and Martin Asperholm.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 16, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Listening to music appears to prevent depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/listening-to-music-appears-to-prevent-depression-and-anxiety-like-behaviors-in-mice-study-finds-220766

<p>A recent study in China exposed mice to unpredictable stress during the day and played music to them at night. The results indicated that listening to music completely prevented the development of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in these mice. Biochemical parameters examined further supported these findings. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02606-z"><em>Translational Psychiatry</em></a>.</p>
<p>Depression and anxiety are two distinct yet often interrelated mental health conditions. Depression typically manifests as persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. It is frequently accompanied by physical symptoms such as changes in sleep and appetite. Anxiety, on the other hand, is characterized by excessive worry, nervousness, and fear, often leading to physical symptoms like an increased heart rate, sweating, and restlessness. While depression mainly affects one&#8217;s mood and outlook on life, anxiety is largely a response to stress and perceived threats.</p>
<p>Both of these conditions can significantly impair an individual&#8217;s daily functioning and quality of life. There has been a strong increase in their incidence worldwide in the past several decades. Researchers have been attributing this to increased social pressure and an accelerated pace of life, but the exact cause-and-effect mechanisms through which these conditions develop remain unknown.</p>
<p>Standard treatments for depression and anxiety include medication and psychotherapy, but their effectiveness is far from 100%. Over 30% of individuals with these disorders do not respond to standard treatments and are diagnosed with treatment-resistant forms of the disorders. That is why researchers are constantly looking for novel ways to cure or at least improve symptoms of these disorders. One of the things they look to is music.</p>
<p>Previous research has suggested that listening to music can be beneficial in various conditions, but evidence of its effectiveness in treating depression and anxiety is limited. To explore this, study author Qiang Fu and his colleagues conducted an experiment on mice. They aimed to determine if listening to music could protect mice from the negative psychological and physiological effects of chronic exposure to mild unpredictable stress.</p>
<p>The study was conducted on 36 male mice purchased from the Fang Yuanyuan Breeding Farm in Beijing, China. The mice were housed in enclosures maintained at 23°C under a 12-hour light/dark cycle, with lights on from 8 in the morning until 8 in the evening. They had free access to standard mouse food and water.</p>
<p>The researchers divided the mice into four groups. One group was exposed to chronic mild unpredictable stress, another listened to music, the third group experienced both stress and music, and the fourth group served as a control, living normally during the study. The stress groups were subjected to various stressors like restraint, tilting their cage by 45 degrees, wet bedding, food and water deprivation, tail nipping, cold water swimming, and inversion of the light cycle. Mice were housed individually, and those in the stress groups were exposed to three different stressors daily.</p>
<p>The mice in the music groups listened to music for 90 minutes each evening between 8:30 and 10:00 PM. The music played randomly from a playlist of 25 pieces previously used in auditory stimulation experiments, comprising a mix of Eastern and Western instrumental and vocal compositions.</p>
<p>After 28 days of stress and music treatment, the researchers conducted behavioral tests on the mice. These tests included the sucrose preference test (assessing anhedonia), the open field test (measuring exploratory behavior), tail suspension test (indicative of depression-like behavior), novelty suppressed feeding (measuring anxiety-like behavior), and the elevated plus maze (another test for anxiety-like behavior).</p>
<p>Results of behavioral tests showed that mice that were subjected to stress but also listened to music showed much lower levels of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors compared to mice that were only subjected to stress conditions. The behavior of mice exposed to both stress and music closely resembled that of the unstressed mice. Only the behavior of mice that were only subjected to stress stood out from the other groups.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Additionally, the study authors performed various biochemical analyses on the mice. They found that music prevented oxidative stress in the serum and brain tissues. Biochemical indicators of oxidative stress were elevated in mice exposed only to stress, but remained normal in those also listening to music. Similarly, music seemed to prevent inflammation in the serum and brain of stressed mice, mitigated neuronal death, promoted new neuron creation, and protected against a range of adverse biochemical changes.</p>
<p>“In conclusion, the neural mechanism by which music prevents anxiety- or depression-like behavior may be that music protects against the disruption caused by oxidative stress and increase in inflammation levels caused by severe stress in mice and prevents the HPA axis [hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, a neural mechanism controlling reaction to stress and regulating many body processes] from releasing large amounts of corticosterone due to overexcitation, which leads to the downregulation of BDNF [brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that plays a crucial role in promoting the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons in the nervous system]. Finally, it protects neurons from loss and maintains homeostasis,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the protective effects of music in mice exposed to stress. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on mice and not on humans. While mice and humans share many physiological similarities, they are also vastly different in many other aspects. Studies on humans might not produce equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02606-z">Music prevents stress-induced depression and anxiety-like behavior in mice</a>”, was authored by Qiang Fu, Rui Qiu, Lei Chen, Yuewen Chen, Wen Qi, and Yong Cheng.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 03:18AM
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TITLE:
Lisbon Plaques Remember Portugal's Overlooked Role in Slavery
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176691&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-01-15/lisbon-plaques-remember-portugals-silenced-role-in-slavery

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Plaques spotlighting Lisbon's overlooked role in slavery have been installed across the city&mdash;a long-awaited moment for many given the country's lack of acknowledgement of its colonial past. From the 15th to the 19th century, more than 6 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by Portuguese ships, and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil, but little is taught in schools about it and Portugal's colonial past is often seen as a...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Gen Z’s mental health and authenticity on social media: Fascinating insights from new research
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/gen-zs-mental-health-and-authenticity-on-social-media-fascinating-insights-from-new-research-220725

<p>A new study has found that that college students who perceive themselves as more authentic on social media platforms tend to experience better mental health outcomes. The research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563223004077"><em>Computers in Human Behavior</em></a>, highlights a significant predictor of mental well-being in the digital age – one&#8217;s sense of authenticity online.</p>
<p>In the era of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, the impact of social media on mental health has become a topic of increasing concern, particularly among young adults. Prior research has established a connection between authenticity – the degree to which one feels true to oneself – and general well-being. However, the unique role of social media in shaping this sense of authenticity had not been thoroughly explored until now.</p>
<p>This gap in research is especially pertinent given that young adults, particularly college students, are among the most active social media users. Understanding how their online self-perception affects their mental health is crucial for developing more effective mental health strategies and interventions in a world where digital interaction is ubiquitous.</p>
<p>&#8220;My research interests focus on the relationship between social media use and how people perceive themselves. As people constantly switch between offline and social media contexts, they may think, feel, and behave differently based on varying norms, values, and communities between these spaces,&#8221; said study author Cameron J. Bunker, an assistant professor at Emerson College.</p>
<p>&#8220;A key question is whether the selves people express online (which may be quite different than those expressed offline) are beneficial for people. This question is theoretically interesting to me. It also has practical implications for the social and psychological well-being of the increasingly digital world.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study involved 197 college students from a major university in the southwestern United States. All participants were active users of social media and over the age of 18. This demographic was chosen due to their high engagement with social media, making them ideal subjects for understanding the impacts of online interactions on mental health.</p>
<p>Over a span of two months, the study was conducted in two phases using longitudinal surveys. These surveys measured two key areas: perceived authenticity and mental health.</p>
<p>Perceived authenticity was assessed using an adapted version of the Authenticity Scale, which includes aspects like genuine living, susceptibility to external influence, and feelings of self-alienation. The students&#8217; mental health was evaluated using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale and the Positive Mental Health Scale. These scales helped quantify levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and overall positive mental well-being.</p>
<p>The researchers found a significant relationship between how authentic students felt on social media and their mental health. Specifically, students who perceived themselves as more authentic on these platforms at the beginning of the study reported lower levels of stress and better overall mental health two months later.</p>
<p>A particularly intriguing aspect of the findings was the unique role of social media. When comparing the impact of perceived authenticity in both online and offline contexts, only the authenticity on social media stood out as a significant predictor of mental health outcomes. This underscores the distinctive and powerful influence of social media on the mental well-being of young adults.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;People who perceive themselves as authentic have better mental health,&#8221; Bunker told PsyPost. &#8220;However, how people perceive themselves varies across social contexts. We found that how authentic young people (mostly Gen Z college students) perceive themselves on social media may matter more for their mental health than how authentic they perceive themselves offline.&#8221;</p>
<p>In another study published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074756322300376X"><em>Computers in Human Behavior</em></a>, which involved cross-sectional analyses of 1,741 individuals, Bunker and his colleagues uncovered differences in how Baby Boomers and Generation Z tend to perceive themselves on social media versus offline.</p>
<p>While both generations perceived their personalities as similar but not the same across offline and social media contexts, Baby Boomers viewed themselves as more similar between these contexts compared to Generation Z. This suggests a generational difference in how integrated one&#8217;s online and offline personas are​​.</p>
<p>In particular, Generation Z participants were more likely than Baby Boomers to perceive their online persona as more open, conscientious, extraverted, and emotionally stable than their offline self. Additionally, for Generation Z, perceiving themselves as similar across social media and offline contexts was negatively associated with psychological well-being. This indicates that young adults who differentiate between their online and offline selves may experience less depression and higher life satisfaction.</p>
<p>&#8220;One interesting thing when you look at the pieces together: Perceived authenticity on social media but not perceived similarity between offline and social media contexts predicts better mental health in Gen Z,&#8221; Bunker explained. &#8220;It is possible that the self that young people perceive on social media doesn&#8217;t have to be similar to who they are offline to be perceived as authentic or indicative of positive mental health. This idea poses some interesting possibilities where social media may be a space where young people can express versions of themselves they can&#8217;t as well offline.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the studies, like all research, included some limitations. Bunker noted that the samples were &#8220;collected in the United States, a culture that values an individualistic conception of the self that is consistent across contexts (&#8216;the squeaky wheel gets the grease&#8217;). In other cultures where the self is supposed to mold to context (&#8216;the nail that sticks out gets pounded down&#8217;), the picture between authenticity on social media and mental health may be more complex.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.108056">Perceiving the self as authentic on social media precedes fewer mental health symptoms: A longitudinal approach</a>&#8220;, was authored by Cameron J. Bunker, Julia M. Balcerowska, Lena-Marie Precht, Jürgen Margraf, and Julia Brailovskaia.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S074756322300376X">Similarity between perceived selves on social media and offline and its relationship with psychological well-being in early and late adulthood</a>&#8220;, was authored by Cameron J. Bunker and Virginia S.Y. Kwan.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
The hidden psychological perils of excessive self-control
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/the-hidden-psychological-perils-of-excessive-self-control-220739

