psychbot Bot

psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 26, 2024 at 03:00AM
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TITLE:
What Birds’ Dreams Can Tell Us About Our Own
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/science/birds-dreaming-rem-sleep.html

What new research on the avian brain and REM sleep in birds might reveal about our own dream lives.
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 26, 2024 at 03:19AM
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TITLE:
U.N. Head Backs Slavery Reparations to Counter "Generations of Exclusion"
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=178402&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-03-25/un-chief-calls-for-slavery-reparations-to-overcome-generations-of-discrimination

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>United Nations chief Antonio Guterres called on Monday for reparations over the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved people as a way to tackle its legacy in today's society, including systemic racism. From the 15th to the 19th century, at least 12.5 million Africans were forcibly transported by European ships and sold into slavery. Those who survived the brutal voyage ended up toiling on plantations in the Americas, mostly in Brazil and the...</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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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 26, 2024 at 03:20AM
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TITLE:
FDA Seeks to Ban Use of Electroshock Devices on Some Psychiatric Patients
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=178405&url=https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/03/25/FDA-ban-electroshock-devices-psychiatric-patients/6911711394359/

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Health_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Health News</a></p>U.S. federal regulators are taking a second stab at banning the controversial use of electroshock devices to manage the behavior of patients with intellectual and developmental disorders. The devices deliver electric shocks to a patient's skin, in an attempt to stop them from harming themselves or lashing out physically at others, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in its Monday announcement.</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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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 26, 2024
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TITLE:
Empowering Character and Maturity To Resolve Societal Burnout
.
URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-project-2024/empowering-character-maturity-to-resolve-societal-burnout/

The essential link between personal development and trustworthy leadership must be pointed out. In families, work settings, in communities, on boards, and in elected office, character and maturity must be selected to address societal burnout.
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 20, 2024 at 12:24PM
.
TITLE:
New archive of ancient human brains challenges misconceptions of soft tissue preservation
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240320122455.htm

A new study has challenged previously held views that brain preservation in the archaeological record is extremely rare. The team compiled a new archive of preserved human brains, which highlighted that nervous tissues actually persist in much greater abundances than traditionally thought, assisted by conditions that prevent decay.
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 05:24PM
.
TITLE:
Human brains are getting larger: That may be good news for dementia risk
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172408.htm

A new study has found human brains are getting bigger. The increased size may lead to a brain reserve, potentially reducing the risk of dementia.
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 05:24PM
.
TITLE:
Human brains are getting larger: That may be good news for dementia risk
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172408.htm

A new study has found human brains are getting bigger. The increased size may lead to a brain reserve, potentially reducing the risk of dementia.
.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 05:24PM
.
TITLE:
Research identifies characteristics of cities that would support young people's mental health
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172428.htm

As cities around the world continue to draw young people for work, education, and social opportunities, a new study identifies characteristics that would support young urban dwellers' mental health. The findings, based on survey responses from a global panel that included adolescents and young adults, provide a set of priorities that city planners can adopt to build urban environments that are safe, equitable, and inclusive.
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 05:24PM
.
TITLE:
2 in 3 parents say their adolescent or teen worries about how sick days may impact grades
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172405.htm

Many parents recognize increasing mental health concerns among children, reflected by the 1 in 5 who say they're open to allowing a child to take a mental health day.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE:
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 05:24PM
.
TITLE:
More exposure to artificial, bright, outdoor night-time light linked to higher stroke risk
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325172425.htm

Air pollution and night-time outdoor light each were associated with harmful effects on brain health, finds new study.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
.
TITLE:
Novel genetic variants associated with Alzheimer's disease
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155456.htm

A new study has identified 17 genetic variants that may influence Alzheimer's disease risk, putting researchers one step closer to uncovering biological pathways to target for future treatment and prevention.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 11:42AM
.
TITLE:
Teacher effectiveness for students with and without disabilities
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114241.htm

Research has often focused on how teachers and educators can best instruct and accommodate students with disabilities. However, are the methods used to teach students with disabilities effective and inclusive for all students?
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 11:41AM
.
TITLE:
Greener streets linked to better sleep
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114155.htm

Living on a greener street or having views of blue spaces from your home may help you sleep for longer. New research across 18 countries found that living on greener streets -- those with visible grass, trees, and vegetation -- is linked to better sleep.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 19, 2024 at 12:30PM
.
TITLE:
Is the secret to anxiety in young women hidden in our brain chemistry?
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240319123028.htm