<p>Having high self-control is often <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1019725108">seen as a good thing</a>. It’s believed to be key to success in many aspects of life – whether that’s getting a promotion at work, sticking to your workout regime or resisting the temptation of a sweet treat when you’re watching what you eat.</p>
<p>But as suggested by a theory published by Professor Thomas Lynch in 2018, high self-control may <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5Q9HDgAAQBAJ&amp;dq=thomas+lynch+radically+open&amp;lr=&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s">not always be a good thing</a> – and for some, it could be linked to certain mental health problems.</p>
<p>According to Lynch’s theory, every single one of us leans more towards one of two personality styles: undercontrol or overcontrol. The way we tend to lean depends on many factors, including our genes, the behaviour that people around us reward and discourage, our life experiences and the coping strategies we use in everyday life.</p>
<p>Importantly, being undercontrolled or overcontrolled is neither good or bad. While it makes us more likely to behave in a certain way, most of us are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/psychological-flexibility#:%7E:text=Psychological%20flexibility%20is%20the%20ability%20to%20stay%20in%20contact%20with,the%20situation%20and%20personal%20values">psychologically flexible</a> and can adapt to the different situations we’re put in. So, regardless of whether we’re overcontrolled or undercontrolled, this flexibility helps us deal with life’s challenges and setbacks in a constructive way.</p>
<p>But both undercontrol and overcontrol <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6955577/#:%7E:text=At%20the%20core%20of%20an,a%20lack%20of%20social%20connectedness">can become problematic</a>. This usually happens when a combination of biological, social and personal factors makes us much less flexible.</p>
<p>Most of us are probably more familiar with what problematic undercontrol looks like. People who are <a href="https://abriradicallyopendbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/the-behavior-therapists-RO-DBT-special-issue.pdf">highly undercontrolled</a> may have few inhibitions and struggle to control their emotions. Their behaviour may be unpredictable, as it’s often dependent on the mood they’re in. This can negatively affect their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1010076108">relationships, education, work, finances and health</a>.</p>
<p>There are many therapies out there that can help undercontrolled people. These therapies help them learn to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6955577/#:%7E:text=At%20the%20core%20of%20an,a%20lack%20of%20social%20connectedness">regulate emotions and increase self-control</a>. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy aims to teach people control over their <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/cognitive-behaviour-therapy">thoughts, behaviour and emotions</a>. Similarly, dialectical behaviour therapy – designed for people who experience emotions very intensely – targets <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/talking-therapy-and-counselling/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-dbt/">emotion dysregulation</a>.</p>
<h2>Problematic overcontrol</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, overcontrol isn’t talked about as much. This may be because overcontrolled traits – such as persistence, the ability to make plans and stick to them, striving for perfection and being in control of emotions – are <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5Q9HDgAAQBAJ&amp;dq=thomas+lynch+radically+open&amp;lr=&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s">often highly regarded</a> in our society. But when overcontrol becomes an issue, it can be damaging in many areas of life.</p>
<p>Highly overcontrolled people may struggle to adapt to change. They may be less open to new experiences and criticism, and be very set in their ways. They may experience bitter feelings of envy towards others and struggle to relax and have fun in social situations. They may also use fewer gestures, rarely smile or cry, and try to hide their emotions at any cost.</p>
<p>Together, these characteristics may make a person more likely to experience social isolation and loneliness. This may ultimately cause their <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5Q9HDgAAQBAJ&amp;dq=thomas+lynch+radically+open&amp;lr=&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_">mental health to worsen</a>.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Unfortunately, many of the available psychological therapies <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178905000029">aren’t helpful</a> in treating issues of overcontrol. This is because they focus on improving self-control and emotion regulation. But since overcontrolled people already control and regulate too much, they instead need a therapy that can help them learn that sometimes it’s okay to <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2724236356?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;fromopenview=true">relax and let go</a>.</p>
<p>Alongside his theory, Lynch also developed a therapy designed to treat issues of overcontrol – known as <a href="https://abriradicallyopendbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/the-behavior-therapists-RO-DBT-special-issue.pdf">radically open dialectical behaviour therapy</a>. Early studies have shown that the therapy has <a href="https://www.radicallyopen.net/research-on-ro-dbt.html">a lot of potential</a> in helping overcontrolled people. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2015.69.2.141">It does this</a> by teaching them how to let go of the need to always be in control, be more open about their emotions, better communicate with other people, and be more flexible in the midst of changing situations.</p>
<p>Importantly, this therapy is <a href="https://abriradicallyopendbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/the-behavior-therapists-RO-DBT-special-issue.pdf">transdiagnostic</a>, which means it can be helpful regardless of what mental health condition a person might have been diagnosed with before. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6955577/">Research shows</a> that it may be useful for people who struggle with a range of mental health conditions – such as treatment-resistant depression, anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders.</p>
<p>But, to receive suitable help, a person must first be correctly identified as highly overcontrolled.</p>
<p>The current assessment of overcontrol is quite long and complex. It involves a few questionnaires and an interview that must be conducted by a specially trained clinician. This can limit access to support and slow down research.</p>
<p>I am working on developing a simplified assessment method that will help promptly identify problematic overcontrol. This will make it easier for researchers to continue studying overcontrol, too.</p>
<p>High self-control is typically admired and highly overcontrolled people are rarely open about their struggles. That’s why problematic overcontrol can go unnoticed for a long time. Continued work in this field will hopefully make it easier for people to get the help they need.</p>
<p>Importantly, overcontrol and undercontrol are complex concepts and cannot be self-diagnosed. If you suspect you may be highly overcontrolled or undercontrolled – and especially if it’s affecting your health and wellbeing – it’s important to reach out to a <a href="https://www.radicallyopen.net/find-a-therapist.html">doctor or therapist</a>.<!-- 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/215961/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/self-control-isnt-always-a-good-thing-having-too-much-can-be-bad-for-your-mental-health-215961">original article</a>.</em></p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
Perceived discrimination amplified alcohol misuse among veterans in the wake of George Floyd’s murder
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/perceived-discrimination-amplified-alcohol-misuse-among-veterans-in-the-wake-of-george-floyds-murder-220730

<p>Researchers have found that perceived discrimination strengthened the relationship between distress related to George Floyd&#8217;s murder and unhealthy alcohol use in a group of U.S. veterans in 2020. The findings, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2023.100481"><em>Addictive Behaviors Reports</em></a>, highlight the interplay of societal issues and personal health.</p>
<p>The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a wave of social justice and anti-racism movements across the United States. This event, occurring amidst the global pandemic of COVID-19, which itself led to increased alcohol consumption and sales, prompted researchers to investigate its unique impact on U.S. veterans—a group already prone to higher rates of alcohol use disorders.</p>
<p>Previously, studies have shown that social, political, and economic upheavals often lead to increases in substance use, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. U.S. veterans, in particular, face a higher risk due to a combination of service-related stress and social disadvantages. This study aimed to delve deeper into these dynamics by examining the specific roles of perceived discrimination and the personal impact of social justice movements on veterans&#8217; alcohol use.</p>
<p>To explore these associations, 286 U.S. veterans, ranging in age from 18 to 70, who reported alcohol use, were surveyed between October and November 2020. The study used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test 10 (AUDIT-10), a World Health Organization tool, to measure unhealthy alcohol use. Perceived discrimination was assessed using the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS), which captures day-to-day experiences of discrimination.</p>
<p>Additionally, the research team developed specific questions to gauge the subjective impact and personal distress related to social justice and anti-racism movements following George Floyd&#8217;s murder. Participants were asked, &#8220;Overall, how much has your life been impacted by social justice and anti-racism movements?&#8221; and &#8220;Please rate the extent to which social injustices and racism since George Floyd’s death have caused you distress.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers found that veterans who reported experiencing discrimination exhibited higher levels of unhealthy alcohol use compared to those who did not report such experiences. This suggests a direct correlation between the experience of discrimination and increased alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism.</p>
<p>Perceptions of discrimination varied among different racial and ethnic groups. Racial and ethnic minorities in the study were more likely to report experiencing racial discrimination, while non-Hispanic Whites were more inclined to report discrimination based on education or income level. Racial and ethnic minorities also reported experiencing greater distress related to the murder of George Floyd.</p>
<p>A pivotal finding of the study was the moderating effect of perceived discrimination on the relationship between the distress related to George Floyd&#8217;s murder and unhealthy alcohol use. The researchers discovered that as the levels of perceived discrimination increased among veterans, the strength of the association between the emotional impact of George Floyd&#8217;s murder and their unhealthy alcohol use also intensified.</p>
<p>&#8220;These findings suggest that learning about a socially unjust event may be related to increased unhealthy alcohol use in individuals who have experienced similar socially unjust events such as perceived discrimination,&#8221; the researchers wrote.</p>
<p>The findings bring to light the role of discrimination and societal events in influencing health behaviors like alcohol consumption. They underscore the need for healthcare providers, especially in veteran care, to consider these factors when treating unhealthy alcohol use.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study, however, is not without limitations. Its cross-sectional nature limits the ability to draw causal connections. In addition, most participants were non-Hispanic Whites. Only about 10% of the sample identified as Black or African American. &#8220;While substantial research has been conducted on the correlates and consequences of discrimination among minority groups, this study contributes to the little-known research about how different types of perceived discrimination impact hazardous drinking in non-Hispanic White Veterans,&#8221; the researcher said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853223000032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Perceived discrimination enhances the association between distress and impact related to the murder of George Floyd and unhealthy alcohol use in a survey sample of U.S. Veterans who report drinking</a>&#8220;, was authored by Monique T. Cano, Jill V. Reavis, and David L. Pennington.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
New research suggests sexual jealousy and mating strategy shape support for feminine honor
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-research-suggests-sexual-jealousy-and-mating-strategy-shape-support-for-feminine-honor-220738

<p>A study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231200641"><em>Evolutionary Psychology</em></a> investigated feminine honor as an ideological form of mate guarding, shaped by sexual jealousy and mating strategies.</p>
<p>The concept of feminine honor is centered around societal expectations for women to maintain a reputation of sexual purity, manifesting through behaviors like modest dressing and virginity before marriage. On the other hand, masculine honor has focused on traits such as toughness and formidability. Honor norms are deeply embedded in cultures around the world, and are linked to social and reproductive constraints on women. Violation of such norms has led to serious consequences for women, such as intimate partner violence or honor killings. Despite the impact of this concept, research on the origins of feminine honor is limited.</p>
<p>In this work, Tom R. Kupfer and Pelin Gul diverged from the traditional view of feminine honor as a means of protecting masculine and family honor, or a way of upholding male dominance, and instead proposed that feminine honor may serve as a method of ideological mate guarding.</p>
<p>Study 1 included 291 heterosexual male participants between ages 19 to 76. In random order, participants completed measures of sociosexual orientation (e.g., “I can imagine myself being comfortable and enjoying ‘casual’ sex with different partners”), dispositional jealousy (e.g., “I worry that X [my partner] may be attracted to another man”), support for feminine honor (e.g., “How bad would you feel if she had sexual relations before marriage”), as well as political orientation and religiosity which were included as control variables.</p>
<p>The researchers found that dispositional jealousy and a monogamous mating strategy (as indicated by lower sociosexual orientation) were associated with men’s support for feminine honor norms in both short- and long-term relationships, even when controlling for political orientation, religiosity and age. Interestingly, the association was stronger for long-term mates.</p>
<p>Study 2 expanded the scope of Study 1 and included both male and female participants, with a final sample of 598 individuals ages 18 to 82. In addition to the measures used in Study 1, this study included a full measure of sociosexual orientation, and a comprehensive assessment of various honor norms. The findings were similar to that of Study 1, revealing that both men and women who exhibit higher levels of dispositional jealousy and more monogamous mating strategy are more likely to to support feminine honor norms.</p>
<p>For men, this held true even after accounting for factors such as religiosity, political orientation, age, and other forms of honor. However, among female participants, the link between sexual jealousy and feminine honor was not significant when controlling for these additional variables.</p>
<p>A limitation to this research is its correlational nature; thus, causal conclusions cannot be drawn.</p>
<p>Kupfer and Gul conclude, “the current findings provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first empirical evidence that sexual jealousy is associated with ideologies that serve to control female sexuality.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231200641">Ideological Mate-guarding: Sexual Jealousy and Mating Strategy Predict Support for Female Honor</a>”, was authored by Tom R. Kupfer and Pelin Gul.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 08:00AM
.
TITLE:
Popularity over fairness: How online dating platforms prioritize users
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/popularity-over-fairness-how-online-dating-platforms-prioritize-users-220727

<p>In the ever-evolving world of online dating, a new study has brought to light the intricacies of matchmaking algorithms used by these platforms. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Washington have uncovered a &#8216;popularity bias&#8217; in these algorithms, a tendency to recommend more popular and attractive users over their less popular counterparts. The findings of this study were published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manufacturing &amp; Service Operations Management</a></em>.</p>
<p>Previous research in the realm of online dating platforms has often focused on user behavior and preferences. However, there&#8217;s been a growing interest in understanding how the platforms themselves, through their algorithms, influence matchmaking. This study was motivated by a need to explore the so-called &#8220;popularity bias&#8221; &#8211; a tendency for dating apps to favor users who are deemed more attractive, successful, or engaging. The researchers sought to understand the implications of this bias not only on individual users but also on the overall efficacy of these platforms in creating successful matches.</p>
<p>&#8220;Online dating has become the prevalent way for people to find their potential significant others, and most of the research in this area focused on understanding people&#8217;s own preferences rather than the platforms/websites that provide this domain in the first place. At the end of the day, it is these platforms&#8217; algorithms that make or break users&#8217; experience in online dating,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/musaerenceldir-2b6bba37/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Musa Eren Celdir</a>, a senior data scientist at United Airlines who led the study while he was a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business.</p>
<p>The study was a blend of theoretical modeling and empirical data analysis. Researchers modeled the decision-making process of online dating platforms and user interactions as a three-stage game. This model included two types of users: the &#8216;popular&#8217;, who generally have more options both within the app and in real life, and the &#8216;unpopular&#8217;, who do not attract as much attention. The team aimed to understand how a platform&#8217;s pursuit of maximizing revenue or the number of successful matches influenced its recommendations.</p>
<p>To ground their theoretical work in reality, the researchers utilized data from a major online dating platform, involving approximately 243,000 users and over 30 million interactions over a three-month period. This rich dataset included detailed demographics, user preferences, and a record of user decisions such as seeking more information about others, sending messages, and responding to received messages. This comprehensive analysis allowed the researchers to not only validate their theoretical assumptions but also to predict future user behavior and test various recommendation strategies.</p>
<p>Celdir and his colleagues found that the recommendations aimed at maximizing the platform&#8217;s revenue and those aimed at maximizing successful matches were not necessarily conflicting goals. However, revenue-maximizing strategies tended to discriminate more against unpopular users. This is because popular users, by boosting engagement through likes and messages, help in revenue generation. Additionally, they contribute to more successful matches as long as they don&#8217;t become overly selective and thus unapproachable to less popular users.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our work contributes to the research on online matching platforms by studying fairness and bias in recommendation systems and by building a new predictive model to estimate users’ decisions,&#8221; said Elina H. Hwang, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, who also co-authored the study. &#8220;Although we focused on a specific dating platform, our model and analysis can be applied to other matching platforms, where the platform makes recommendations to its users and users have different characteristics.&#8221;</p>
<p>A significant gender difference was also observed. The data showed that popular female users were more selective than their unpopular counterparts, leading to less bias against unpopular female users in match-maximizing recommendations. However, both revenue-focused and match-focused recommendations showed a similar level of bias against unpopular male users.</p>
<p>Another intriguing finding is the &#8216;congestion effect&#8217; – when a user receives numerous messages and faces significant effort to screen them. The study found that in scenarios with lower congestion, unbiased recommendations led to fewer messages and matches compared to biased ones. However, as the congestion effect increased, both revenue-maximizing and match-maximizing recommendations began to include both popular and unpopular users more equally.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think there are two key takeaways: 1) Even though some online dating platforms claim they employ highly-sophisticated algorithms for their users to find the best matches, their algorithms are susceptible to simple biases. 2) For online dating platforms, users&#8217; interactions with others (sending likes/messages etc.) are very important in recommending new users. Therefore, users who are mindful in showing interest to others are more likely to find good matches in the future,&#8221; Celdir told PsyPost.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Despite its in-depth analysis, the study isn&#8217;t without limitations. One significant constraint is its reliance on data from just one online dating platform, which may not capture the full spectrum of user behavior across different platforms. Furthermore, the model used, while robust, still simplifies the complex nature of human interactions and preferences. Future research could expand on these findings by exploring a variety of platforms, incorporating longitudinal data to understand changes over time, and delving deeper into the psychological aspects of user interaction in online dating contexts.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/msom.2022.0132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Popularity Bias in Online Dating Platforms: Theory and Empirical Evidence</a>&#8220;, was authored by Musa Eren Celdir, Soo-Haeng Cho, and Elina H. Hwang.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 07:00AM
.
TITLE:
White Americans who dislike Jews also tend to endorse anti-Muslim attitudes, study suggests
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/white-americans-who-dislike-jews-also-tend-to-endorse-anti-muslim-attitudes-study-suggests-220731

<p>A study in the United States found that around 46% of white Americans held medium or high anti-Muslim opinions back in 2014. Anti-Jewish opinions were much rarer, but most of the people holding these opinions also held anti-Muslim views as well. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2022.2045882"><em>The Sociological Quarterly</em></a>.</p>
<p>National identity, often rooted in a shared history, culture, and values, influences how citizens perceive and interact with those they consider &#8216;others&#8217; or members of outgroups. In diverse societies, positive attitudes towards outgroups can bolster national unity by promoting inclusivity, respect for diversity, and a stronger sense of belonging among all citizens, irrespective of their backgrounds. On the contrary, negative attitudes towards other groups, especially when these groups are integral members of the society and fellow citizens, can lead to social fragmentation, discrimination, and conflict, thereby undermining the cohesive fabric of national identity.</p>
<p>In the United States and much of Europe, Muslims have increasingly become the central &#8216;other&#8217; in recent nationalist movements. Research indicates a shift in recent years, moving the rejection of Muslims from a fringe political topic to the forefront of political discourse. This trend particularly intensified during the 2016 U.S. elections, leading to notable consequences.</p>
<p>However, Jews have been targets of hate crimes for decades, although these incidents have received relatively little public attention. Many extreme far-right groups exhibit strong anti-Semitism, aligning with insignia and ideologies reminiscent of the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War II.</p>
<p>Study authors Joseph Gerteis and Nir Rotem wanted to investigate the links between Islamophobia (i.e., anti-Muslim views) and anti-Semitism (i.e., anti-Jewish views) among white Americans. They aimed to understand the prevalence of these views and to determine whether they represent distinct patterns of opinion or if the same individuals typically express both types of opinions.</p>
<p>The researchers utilized data from the <a href="https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/ICPSR/studies/38169/versions/V1">2014 Boundaries in the American Mosaic</a> survey, which included responses from 2,521 individuals across the United States and was conducted by GfK Group’s KnowledgePanel. The timing of the survey is crucial as it precedes significant events such as the 2016 election, the Muslim ban, and the subsequent rise of white nationalist movements. The analysis presented in the paper focused on responses from 1,555 white participants.</p>
<p>The researchers focused on responses that reflected attitudes towards Muslims and Jews. Questions in the survey pertained to the cultural belonging of Muslims and Jews (e.g., whether participants would approve of their child marrying a Jew or Muslim, their agreement with a Muslim or Jewish &#8216;vision of America&#8217;), their loyalty, assimilation, and perceived power (e.g., &#8216;more loyal to their religion or Israel than to America&#8217;, &#8216;less like other Americans&#8217;, &#8216;have too much power&#8217;), and associated problems (e.g., &#8216;a threat to public order and safety&#8217;, &#8216;do not share my morals or values&#8217;, &#8216;take jobs and resources&#8217;, &#8216;are intolerant of others&#8217;, &#8216;want to take over political institutions&#8217;, &#8216;do not contribute to my community&#8217;, &#8216;are dependent on welfare and government&#8217;).&#8221;</p>
<p>The results showed that levels of anti-Muslim sentiment were several times higher than anti-Jewish sentiment. A clear majority of participants disapproved of a marriage between their child and a Muslim and roughly two thirds considered Muslims to be more loyal to their religion than to America. About one in four participants associated Muslims with public safety issues, while one in three believed they did not share their moral values and were intolerant.</p>
<p>In contrast, only about 17% of participants objected to their child marrying a Jew. Thirteen percent disagreed with Jews&#8217; &#8216;vision of America&#8217;, 14% perceived them as more loyal to Israel than to America, and other negative views were less frequent.</p>
<p>Further analysis identified four distinct groups among the participants. The largest group, comprising 54% of participants, held few or no negative views towards both Muslims and Jews (low anti-Muslim, low anti-Jew). Another group, encompassing 26% of participants, exhibited moderate anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish views. The third group, making up 17% of participants, held strong anti-Muslim views but low anti-Jewish attitudes. The smallest group, approximately 4% of participants, harbored highly negative views towards both Jews and Muslims.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Membership in these groups was not associated with education. Men were twice as likely as women to hold high anti-Muslim, but low anti-Jew views. Older individuals were also more prone to this configuration of views. People with lower income were more likely to be in the fourth group (strong negative views of both groups). Republicans and evangelical Protestants were much less likely to be in the first group than in any of the other three groups.</p>
<p>“Although anti-Muslim opinion is more extensive, the two track together empirically and share a cultural logic as connected forms of ethno-religious boundary-making. Latent class analysis shows that anti-Semitism is nested within anti-Muslim attitudes, with political and religious identifications as consistent predictors of opinion,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the attitudes towards two important religious and cultures groups among white Americans as they were in 2014. However, it&#8217;s important to note that attitudes and opinions are not fixed psychological traits. They can and do evolve, and the results of this survey reflect the views of the study participants as they were a decade ago. Current and future findings might differ.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2022.2045882">Connecting the “Others”: White Anti-Semitic and Anti-Muslim Views in America</a>”, was authored by Joseph Gerteis, Nir Rotem.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 06:00AM
.
TITLE:
Racial discrimination linked to anxiety disorders among African Americans, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/racial-discrimination-linked-to-anxiety-disorders-among-african-americans-study-finds-220729