The development of anxiety in girls and young women may stem from an imbalance between two crucial brain chemicals, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, according to a new study. This discovery offers promising insights into potential treatment avenues for girls and women dealing with anxiety.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 02:55PM
.
TITLE:
The aging brain: Protein mapping furnishes new insights
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145502.htm

For the neurons in the brain to work smoothly and be able to process information, the central nervous system needs a strictly regulated environment. This is maintained by the blood-brain barrier, whereby specialized brain endothelial cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels regulate the exchange of molecules between the circulatory and nervous systems. Earlier studies have shown that various functions that are dependent on these cells, such as the integrity of the blood-brain barrier or the regulation of blood supply to the brain, decline over the course of a person's life. This dysregulation leads to a dysfunction of the brain vasculature and is therefore a major contributor to medical conditions such as strokes and dementia.
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Open Mastodon instance for all mental health workers: https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 02:55PM
.
TITLE:
The aging brain: Protein mapping furnishes new insights
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145502.htm

For the neurons in the brain to work smoothly and be able to process information, the central nervous system needs a strictly regulated environment. This is maintained by the blood-brain barrier, whereby specialized brain endothelial cells lining the inner walls of blood vessels regulate the exchange of molecules between the circulatory and nervous systems. Earlier studies have shown that various functions that are dependent on these cells, such as the integrity of the blood-brain barrier or the regulation of blood supply to the brain, decline over the course of a person's life. This dysregulation leads to a dysfunction of the brain vasculature and is therefore a major contributor to medical conditions such as strokes and dementia.
.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Open Mastodon instance for all mental health workers: https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org
.
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
.
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE:
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READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org
It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist

psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 02:54PM
.
TITLE:
Early intervention after the first seizure may prevent long-term epilepsy and associated cognitive deficits
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145412.htm

Only a very small percentage of neurons show changes after an epileptic seizure in mice, but these alterations can be permanent and trigger future seizures. An experimental treatment may prevent these long-term changes.
.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Open Mastodon instance for all mental health workers: https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
.
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE:
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist

psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 02:54PM
.
TITLE:
Early intervention after the first seizure may prevent long-term epilepsy and associated cognitive deficits
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145412.htm

Only a very small percentage of neurons show changes after an epileptic seizure in mice, but these alterations can be permanent and trigger future seizures. An experimental treatment may prevent these long-term changes.
.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Open Mastodon instance for all mental health workers: https://mastodon.clinicians-exchange.org
.
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
.
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Prenatal caffeine exposure and high-fat diet heighten risk of autism-like behaviors in rodents
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/prenatal-caffeine-exposure-and-high-fat-diet-heighten-risk-of-autism-like-behaviors-in-rodents/