<p>A recent study has revealed a significant connection between racial discrimination and the prevalence of anxiety disorders among African American adults. The research, published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.004" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Affective Disorders</a></em>, found that experiences of racial discrimination are associated with higher chances of developing anxiety disorders, with notable differences observed between men and women.</p>
<p>Anxiety disorders, a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive fear and anxiety, are a prevalent issue in the African American community. Over one in five African American adults are estimated to experience at least one such disorder in their lifetime. These disorders not only impact mental well-being but also lead to challenges in daily life, including work and social interactions.</p>
<p>Earlier studies have pointed to a possible link between discrimination—a common experience for many African Americans—and the development of anxiety disorders. However, there was a gap in understanding how this relationship plays out differently for African American men and women. This gap motivated the researchers to delve deeper into the gender-specific impacts of racial discrimination on mental health.</p>
<p>To explore this connection, Ann W. Nguyen of Case Western Reserve University and her colleagues utilized data from the National Survey of American Life. This survey, which included 3,570 African American participants, provided a comprehensive look at the experiences of adults across the United States. Conducted between 2001 and 2003, the survey involved both face-to-face and telephone interviews.</p>
<p>To measure experiences of racial discrimination, the study used the Everyday Discrimination Scale, a tool designed to capture the frequency of unfair treatment in everyday life, such as being treated with less respect than others or being insulted. This scale helped quantify the level of discrimination each participant faced.</p>
<p>To assess anxiety disorders, the researchers used the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a structured interview based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). This interview helped determine if participants had experienced any of several anxiety disorders, either in the past year or at any point in their lives.</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that racial discrimination was linked to a higher likelihood of having an anxiety disorder, but the specific disorders associated with discrimination varied between men and women. For African American men, more experiences of discrimination were associated with a greater likelihood of having Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia within the past year, and a higher likelihood of experiencing any anxiety disorder across their lifetime.</p>
<p>In contrast, African American women who reported more frequent experiences of discrimination were more likely to have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder within the past year. Over their lifetimes, these women were more likely to experience a range of anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, beyond those seen in men.</p>
<p>This gender difference in the impact of discrimination on mental health is particularly noteworthy. While African American men reported higher levels of discrimination, women appeared more susceptible to its psychological effects. This finding suggests that women might experience and process stress differently, making them more vulnerable to the mental health consequences of discrimination.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although the detrimental effects of discrimination on mental health is well-documented, gender-specific investigations of the discrimination-mental health connection are lacking, especially related to anxiety disorders,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;The current investigation showed that the discrimination-anxiety disorder connection patterned differently among African American men and women.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;These findings indicate that research on the mechanisms through which discrimination operates among men and women to influence anxiety disorders is necessary for a better understanding of the gender-based heterogeneity in the psychiatric effects of discrimination.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study offers valuable insights, it&#8217;s important to note its limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the research means that it can&#8217;t definitively prove that discrimination causes anxiety disorders; it can only show a correlation between the two. Moreover, the study relied on self-reported data, which can sometimes be influenced by personal biases or memory recall issues.</p>
<p>Future research in this area would benefit from longitudinal studies, which track participants over time, to better determine causal relationships. Additionally, exploring the nuances of how different genders perceive and are affected by discrimination could provide deeper insights into developing more targeted and effective mental health interventions.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032723003348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Racial discrimination and 12-month and lifetime anxiety disorders among African American men and women: Findings from the National Survey of American Life</a>&#8220;, was authored by Ann W. Nguyen, Weidi Qin, Wenxing Wei, Verna M. Keith, and Uchechi A. Mitchell.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 15, 2024 at 05:02AM
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TITLE:
Esta terapia psicodélica no necesita drogas, solo que respires
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2024/01/15/espanol/respiracion-holotropica-alucinogenos.html

La “respiración holotrópica” busca desactivar el ‘cerebro pensante’ del paciente para que pueda expresar los traumas que no sabe reconocer ni verbalizar.
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 04:00PM
.
TITLE:
¿Cuándo la ansiedad se convierte en un problema?
.
URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2024/01/14/espanol/ansiedad-diagnostico-grave.html

El presidente de la Asociación Americana de Psiquiatría explicó por qué es importante que los doctores evalúen a sus pacientes en búsqueda de síntomas de ansiedad.
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 02:00PM
.
TITLE:
Understanding ourselves through AI: a new frontier in personality assessment
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/understanding-ourselves-through-ai-a-new-frontier-in-personality-assessment-220717

<p>In a study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Applied Psychology</a></em>, researchers found evidence that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, employing sophisticated machine learning algorithms, can effectively infer personality traits from text interactions. This innovative approach, tested on over one thousand undergraduate students, demonstrates a potential new frontier in personality assessment — and may offer an alternative to traditional methods, such as questionnaires.</p>
<p>The study builds on existing personality assessment methods. In the past, personality traits have been measured through self-report questionnaires in which participants answer a series of questions about their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. However, these methods are considered to have drawbacks, such as participants&#8217; honesty and the practical challenges of long surveys. The new study explores AI&#8217;s potential in this field, using chatbots to analyze language use during online interactions and draw correlations with known personality traits.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this research was to investigate whether AI could offer a more efficient, reliable, and potentially unbiased alternative to traditional personality assessments. In an era where AI is increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives, the researchers aimed to harness its potential for understanding complex human characteristics like personality.</p>
<p>The methodology involved 1,444 undergraduate students recruited from a large southeastern public university in the United States. Participants first completed a well-established Big-Five personality measure (IPIP-300), and then interacted with an AI chatbot for about 20 to 30 minutes. The chatbot analyzed their text responses, using machine learning algorithms to infer personality scores. This method allowed for a direct comparison between the established self-reported personality scores and the new, machine-inferred scores.</p>
<p>The findings of the study were multi-faceted, yet telling. The machine-inferred personality scores showed acceptable reliability — meaning the AI method could consistently and dependably measure personality traits. The factor structure of these scores was found to be comparable to that of self-reported scores, suggesting that the AI method can capture the complexity of human personality similarly to traditional questionnaires.</p>
<p>However, the study noted some challenges in differentiating between certain traits — a factor known as &#8220;discriminant validity.&#8221; Despite these challenges, the AI method demonstrated potential incremental validity, particularly in predicting academic performance and social adjustment among college students. This suggests that AI-inferred scores could add unique predictive value beyond traditional self-report measures in certain contexts.</p>
<p>It is important to note that the participant pool was mainly comprised of young, female, college students, may not represent the broader population, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings. This, and the default interview questions used by the AI chatbot were not specifically designed to probe personality traits, which might have influenced the outcomes. The study&#8217;s approach to analyzing language also raises questions about content validity, as the deep learning models used are not always interpretable or directly linked to theoretical concepts of personality.</p>
<p>As AI continues to evolve, its role in psychological assessment and other areas of human understanding is likely to become increasingly significant — and the findings in this study may serve as the first steps towards new insights into the complexities of human nature.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-43379-001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Well Can an AI Chatbot Infer Personality? Examining Psychometric Properties of Machine-inferred Personality Scores</a>”, was authored by Jingyan Fan, Tianjun Sun, Jiayi Liu, Teng Zhao, Bo Zhang, Zheng Chen, Melissa Glorioso, and Elissa Hack.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 12:00PM
.
TITLE:
Birth order has no effect on Big Five personality in Chinese context
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/birth-order-has-no-effect-on-big-five-personality-in-chinese-context-220712

<p>A study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070231224063"><em>European Journal of Personality</em></a> examined the effect of birth order on personality traits in a representative Chinese sample of over 14,000 individuals, finding no significant impact.</p>
<p>Chinese culture is heavily influenced by Confucian traditions, which emphasize filial piety and a preference for male offspring. This often leads to unique family dynamics and larger families, with couples reproducing until they have a son. Birth order is believed to play a pivotal role in shaping personality. For example, first born children may develop higher conscientiousness, acting as surrogate parents, while later-borns might adopt strategies like humor to gain parental attention. Research on this topic has yielded mixed results, with some studies finding supporting evidence for the effect of birth order on personality, and others revealing null effects.</p>
<p>Wenlong Mu and colleagues examined these associations in the Chinese cultural context, where Confucian culture plays a meaningful role in family life and sibling interactions. The study utilized data from the China Family Panel Studies, which is a comprehensive household social tracking survey that started in 2010. This study excluded individuals with no siblings, twins, incomplete sibling data, those with half, step or adoptive siblings, or missing control variable data.</p>
<p>Participants with families larger than seven individuals were also excluded given the rarity of such family structures. The final sample included 14,148 individuals, from 13,743 different families (comprising the between-family design), and 405 biological siblings (comprising the within-family design). The utilization of both within- and between-family designs allows for a more robust examination of birth order effects on personality.</p>
<p>Birth order was determined based on the birth year of participants and their siblings. Personality was measured using a concise, 15-item version of the Big Five Inventory. Control variables included individual-level variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, and closest sibling age gap, as well as family-level variables like family size and male ratio of siblings.</p>
<p>The researchers found that birth order had no significant effect on any of the five personality dimensions (i.e., conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion), neither in the between-family or within-family analyses. These findings align with previous work revealing negligible effects of birth order on personality.</p>
<p>Mu and colleagues add to the literature by demonstrating that a Confuciun influenced culture, with clear implications for sibling relationships and roles, yields no birth order effects on personality. These findings are important because prior research has primarily focused on Western cultural contexts. One limitation is that this study only included adults. The impact of birth order on personality during childhood and adolescence in the Chinese context remains unexplored.</p>
<p>The researchers conclude, “this study reinforces the recent empirical findings that the effects of birth order on personality traits might be a myth.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070231224063">Birth order and personality: Evidence from a representative sample of Chinese</a>”, was authored by Wenlong Mu, Yumei Li, Shiyang Cui, Along He and Tianyuan Liu.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 09:51AM
.
TITLE:
Genocide Case Against Israel: Where Does the Rest of the World Stand?
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176663&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-01-13/genocide-case-against-israel-where-does-the-rest-of-the-world-stand-on-the-momentous-allegations

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>South Africa says more than 50 countries&mdash;mostly from the Arab world and Africa&mdash;support for its case at the United Nations' top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza. In contrast, no Western country has declared support for South Africa's allegations against Israel. The U.S., a close Israel ally, has rejected them as unfounded, the U.K. has called them unjustified, and Germany has said it &quot;explicitly...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 09:51AM
.
TITLE:
As Israel-Hamas War Reaches 100 Days, Here's the Conflict by Numbers
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<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on October 7, when Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip. Here's a look in numbers at the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, sourced from Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli officials as well as international observers and...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
New neuroimaging findings pave the way for key insights into psychedelic therapy
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-neuroimaging-findings-pave-the-way-for-key-insights-into-psychedelic-therapy-220705