<p>Exposure to caffeine during pregnancy, combined with a high-fat diet after birth, significantly increases the risk of autism-like behaviors in rodents, according to new research published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323013015?via%3Dihub"><em>Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety</em></a>. This increased risk is related to changes in gut bacteria and increased levels of a specific immune molecule, IL-17A. The findings shed light on the relationships between diet, prenatal environmental exposures, and neurodevelopmental disorders.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this new study stems from a growing concern over the effects of prenatal caffeine exposure and high-fat diets on the developing brain. Previous research had already established a link between prenatal caffeine exposure and reduced fetal growth, with emerging evidence suggesting an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD).</p>
<p>ASD is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive behaviors. Given the widespread consumption of caffeine and the prevalence of high-fat diets, understanding these potential risk factors is crucial for developing strategies to prevent ASD.</p>
<p>&#8220;Most autism research focuses on genetic factors, overlooking autism caused by adverse prenatal environments and postnatal secondary impacts, known as fetal-origin autism. Investigating this area is not only a pressing scientific question but also essential to raising awareness about healthy childbearing and preventing negative prenatal environmental exposures,&#8221; said study author Dan Xu, an associate dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Wuhan University.</p>
<p>In the study, pregnant rats were divided into two groups: one exposed to caffeine during a critical period of gestation, aiming to simulate prenatal caffeine exposure, and a control group receiving a placebo. This setup was intended to create a scenario where offspring would either be born under normal conditions or present with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), a condition linked to increased ASD risk.</p>
<p>Following birth, the offspring were subjected to further categorization based on their diet, receiving either a standard diet or a high-fat diet from postnatal week 4 onwards. This division allowed the team to assess the combined effects of prenatal caffeine exposure and postnatal dietary habits on the likelihood of developing ASD-like behaviors.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a variety of tests and analyses to gauge the impact on the offspring. Behavioral tests were conducted to identify ASD-like behaviors, including social interaction tests and memory challenges. Additionally, the study investigated the biological mechanisms potentially driving the observed behaviors by analyzing gut microbiota and examining synaptic structures in the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for learning and memory.</p>
<p>Male offspring exposed to prenatal caffeine displayed typical ASD-like behaviors, while females showed reduced exploration and spatial memory. However, when exposed to a high-fat diet, both male and female rats exposed to prenatal caffeine exhibited exacerbated ASD-like behaviors.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found that male rats exposed to adverse prenatal environments exhibited autistic behaviors, but both male and female rats showed typical autism behaviors after being fed a high-fat diet post-birth,&#8221; Xu told PsyPost. &#8220;This suggests that attention should also be given to female offspring exposed to adverse prenatal environments.&#8221;</p>
<p>Further analysis revealed a damaged intestinal mucus barrier and significant changes in the gut microbiota, particularly an increased abundance of Escherichia coli (E. coli). This microbial shift was linked to an induced differentiation of colonic Th17 cells, leading to elevated levels of IL-17A. This cytokine, known for its role in inflammation, was found to traverse into the brain, causing synaptic damage in hippocampal neurons, a process the researchers identified as a pivotal factor in the development of ASD.</p>
<p>A strain transplantation experiment confirmed the pivotal role of E. coli in this process. Offspring rats receiving E. coli demonstrated enhanced ASD-like behaviors and increased IL-17A levels, underscoring the bacteria&#8217;s contribution to the disorder&#8217;s pathogenesis. This evidence points to the gut-brain axis as a critical pathway through which prenatal caffeine exposure and a postnatal high-fat diet may contribute to the risk of ASD.</p>
<p>&#8220;The study emphasizes that exposure to adverse prenatal environments (like high caffeine levels) and a high-fat diet post-birth are potential risk factors for autism,&#8221; Xu explained. &#8220;Avoiding these harmful environments and ensuring the stability of the gut-brain axis are crucial to mitigating the development of fetal-origin autism.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;People should understand the significant role of gut microbiota in fetal-origin autism and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet post-birth, especially for infants exposed to adverse prenatal environments, to ensure a balanced gut microbiome.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study marks a significant step forward in understanding the environmental factors contributing to ASD, the researchers acknowledge certain limitations. For instance, the study&#8217;s focus on a rat model means that further research is necessary to confirm these findings in humans. The study also highlights the need to explore the potential for gender-specific differences in the development of ASD, urging a closer look at the biological mechanisms at play.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although our study highlights gender differences in fetal-origin autism, further elucidation of its mechanisms is needed,&#8221; Xu said. &#8220;Future exploration of these gender differences will deepen our understanding of fetal-origin autism.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115797">Prenatal caffeine exposure induces autism-like behaviors in offspring under a high-fat diet via the gut microbiota-IL-17A-brain axis</a>,&#8221; was authored by Tingting Wang, Shuai Zhang, Mingcui Luo, Mengxi Lu, Liyi Wei, Xinli Zhou, Hui Wang, and Dan Xu.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
.
TITLE:
The power of neighbors: Neighboring synapses shape learning and memory
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155425.htm

A researcher has developed a new model that provides a holistic view on how our brain manages to learn quickly and forms stable, long-lasting memories. Their study sheds light on the crucial role of interactions among neighboring contact sites of nerve cells for brain plasticity -- the brain's ability to adapt to new experiences.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
.
TITLE:
The power of neighbors: Neighboring synapses shape learning and memory
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155425.htm

A researcher has developed a new model that provides a holistic view on how our brain manages to learn quickly and forms stable, long-lasting memories. Their study sheds light on the crucial role of interactions among neighboring contact sites of nerve cells for brain plasticity -- the brain's ability to adapt to new experiences.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
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TITLE:
Immune cells identified as key players in brain health
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155407.htm

Using novel genetic and genomic tools, researchers have shed light on the role of immune cells called macrophages in lipid-rich tissues like the brain, advancing our understanding of Alzheimer's and other diseases. The study represents a step forward in understanding immune cell regulation and its impact on disease progression.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 11:42AM
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TITLE:
Sweeping review reveals latest evidence on the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of ADHD
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240325114209.htm

With input from expert stakeholders across the field, researchers have synthesized the latest insights from thousands of publications on ADHD so that they can ultimately inform clinical practice. Broadly, they found that both medications and psychosocial treatments work for treating ADHD and that children with the condition can and do get better. The team reviewed more than 23,000 publications on ADHD, and from them, the researchers selected 550 studies for the final analysis.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
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TITLE:
High-resolution brain created with 3D printer
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155441.htm