<p>Scientists have discovered that psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic &#8220;magic mushrooms,&#8221; significantly alters brain connectivity in rats. This research, which closely replicates findings in humans, offers new insights into how psilocybin could be used to treat psychiatric disorders such as alcohol use disorder. The findings have been published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02690-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Translational Psychiatry</a></em>.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown that psilocybin holds promise as a treatment for various psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety related to terminal illness, and addiction. However, the precise mechanisms by which psilocybin exerts its therapeutic effects remain unclear.</p>
<p>Most prior research has focused on its effects in healthy individuals, without considering variations in brain response based on specific psychiatric disorders. This knowledge gap motivated researchers to investigate how psilocybin impacts the brain in the context of alcohol use disorder (AUD), a condition where earlier studies suggested a potential benefit from psychedelic treatments.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is still not known whether you can study psychedelic drug effects in rodents. Therefore, we set out to do a translational neuroimaging study which has the potential to demonstrate similar or even same brain signatures of psychedelics in humans and rodents. A second goal was to study the effects of psilocybin on altered brain connectivity in alcohol dependent rats,&#8221; said study author Rainer Spanagel, the scientific director of the Institute of Psychopharmacology at the University of Heidelberg.</p>
<p>To bridge this knowledge gap, the researchers embarked on a detailed study involving 25 female Wistar rats. These rats were chosen for their stable alcohol drinking behavior, developed over 15 years of selective breeding. The study involved two groups of rats: 15 were exposed to a model of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and 10 served as controls. Over 12 months, the AUD group experienced cycles of alcohol availability and deprivation, simulating relapse-like drinking behavior.</p>
<p>The core of the study involved advanced brain imaging techniques. Each rat underwent two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions under anesthesia &#8211; one after being administered psilocybin and one with a placebo. These sessions were aimed at analyzing changes in brain connectivity patterns. The researchers employed several complex analytical methods, including Global Brain Connectivity (GBC) and Network-Based Statistic (NBS), to assess the average connectivity strength of each brain voxel and to characterize connections between predefined brain regions. They also analyzed the default-mode network (DMN), a network of interacting brain regions known to be affected by psilocybin in humans.</p>
<p>The researchers observed a significant decrease in connectivity strength across a widespread cortical cluster in the rats&#8217; brains following psilocybin administration. This decrease was primarily observed in regions like the insula, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. In contrast, increased connectivity was found in some regions, including the hypothalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus, but these changes did not survive strict statistical tests for broader relevance.</p>
<p>Further analysis showed a decrease in mean connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), a brain network implicated in self-referential thought processes and mind-wandering. These findings are particularly significant as they replicate, in an animal model, several effects of psilocybin observed in human studies, lending greater credibility to the use of animal models in psychedelic research.</p>
<p>&#8220;We provide translational evidence for psilocybin-induced DMN hypoconnectivity reported in humans,&#8221; Spanagel told PsyPost. &#8220;This is a very important finding for the entire field of psychedelic research as it is a demonstration that effects of psychedelics can be well studied in rodents as there is a clear construct validity and translational validity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers also discovered that these changes in DMN connectivity varied depending on the intensity of the rats&#8217; alcohol relapse behavior. Rats with a stronger tendency to relapse exhibited a less pronounced decrease in connectivity after psilocybin administration, suggesting that the severity of alcohol addiction might influence the brain&#8217;s response to psilocybin.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We also show that psilocybin is blunting AUD-specific DMN hypoconnectivity, which strongly correlated to the alcohol relapse intensity and was mainly driven by medial prefrontal regions,&#8221; Spanagel said. &#8220;Thus, alcohol relapse severity is negatively correlated with neural responsivity to psilocybin treatment. Our data suggest that a clinical standard dose of psilocybin may not be sufficient to treat severe AUD cases; a finding that should be considered for future clinical trials.&#8221;</p>
<p>While these findings are promising, the researchers acknowledge several limitations to their study. The small control group size may have limited the ability to detect subtle differences between alcohol-dependent and control animals. Additionally, the use of anesthesia in the study differs from conditions in human studies and could potentially influence the results.</p>
<p>Looking forward, the researchers suggest that more studies are needed to fully understand the nuances of psilocybin&#8217;s effects, especially in the context of different severities of AUD. Importantly, future research could explore whether the findings in rats translate to humans, which would be a crucial step in developing effective, personalized treatments for psychiatric disorders using psilocybin.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-023-02690-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jonathan R. Reinwald, Christian N. Schmitz, Ivan Skorodumov, Martin Kuchar, Wolfgang Weber-Fahr, Rainer Spanagel, and Marcus W. Meinhardt.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Selective attention scores of adults have been increasing over generations, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/selective-attention-scores-of-adults-have-been-increasing-over-generations-study-finds-220714

<p>A meta-analysis of a large number of studies using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D2_Test_of_Attention">the d2 Test of Attention</a> from the past three decades found evidence that selective attention scores on this test have been increasing in adults, but not in children, through generations. On the other hand, there was a substantial increase in overall errors and processing speed in children. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112417"><em>Personality and Individual Differences</em></a>.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, James Flynn, a social scientist from New Zealand, observed that intelligence test scores in the general population of the developed world had been rising throughout much of the 20th century. This rise was particularly significant in measures of fluid intelligence, which encompasses skills like problem-solving, pattern recognition, and abstract reasoning. This contrasts with crystallized intelligence, which relates to accumulated knowledge and skills.</p>
<p>The phenomenon, which came to be known as the Flynn effect, sparked various theories. Some theorists attributed the rise in human intelligence to enhanced nutrition, education, and childrearing practices. Others posited specific environmental factors, such as mercury poisoning, as the cause of this intelligence increase. Ultimately, Flynn himself concluded in a book that people had become more adept at solving tasks typical of intelligence tests, rather than experiencing an increase in intelligence per se. Interestingly, this upward trend in test performance seemed to plateau around 2010.</p>
<p>Study author Denise Andrzejewski and her colleagues wanted to explore whether the Flynn effect was present in results of a specific test of attention called d2 Test of Attention as well. Their research, covering the period from 1990 to 2021, examined generational shifts in processing speed and error rates.</p>
<p>To find studies that used the d2 Test of Attention, these researchers searched a number of databases of scientific journals for “d2” and “attention” and “d2 Test of Attention” in different languages. They looked for papers describing studies that reported mean scores and variability of test scores, and that investigated healthy participants.</p>
<p>The search resulted in a final group of 179 studies that met all their criteria. These studies together included 21,291 participants. The studies were predominantly from Germany (37%), Spain (14%), and the USA (7%), with the rest spread across 31 countries. The average age of participants was 26 years, and just over half were women.</p>
<p>Results showed that there was no overall change in selective attention scores in children. Mean scores obtained between 2003 and 2020 were similar. On the other hand, average selective attention scores of adults improved over time. Between 2000 and 2021, average scores tended to become higher and higher as years progressed. There were no changes in test effectiveness.</p>
<p>Further analysis showed a very slight trend of increase in processing speed in children in the studied period. When gross domestic product of a country and internet use were taken into account, this trend became even more visible. Children in later generations also tended to commit more errors on the test. But both of these trends were absent in adults.</p>
<p>“We show here first evidence for a Flynn effect for attention. This effect appears to be differentiated according to participant age, indicating moderate positive concentration performance changes for adults, but not for children. Conceivably, this may indicate a meaningful role of executive functions for changes in more traditional IQ [intelligence quotient] domains. Cross-temporally increasing error rates and processing speed of children may be attributed to more impulsive behaviors whilst taking tests,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on changes in attention scores of the d2 Test of Attention across the last three decades. However, the d2 Test of Attention is just one test of attention and the study completely focused on it. Studies using a different test or a variety of tests might not produce equal results.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112417">Is there a Flynn effect for attention? Cross-temporal meta-analytical evidence for better test performance (1990–2021)</a>”, was authored by Denise Andrzejewski, Elisabeth L. Zeilinger, and Jakob Pietschnig.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
New study shows how first impressions based on attractiveness can change
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-study-shows-how-first-impressions-based-on-attractiveness-can-change-220709

<p>A series of studies has found that first impressions based on a person&#8217;s attractiveness are not set in stone and can be significantly altered with new information. The research, published in the <em><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.3017?af=R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Journal of Social Psychology</a></em>, demonstrated that the initial assumptions we make about someone&#8217;s personality based on their looks can be updated or even reversed when we receive contrasting information about their attractiveness.</p>
<p>For years, scientists have been intrigued by the phenomenon known as the &#8216;attractiveness halo effect&#8217;, where a person perceived as physically attractive is also assumed to possess other positive traits, such as sociability and intelligence. However, the question remained: are these snap judgments irreversible, or can they be changed? Seeking an answer, researchers at Ghent University&#8217;s <a href="https://liplab.be/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learning and Implicit Processes Lab</a> embarked on a novel investigation to determine whether and how these initial perceptions could be updated.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know that the attractiveness of individuals generally leads to a myriad of stereotypical attributions (e.g., attractive people are generally perceived as vain but also as sociable),&#8221; said study author Marine Rougier, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLouvain. &#8220;We also know that these attributions can influence real-life behaviors. For instance, attractive people generally receive a more positive treatment than less attractive individuals.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Hence, it is important to determine whether these attributions can be influenced. We were interested particularly in whether these attributions can be changed when the attractiveness of a person is updated — for instance, when a person you thought was attractive is in fact less attractive than he or she initially seemed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rougier and her co-author, Professor Jan De Houwer, conducted a series of three studies to investigate this.</p>
<p>The first study involved 360 participants, who were shown photographs of faces with varying levels of attractiveness. The participants were initially asked to form impressions based on these photos. They were then informed that the photos might have been altered – either making attractive people look more or less attractive than they actually are, or vice versa. After receiving this new information, participants rated the people in the photos on a series of personality traits.</p>
<p>While it confirmed the existence of the attractiveness halo effect, where attractive faces were generally rated more positively, the updating information didn&#8217;t significantly alter these initial impressions. This was an unexpected finding and led the researchers to wonder if a more explicit updating manipulation might yield different results.</p>
<p>In response to the first study&#8217;s findings, a second study was conducted with 401 participants. This time, only female faces were used, and the updating information was made more explicit. Participants were shown examples of how attractiveness could be artificially enhanced or reduced using photo editing software. The researchers hoped that this would make the updating information more impactful.</p>
<p>The results of the second study were more conclusive. This time, the additional information provided about the faces&#8217; attractiveness did change participants&#8217; impressions. When the updating information suggested that a person was less attractive than initially thought, the positive attributes associated with them decreased. This halo-update effect was especially pronounced for traits typically linked to attractiveness, such as sociability.</p>
<p>In the third study, with 400 participants, the researchers further refined their methodology. They measured participants&#8217; impressions of attractiveness and personality traits at two different times – before and after providing the updating information. Moreover, they did not prompt participants to consider the updating information while making their second set of ratings.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The findings of this third study were the most compelling. It demonstrated that initial positive impressions based on attractiveness could be significantly reversed after updating. For example, if participants were told that someone they initially thought was attractive was actually less so, they also rated them lower on positive personality traits. This effect occurred even though participants weren&#8217;t explicitly reminded of the updating information when making their second set of ratings.</p>
<p>&#8220;We observed that updating the attractiveness of a person (e.g., saying that a person is less attractive than he or she seemed to be on a picture) can change the myriad of stereotypical attributions people made,&#8221; Rougier told PsyPost. &#8220;For instance, if the attractive person was initially perceived as highly vain and sociable, then he or she will be perceived as low on these two attributes after being informed that the person is in fact not attractive. This illustrates that stereotypical attributions are malleable and can be changed when the source of these attributions is updated.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite these significant findings, the research has its limitations. For one, the study relied on direct self-report measures, which might not fully capture more implicit, unconscious biases. Another area for future exploration is understanding why and how initial assumptions partially stick to targets even after updating. The durability of these updated impressions over time and their translation into real-life behaviors and decisions are areas ripe for future research.</p>
<p>&#8220;As noted above, we know that stereotypical attributions can influence real-life behaviors,&#8221; Rougier said. &#8220;In future work, it will be important to test whether the effects we observed can be extended to meaningful behaviors and whether the effects endure over time.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Updating stereotypical attributions in light of new information: The attractiveness halo effect changes when attractiveness changes</a>&#8220;, was published December 11, 2023.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 06:00PM
.
TITLE:
New study sheds light on the double-edged sword of caffeine and its impact on sleep-deprived individuals
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-study-sheds-light-on-the-double-edged-sword-of-caffeine-and-its-impact-on-sleep-deprived-individuals-220702

<p>The <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Journal of Environmental Research</a></em> recently published a study revealing a nuanced understanding of caffeine&#8217;s effects on our brain and attention, particularly during periods of sleep deprivation. Researchers discovered that while a single dose of caffeine can improve attention in sleep-deprived individuals, regular high consumption of caffeine leads to diminished attentional performance, as well as alterations in brain activity.</p>
<p>Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world, is known for its ability to ward off sleepiness and improve focus — especially after a night of insufficient sleep. But how does this stimulant affect people who drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks regularly? In particular, how does it impact these demographics when they are deprived of sleep?</p>
<p>To answer this, researchers at the Army Biomedical Research Institute in France and Paris Cité University delved into the realm of habitual caffeine consumption and its impact on cognitive function, particularly in conditions of total sleep deprivation (TSD).</p>
<p>The motivation behind the study was to extend general understanding beyond the immediate, short-term effects of caffeine. &#8220;Our goal was to evaluate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on [psychomotor] performance during total sleep deprivation,” the researchers wrote in the study.</p>
<p>Together, the team explored how a regular caffeine intake affects our ability to stay focused and alert during prolonged periods without sleep — a situation common in many professional fields, namely those in the realm of healthcare and the military.</p>
<p>Thirty-seven healthy individuals were studied for their range of daily caffeine consumption habits, from low to high. The participants were between the ages of 18 to 55 and did not have prior sleeping conditions. The researchers employed a double-blind, crossover design in which participants underwent total sleep deprivation with either a placebo or caffeine treatment.</p>
<p>The participants&#8217; attentional performance was measured using a Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a standard test in sleep research, where subjects respond to visual stimuli as quickly as possible. Additionally, the researchers recorded the participants&#8217; brain activity using EEG, focusing on the individual alpha frequency— a key indicator of alert cognitive processing.</p>
<p>During total sleep deprivation, all participants — regardless of their caffeine habits — showed improved attention with an acute dose of caffeine. However, those with higher regular caffeine intakes (more than 300 mg per day, roughly the amount in three cups of coffee) exhibited slower reaction times compared to those who consumed less on a daily basis. This suggests that while caffeine can offer a temporary boost, over time, high consumption might actually hinder our cognitive sharpness during sleep deprivation. Additionally, EEG results showed that habitual high caffeine consumers had a lower individual alpha frequency — indicating altered brain activity associated with attention and cognitive processing.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s results paint a complex picture of caffeine&#8217;s impact on our cognitive faculties during sleep deprivation. One of the most significant findings was the relationship between habitual caffeine consumption and reaction time (RT) during the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). RT is a critical measure of attentional performance, where shorter times indicate better attentional focus.</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the study found that while acute caffeine intake (a single dose) improved RT for all participants during total sleep deprivation, those who regularly consumed high amounts of caffeine (over 300 mg per day) had longer RTs compared to their lower-consuming counterparts. In other words, while caffeine is effective at enhancing alertness in the short term, over time, high habitual intake could dull its beneficial effects — and cause slow responses when they are most needed.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Another pivotal aspect of the study was the examination of brain activity through EEG recordings, focusing on the individual alpha frequency (IAF). The IAF is a key brain wave associated with cognitive processes, and alterations in this frequency can indicate changes in cognitive states. Remarkably, the study revealed that high habitual caffeine consumers exhibited a lower IAF during tasks, a sign of decreased cognitive processing efficiency. This finding further confirms the observed longer reaction times in high caffeine consumers — corroborating the idea that excessive regular caffeine intake may impair cognitive function during sleep deprivation.</p>
<p>While these findings are revealing, they come with caveats. The study&#8217;s relatively short duration means it didn&#8217;t fully capture potential caffeine withdrawal effects in habitual high consumers. Additionally, the division of participants into low, moderate, and high caffeine consumption groups, while necessary for analysis, might oversimplify the complex spectrum of caffeine habits. Also, the study primarily focused on reaction times and specific EEG measurements, not encompassing all aspects of cognitive function affected by both caffeine and sleep deprivation.</p>
<p>This study offers a more comprehensive picture of caffeine&#8217;s role in our daily lives, especially for those who rely on it to combat sleep-related fatigue. It suggests that while caffeine can be a useful tool for enhancing alertness in the short term, excessive regular intake may reduce its effectiveness and potentially impair cognitive function during periods of sleep deprivation. These findings have significant implications, particularly for professions that often involve sleep deprivation, prompting a reevaluation of caffeine consumption habits and their long-term effects on our brains and attention.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/4971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relationship between Habitual Caffeine Consumption, Attentional Performance, and Individual Alpha Frequency during Total Sleep Deprivation</a>&#8220;, was authored by by Michael Quiquempoix, Catherine Drogou, Mégane Erblang, Pascal Van Beers, Mathias Guillard, Pierre-Emmanuel Tardo-Dino, Arnaud Rabat, Damien Léger, Mounir Chennaoui, Danielle Gomez-Merino, and Fabien Sauvet.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Self-sniffing: Just a quirk or something more? Here’s what a recent study found
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/self-sniffing-just-a-quirk-or-something-more-heres-what-a-recent-study-found-220700

<p>Why do people engage in self-sniffing? A new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114449"><em>Physiology &amp; Behavior</em></a> concluded that olfactory self-inspection serves numerous functions, which varies based on the specific body part being sniffed.</p>
<p>Various studies have found that people touch their face without a particular reason. This type of behavior might serve a regulatory or odor-inspection function. Sniffing hands, especially after shaking hands, seems to be a way of checking one’s own body odor or that of the other person. Frequency of self-sniffing varies with culture, gender, and age, and there are also variations in the frequency of sniffing different body parts.</p>
<p>Self-sniffing could help monitor health and hygiene status or manage one’s appearance. Body odor can convey information about a person’s physiological and emotional state, and this information can likewise be perceived by others. In this work, Dagmar Schwambergová and colleagues “investigated the frequency of olfactory self-inspection and its possible functions.”</p>
<p>A pilot study was conducted to determine the relevant body parts and contexts for self-sniffing. Participants included 124 Czech individuals recruited through emails and lectures at Charles University. They responded to questions assessing the incidence and frequency of indirectly sniffing various body parts or worn clothes, such as through hand contact, on a scale of 1 (never or almost never) to 7 (several times a day). They also responded to open-ended questions assessing the context of such behavior (e.g., “In what situations do you smell your own armpits?”). This qualitative data was used to adapt the self-sniffing inventory that was used.</p>
<p>The final sample for the main study included a total of 209 participants. Participants completed a socio-demographic survey (e.g., age, gender, education, and occupation) and a self-sniffing inventory of 35 items assessing the frequency of self-sniffing various body parts (e.g., “Do you ever smell your hand after touching your genitals?”) and clothes, and the context in which they engaged in that behavior.</p>
<p>The study included other measures as well, such as a health-related survey (e.g., “Do you use any medication prescribed by your practitioner?”), hygiene inventory (e.g., “When you wash your hands, approximately how long do you wash them for?”), Three Domain Disgust Scale (including moral, sexual, and pathogen disgust), and Body Odor Disgust Scale assessing internal (e.g., “You are alone at home and notice that your feet are very smelly”) and external (e.g., “You are sitting next to a stranger and notice that his feet are very smelly”) odor sources.</p>
<p>A Principal Component Analysis revealed three distinct dimensions of self-sniffing, including social acceptability self-inspection (involving areas like armpits, breath, and worn clothes), intimate self-inspection (covering private parts like genitals and anus), and cosmetic self-inspection (related to areas where fragranced products are applied, like hair and hands).</p>
<p>The researchers observed no gender differences in the social acceptability and cosmetic dimensions of self-inspection. However, men engaged in more intimate self-inspection than women. Participants with health issues more often engaged in social acceptability self-inspection, likely to monitor changes in odor due to illness. Further, those with lower hygiene standards were more inclined towards intimate self-inspection. The most frequently sniffed body parts were hands and worn t-shirts.</p>
<p>This study suggests that self-sniffing serves different functions depending on the body part, with potential roles in health monitoring, hygiene checks, as well as social and sexual contexts.</p>
<p>A limitation to this work is that data collection relied on self-reports. Participants may not be fully aware of the self-sniffing behavior they engage in, or may be influenced by the social desirability bias. Future research may consider direct observation for the social acceptability and cosmetic dimensions of self-inspection.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114449">Olfactory self-inspection: Own body odour provides cues to one’s health and hygiene status</a>”, was authored by Dagmar Schwambergová, Jitka Třebická Fialová, and Jan Havlíček.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Cocaine addiction linked to social jetlag and altered circadian rhythmicity
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/cocaine-addiction-linked-to-social-jetlag-and-altered-circadian-rhythmicity-220688

<p>Recent scientific studies have shed light on the connections between our body’s internal clock, substance use, and mental health. One study, published in <em><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.819566/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frontiers in Neuroscience</a></em> in 2022, suggests that our natural sleep-wake cycles, known as chronotypes, intertwine with the use of substances, affecting our mental wellbeing. Another study, published in <em><a href="https://karger.com/ear/article/doi/10.1159/000535219/870745/Mismatch-of-Biological-and-Social-Time-in-Cocaine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Addiction Research</a></em> in 2023, indicates that people who struggle with cocaine addiction tend to experience greater social jetlag – a misalignment between one&#8217;s biological and social schedules.</p>
<p>The motivation behind these studies stemmed from a growing concern about the increased usage of substances and a parallel rise in mental health issues, particularly during stressful periods like the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers were curious about how the use of psychoactive substances such as cocaine could influence our chronotype—whether we are morning larks or night owls—and how this interplay impacts our mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;Circadian rhythmicity is the base of all of our daily behaviors, and disruption of normal circadian functioning may lead to a mismatch between biological and social time, known as social jetlag,&#8221; explained study authors Jeevan Fernando, a junior doctor at Oxford University Hospitals, and Karen D. Ersche, a professor of addiction neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Disruption of circadian rhythm is associated with many psychiatric disorders, especially substance use disorders as drugs of abuse interfere with our sleep/wake cycle. However, very little is known about changes in circadian rhythmicity and social jetlag in patients with cocaine use disorder.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <em>Frontiers in Neuroscience</em> study involved 209 participants who were recruited through online platforms and physical advertisements in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing their chronotype, substance use (alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco), and mental health status. The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Revised Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were among the tools used to gather data.</p>
<p>Findings from this study indicated a significant link between late chronotypes (night owls) and poorer mental health, particularly in terms of increased anxiety. This relationship was further found to be influenced by the combined use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The increased consumption of these substances among late chronotypes seemed to mediate their mental health challenges. In other words, the increased use of these substances among late chronotypes explained the association between their chronotype and heightened anxiety levels.</p>
<p>Following this, the <em>European Addiction Research</em> study in 2023 delved deeper, focusing specifically on cocaine use disorder. This research involved 90 men from the local community, including 48 with moderate-to-severe cocaine use disorder and 42 healthy controls. Participants underwent psychiatric screening, provided urine samples to test for drug use, and completed the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire to assess their sleep-wake patterns. The study aimed to understand the chronotype distribution among cocaine users and its potential implications for their health.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given that cocaine use is a growing public health problem in the United Kingdom, for which effective treatments are lacking, we sought to investigate self-report chronotype in a community sample of chronic cocaine users,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche said. &#8220;Insight into the changes in chronotype may provide new avenues to improve general health and wellbeing for a cocaine use disorder for which successful treatment has yet to be established.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the key findings was that late chronotypes (or &#8220;night owls&#8221;) were more prevalent in the cocaine group compared to controls. Interestingly, a significant number of cocaine users reported a shift from an early to a late chronotype from childhood to adulthood, a pattern not evident among the control group.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cocaine users with late chronotype tended to have started using cocaine at an earlier age,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche told PsyPost. &#8220;These findings, combined with the existing literature and our previous work may suggest that late chronotype presents a risk factor for increased drug use. This is also in keeping with other studies showing that being a night owl is associated with poorer health and wellbeing more generally. Our study further highlights the importance of the impact this may have on our social life as it leads to social jetlag – an aspect that is often overlooked.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Another significant observation was the presence of greater social jetlag in cocaine users, indicated by a mismatch between their biological and social times. This mismatch was not influenced by drug and alcohol use but was somewhat related to employment status, as most cocaine users were unemployed. This finding suggests that employment might provide a temporal anchor that could improve the circadian rhythms of those struggling with cocaine use.</p>
<p>&#8220;Further research is warranted to evaluate whether regular employment, which may give chronic cocaine users a structure in their daily lives could help counteract the negative effects of social jetlag,&#8221; the researchers said.</p>
<p>However, contrary to expectations, the severity of cocaine use and chronotype were not directly related. Mental and physical health statuses were consistent across different chronotypes, suggesting that changes in these health variables were more associated with the diagnostic group (cocaine users vs. control) than with chronotype.</p>
<p>&#8220;It was quite interesting that our findings did not show any relationship between chronotype, or social jetlag, with addiction severity,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche explained. &#8220;This supports the notion that late chronotype may be a risk factor for an earlier onset of drug use, which in turn increases the risk of developing drug addiction, but it may not influence the level of addiction severity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The new study offers valuable insights but also has limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the research means that while relationships between factors can be identified, cause and effect cannot be established. Future research might include longitudinal studies that track individuals over time to better understand the direction of these relationships. Additionally, exploring the quality of sleep and other lifestyle factors could provide a more comprehensive picture of how our internal clocks, substance use, and mental health are intertwined.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although our study had many advantages, including face-to-face assessment of participants using sophisticated research tools, it had a cross-sectional design, i.e. we compared groups at a single time point,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche said. &#8220;We collected information about childhood or adolescence chronotype retrospectively from our participants. This approach revealed that a larger percentage of patients with cocaine use disorder reported a change from early chronotype during childhood/adolescence to late chronotype during adulthood compared with their non-drug using peers. It would be good if this finding could be verified in a longitudinal study.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.819566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drug Use in Night Owls May Increase the Risk for Mental Health Problems</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jeevan Fernando, Jan Stochl, and Karen D. Ersche.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000535219" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mismatch of Biological and Social Time in Cocaine-Addicted Men</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jeevan Fernando and Karen D. Ersche.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
The combination of poverty and inequality predict homicide rates in the United States
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/the-combination-of-poverty-and-inequality-predict-homicide-rates-in-the-united-states-220682

<p>Scientists have identified a strong link between increasing poverty, income inequality, and the rise in homicide rates across the United States. The study, encompassing data from 1990 to 2020, reveals that states with the highest levels of poverty and income disparity experienced the most significant spikes in homicide rates, especially notable during the turbulent year of 2020. The findings have been published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2023.31"><em><span class="text" data-v-63dfaf6e="">Evolutionary Human Sciences</span></em></a>.</p>
<p>Previous research in the realm of sociology and economics has long attempted to untangle the complex web of factors contributing to homicide rates. Numerous studies have pointed towards various causes, ranging from socio-economic conditions to environmental factors. However, what remained elusive was a comprehensive analysis that could systematically account for the interplay between economic conditions like poverty and inequality, and their impact on violent crime, particularly homicide. This gap in understanding motivated the current study, aiming to explore the relationship between these socio-economic factors and homicide rates using a more nuanced approach.</p>
<p>&#8220;As homicides rates spiked during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, news outlets were nominating a host of potential causes to explain the increase, including factors such as ambient air temperature and city greenness,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://faculty.utah.edu/u0407008-WESTON_CRAIG_MCCOOL/hm/index.hml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weston McCool</a>, a postdoctoral fellow in the Society, Water, and Climate Research Group, and the Anthropology Department at the University of Utah.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were convinced, and still are, that the causes of the 2020 spike were related to the same underlying factors that have been structuring US homicide rates for decades, namely, poverty and inequality. We were also worried that without a theory of behavior, scholars would struggle to distinguish causal factors from spurious correlations or correlated effects. We wrote this paper to build on existing theory and to evaluate whether poverty and inequality can account for variation in homicide rates across US states over the last 30 years, including the 2020 spike.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers compiled and analyzed data for each U.S. state over a thirty-year period, from 1990 through 2020. They used homicide data from the FBI&#8217;s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and socio-economic information (specifically regarding poverty and income inequality) from the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Notably, the Gini Index, a measure of income distribution within a state, was employed to assess income inequality. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of these datasets, looking for patterns and correlations over time and across different states.</p>
<p>From 2019 to 2020, an alarming increase in homicide rates was observed in 46 states. This period also saw a rise in the proportion of households living below the poverty line and an increase in income inequality in most of these states. Through sophisticated statistical modeling, the study demonstrated that poverty and inequality independently and jointly contributed to higher homicide rates. States with the highest levels of poverty and income inequality were found to have the highest homicide rates. This pattern remained consistent over the three decades of data analyzed.</p>
<p>&#8220;Typically, inequality is seen as the prime driver of homicide rates in the United States,&#8221; McCool told PsyPost. &#8220;Poverty is usually seen as a relatively less important causal factor, with some scholars dismissing its effects entirely. In our statistical model, we show that while inequality <em>and</em> poverty have strong independent effects on homicide rates, we were surprised to find that murders peak when and where inequality and poverty <em>interact</em>. That is, homicide rates peak when and where poverty and inequality have combined effects, which is a novel finding that we did not entirely anticipate.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Readers should come away with two related points: 1) As predicted by theory from the evolutionary social sciences, the combination of poverty and inequality predict homicide rates in the United States over the last 30 years (the range in which homicide data are available), including the 2020 COVID-19 spike. 2) Homicide rates disproportionately impact non-white communities due to a long history of systemic racism towards racial and ethnic minority groups that restrict individual’s access to resources and opportunities,&#8221; McCool explained. &#8220;We suggest these results provide compelling evidence to expand strategies for reducing homicide rates by dismantling structures of systemic racism that generate and concentrate sustained poverty and economic inequality.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study&#8217;s findings come with some caveats. For instance, the model used could not account for all the variations in homicide rates, leaving about 50% of the variation unexplained. This suggests that other factors, possibly cultural or institutional, also play a role in influencing homicide rates. Additionally, the study&#8217;s reliance on state-level data, as opposed to more localized data, might have affected the precision of the findings. The researchers acknowledge this and suggest that future studies could benefit from analyzing more fine-grained local data to better understand the dynamics at play.</p>
<p>&#8220;Currently, the only data available for this kind of US-wide multi-decadal analysis are at the level of US states, rather than, say, counties or zip-codes,&#8221; McCool said. &#8220;We expect that homicide rates are most strongly affected by local poverty and inequality, not so much what’s happening in a different city or on the other side of the state. As such, our analysis is necessarily somewhat coarse.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We hope that in the future higher resolution data will become available to track homicide rates in relation to very localized economic conditions. We should also note that the predictive power of our model was not uniform across US states, and underpredicted homicide rates in some instances. Nonetheless, the model did not underperform in any states for the 2020 COVID-19 data.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study offers crucial insights into the societal and policy implications of its findings. It underscores the need for interventions targeting both poverty reduction and the narrowing of income disparities to effectively tackle the root causes of increased homicide rates. Moreover, the study sheds light on the disproportionate impact of these socio-economic factors on minority communities, suggesting that addressing systemic racism and its contribution to economic disparities could be vital in reducing homicide rates.</p>
<p>&#8220;We contend that studies of homicide and, more broadly, human violence, should take heed of theoretical developments that provide explicit predictions of what conditions should promote violent behaviors, including homicide,&#8221; McCool told PsyPost. &#8220;By explicitly testing theory-based predictions we can work to avoid confusing causes with effects and move beyond the proverbial exercise of throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/us-homicide-rates-increase-when-resources-are-scarce-and-unequally-distributed/2EE2181FE8610AFDA8B8BAADB62BB0EB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. homicide rates increase when resources are scarce and unequally distributed</a>&#8220;, was authored by Weston C. McCool and Brian F. Codding.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
Men exposed to intimate partner violence in childhood are more likely to perpetrate it in adulthood, study finds
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/men-exposed-to-intimate-partner-violence-in-childhood-are-more-likely-to-perpetrate-it-in-adulthood-study-finds-220696

<p>A study conducted in Portugal, involving men convicted of intimate partner violence, has uncovered a correlation between childhood exposure to such violence, aggressive traits, and the prevalence of intimate partner violence in adulthood. Aggression, and particularly physical aggression, mediated the link between exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and perpetration of such violence in adulthood. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2270127"><em>Deviant Behavior</em></a>.</p>
<p>Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. These include experiences of abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), neglect (physical or emotional), and household dysfunction (such as domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, or an incarcerated household member). ACEs can have long-lasting effects on a person&#8217;s mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being into adulthood. They are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood, as well as decreased educational and occupational achievement.</p>
<p>Child maltreatment, a specific category of ACEs, encompasses any act or series of acts, whether by commission or omission, by a parent, caregiver, or other adult that results in harm, the potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Acts of commission involve physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. On the other hand, acts of omission relate to various forms of neglect, including the failure to meet basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to safeguard the child from harm or potential harm. Such maltreatment can significantly affect a child&#8217;s ability to regulate emotions, often leading to heightened vigilance towards threats and a propensity to perceive hostile intentions in others. These factors may contribute to the development of aggressive behavior.</p>
<p>Study author Olga Cunha and her colleagues wanted to investigate the link between exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and adolescence and the perpetration of intimate partner violence in adulthood. They also wanted to verify whether this link is mediated by aggression and, if it is, by what kind of aggression. Their expectation was that exposure to intimate partner violence in early years of life will lead to higher aggression. Higher aggression will, in turn, make an individual more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence later in life.</p>
<p>The study involved 245 men convicted of crimes against an intimate partner. Of these, 58% were incarcerated, while the remainder were serving community orders, such as suspended prison sentences. Their ages varied from 22 to 81 years, with 72% having received 4 to 6 years of education. Slightly over half had no prior convictions.</p>
<p>The researchers gathered data through a questionnaire, which covered the participants&#8217; education level, socioeconomic status, marital status, and criminal history. They also reviewed the participants&#8217; criminal records for comprehensive background information. The questionnaire included queries regarding childhood or adolescent exposure to intimate partner violence, such as instances of a mother or stepmother being physically abused. Furthermore, the participants completed assessments to measure the frequency of intimate partner violence (using the Marital Violence Inventory) and levels of aggression (via the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire).</p>
<p>Results showed that participants who were exposed to intimate partner violence as children or adolescents tended to be more physically aggressive and to more often experience anger. They also reported perpetrating intimate partner violence more frequently. This was the case with both physical and psychological intimate partner violence.</p>
<p>The research team tested a statistical model which suggested that exposure to intimate partner violence results in increased aggression, which in turn, leads to more frequent intimate partner violence. The results confirmed that such a relationship pattern between these factors is plausible. However, aggression only partially explained the connection between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and its frequency in adulthood.</p>
<p>When analyzing the model with a focus solely on physical aggression, the results were similar. Nonetheless, aggression did not mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and the frequency of specific types of such violence, whether physical or psychological.</p>
<p>“Our findings contribute to previous literature by demonstrating a positive link between exposure to IPV [intimate partner violence] in childhood, aggression traits, and physical aggression traits, and IPV frequency in adulthood. In addition, our study revealed the mediating role of overall aggression traits and physical aggression traits in the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and IPV frequency in adulthood and specific physical IPV,&#8221; study authors concluded.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;These findings highlight the role of aggression traits and physical aggression traits on the perpetration of physical and total IPV, claiming our attention to the need to include strategies to increase emotion regulation and problem-solving strategies in perpetrators’ intervention programs.”</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between adverse childhood experiences and violence later in life. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. The assessment of exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and adolescence relied exclusively on yes/no questions and the participants&#8217; recollections, which may affect the accuracy of the findings. Research incorporating more objective measures of exposure could yield different outcomes. Moreover, as the study exclusively involved men convicted of intimate partner violence, the results may not be generalizable to the broader population.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2270127">Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Childhood and Partner Violence Perpetration in Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Aggression</a>”, was authored by Olga Cunha, Ana Rita Cruz, Andreia de Castro Rodrigues, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves, and Maria Manuela Peixoto.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
How to Thrive in an Uncertain World
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/13/opinion/uncertainty-anxiety-psychology.html

It’s harder than ever to predict the future. That should be a positive to embrace.
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 13, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
Psychology of music: Most popular songs portray insecure romantic attachment, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/psychology-of-music-most-popular-songs-portray-insecure-romantic-attachment-study-finds-220690

<p>A study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221110633"><em>Psychology of Music</em></a> reveals that more than 86% of popular songs about relationships depict an insecure style of romantic attachment, including avoidant, anxious and fearful attachment. The findings highlight the potential influence of popular music lyrics on shaping adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors in romantic relationships.</p>
<p>Music consumption often drastically increases during adolescence, a period when many individuals also begin to explore romantic relationships. Previous research has demonstrated that the majority of popular music contains lyrics related to romance or sex.</p>
<p>As adolescence is characterized by a period of rapid development, these lyrics can potentially shape adolescents’ romantic behaviors and expectations, whether it is consciously through increased engagement with this music, or unconsciously from everyday exposure to various forms of media.</p>
<p>The study team, led by McKell Jorgensen-Wells from Brigham Young University in Utah, were interested in understanding the romantic attachment styles portrayed in popular song lyrics and how they might influence adolescents’ understanding of relationships.</p>
<p>Two aims were established for the study. The first was to measure the proportion of popular songs portraying an insecure attachment style &#8211; i.e. anxious attachment (seeking constant reassurance and attention), avoidant attachment (distancing oneself to prevent emotional closeness), or fearful attachment (strongly desiring close bonds but becoming distrusting and fearing when connection is provided).</p>
<p>The other aim was to measure whether attachment styles varied according to artist gender, relationship timeline, relationship status of artist, genre of song, romantic focus of the song (i.e. love or sex), and sexualization of the song’s romantic figure.</p>
<p>The team conducted an analysis of lyrics which were derived from songs listed in Billboard’s “Top Year End Chart Hot 100 Songs of 2019”, such as “Lucid Dreams&#8221; by Juice WRLD and “Sunflower” by Post Malone &amp; Swae Lee. A total of 87 songs were analyzed and 13 were discarded as they were not related to love &#8211; for instance “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong and &#8220;You Need to Calm Down&#8221; by Taylor Swift.</p>
<p>Lyrics that expressed uncertainty, pursuit of a partner, self-doubt, or the inability to exist or operate without their significant other (i.e. ’clingy’ behavior) were categorized as anxious attachment (e.g. “I won’t let you forget me”). On the other hand, lyrics which instructed partners to leave, escaping from a partner, or mistrust of a partner were labeled as avoidant attachment (e.g. “Baby girl you just a fling”).</p>
<p>Songs that contained multiple anxious attachment and avoidant attachment phrases were labeled as fearful attachment.</p>
<p>Finally, songs that contained minimal to no anxious or avoidant expressions, along with positive romantic attitudes or actions were classified as secure attachment (e.g. “We can do anything if we put our minds to it/My love is yours if you’re willing to take it).</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Meanwhile, songs that revolved around romance but didn’t provide sufficient context to determine the attachment style were labeled as neutral.</p>
<p>Statistical analyses revealed that 86.2% of songs illustrated an insecure attachment. Songs were predominantly avoidant attachment (33.33%), followed by anxious attachment (27.59%) and then fearful attachment (25.29%). Only a minor proportion of songs portrayed a secure attachment style (8.05%), and 5 songs were coded as neutral (5.75%).</p>
<p>Furthermore, music genre was related to attachment style. The researchers noted, “pop songs were less likely to be avoidant, although there was no evidence they were more often secure. Rap/hip hop/R&amp;B songs were less likely to be anxious and very likely to be avoidant. These songs often noted that the subject did not need emotional closeness and thrived on being alone.”</p>
<p>The study team also analyzed the relationship between attachment style and romantic focus (i.e. sex or love). Lyrics with a focus on love were often secure and rarely avoidant, whereas songs with a sex focus were often avoidant and rarely secure. “Teenagers and parents would be wise to seek songs focused on love, noting that some genres (e.g., pop) are more likely to focus on love while others focus on sex (e.g., rap/hip hop/R&amp;B),” the authors suggested.</p>
<p>The majority of the songs examined included at least one element of sexualization, and these songs tended to exhibit an avoidant attachment style and were less likely to display a secure attachment style. Conversely, songs that did not contain any sexualization showed the opposite trend &#8211; they were more likely to be secure and less likely to be avoidant. Jorgensen-Wells and colleagues explain this relationship, “avoidant individuals may objectify their romantic partner to diminish the other’s humanity, decreasing the objectifier’s perceived responsibility to elicit connection.”</p>
<p>“These portrayals of insecure attachment in popular music may influence adolescents’ romantic expectations and attitudes … examined in light of previous theoretical and empirical work, our findings insinuate that romantic messages presented by popular music may not depict healthy romantic relationships,” the authors concluded.</p>
<p>However, it’s important to note that the study does not establish a direct causal relationship between listening to certain types of music and adopting specific romantic behaviors or attitudes. The study team suggested that further research could incorporate other music genres such as rock and K-pop.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03057356221110633">”Love lies”: A content analysis of romantic attachment style in popular music</a>”, was authored by McKell A Jorgensen-Wells, Sarah M Coyne and Janna M Pickett.</p>
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psychbot , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 04:21AM
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TITLE:
Exposure Therapy for One Phobia May Also Improve Other Fears
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176643&url=https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/01/12/overcoming-phobia-ease-other-fears/7191705068092/

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Science_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Science News</a></p>Imagine easing a fear of heights by getting over a phobia of spiders. That might sound odd, but it works, researchers report. Folks who use exposure therapy to overcome one phobia can find themselves less afraid of other things, according to a study published recently in the journal Translational Psychiatry. Exposure therapy, in which patients directly face their fear, has proven to be the most effective treatment against phobias, researchers...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 04:21AM
.
TITLE:
Israel Says It Is Victim, Not Perpetrator, in ICJ Genocide Case
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176644&url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2024/01/12/Netherlands-ICJ-Israel-rebuts-genocide-allegations/7521705059444/

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Science_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Science News</a></p>Lawyers for Israel rebutted South Africa's claim it is guilty of genocide in Gaza at the International Court of Justice on Friday by turning the case on its head, arguing the case lays out a &quot;grossly distorted story&quot; and that Israel is the real genocide victim. All of Israel's actions in Gaza have been in self-defense against Hamas and &quot;other terrorist organizations,&quot; and any acts of genocide were against Israel, not the Palestinians, Israel...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 04:16AM
.
TITLE:
Canada Doesn't Accept Premise of South Africa Genocide Case
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176653&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-01-12/canada-doesnt-accept-premise-of-south-africa-genocide-motion-pm

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Canada does not accept the premise of South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday. Israel rejected the accusations brought by South Africa at the ICJ, the U.N.'s top court. Trudeau stressed that Canada was a strong backer of the court but added that this support &quot;does not mean that we support the premise of the case brought forward by...</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 , 6 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 04:15AM
.
TITLE:
Jordan Backs South Africa in Genocide Case Against Israel
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176642&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-01-12/jordan-says-failure-to-curb-israel-endangers-wider-region

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Jordan said on Friday Israeli &quot;war crimes&quot; against Palestinians were to blame for heightened regional tension and violence in the Red Sea, which it said threatened to ignite a wider war in the Middle East. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also voiced support for South Africa's &quot;genocide&quot; case against Israel at the U.N.'s top court over the war against Hamas in Gaza, and said Jordan was ready to submit legal documents and appear in court if the case...</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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