A 3D-printed 'brain phantom' has been developed, which is modeled on the structure of brain fibers and can be imaged using a special variant of magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). The scientific team has now shown in a study, these brain models can be used to advance research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 21, 2024 at 03:54PM
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TITLE:
High-resolution brain created with 3D printer
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240321155441.htm

A 3D-printed 'brain phantom' has been developed, which is modeled on the structure of brain fibers and can be imaged using a special variant of magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). The scientific team has now shown in a study, these brain models can be used to advance research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
AI uncovers significant differences between male and female brains, study reveals
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/ai-uncovers-significant-differences-between-male-and-female-brains-study-reveals/

<p>A new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310012121"><em>PNAS</em></a> used advanced AI to examine whether male and female brains can be differentiated by analyzing brain activity patterns. Srikanth Ryali and colleagues found significant and consistent differences between the sexes in certain brain areas, suggesting that these differences are meaningful and have implications for personalized medical approaches.</p>
<p>Sex plays an important role in brain development, aging, and the onset and progression of psychiatric and neurological disorders. For example, females are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, while conditions such as autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia are more common in males, often with sex-specific symptoms and outcomes.</p>
<p>This study utilized spatiotemporal deep neural networks (stDNN) to distinguish sex differences within the Human Connectome Project (HCP) cohort by analyzing fMRI time series data. These models achieved high accuracy rates (90.21 to 91.17%) and demonstrated strong performance across various metrics including macro-precision, macro-recall, macro-F1 scores, and AUC. These results were consistent across different sessions, indicating reliable sex differences in brain function without the need for additional model training.</p>
<p>The distinctiveness and generalizability of brain features underlying sex differences were further explored through explainable AI (XAI) techniques and consensus analysis. Individual “fingerprints” identified through the IG procedure revealed specific brain regions—such as the precuneus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex—consistently distinguished between sexes.</p>
<p>These findings were validated across multiple datasets and independent cohorts. The study extended its analysis to cognitive functions, identifying sex-specific neurobiological predictors of cognition through canonical correlation analysis. Certain brain regions differentially predicted cognitive profiles in females and males.</p>
<p>This study introduces a groundbreaking approach using stDNN to identify sex differences in brain function, utilizing resting-state fMRI data. By learning directly from raw data, this method bypasses traditional reliance on predefined brain connectivity features. The research confirms intrinsic organizational differences between sexes and links these differences to cognitive functions, challenging prior understandings and suggesting sex-specific brain organization influences behavior.</p>
<p>The use of XAI revealed that specific brain areas, particularly the default mode network, striatum, and limbic system, play crucial roles in sex differences. These regions are associated with processes like self-referential thought and reward sensitivity, indicating that the functional disparities between sexes may underlie unique cognitive and behavioral patterns.</p>
<p>This link between brain organization and cognitive outcomes opens new avenues for sex-specific research in cognitive neuroscience and clinical work, emphasizing the importance of sex in the study of brain health and disorders.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2310012121">Deep learning models reveal replicable, generalizable, and behaviorally relevant sex differences in human functional brain organization</a>”, was authored by Srikanth Ryali, Yuan Zhang, Carlo de los Angeles, Kaustubh Supekar, and Vinod Menon.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
New research sheds light on the global impact of problematic pornography use
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/new-research-sheds-light-on-the-global-impact-of-problematic-pornography-use/

<p>A comprehensive international study involving tens of thousands of participants from dozens of countries suggests that problematic pornography use might have a prevalence rate as high as 16.6%. The findings, published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.16431"><em>Addiction</em></a>, shed light on how problematic use of pornography is affecting people in different parts of the world, and across various genders and sexual orientations.</p>
<p>Problematic pornography use refers to a condition where individuals experience an uncontrollable urge to consume pornography, leading to significant distress or impairment in their daily functioning. This might manifest in various aspects of life, such as personal relationships, work, and mental health. The <a href="https://www.psypost.org/frequent-pornography-use-is-not-a-sufficient-indicator-of-problematic-use/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">frequency of use alone does not determine problematic use</a>; rather, it&#8217;s the compulsive nature of the behavior and its negative repercussions that are diagnostic of problematic pornography use.</p>
<p>The advent of the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder in the latest International Statistical Classification of Diseases has brought problematic pornography use into greater focus. Despite extensive research spanning over two decades, critical gaps remained, particularly concerning the experiences of women, gender-diverse individuals, and people from non-Western cultures.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were interested in problematic pornography use worldwide for two reasons,&#8221; explained study author Beáta Bőthe, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Montreal and director of the <a href="https://www.starlaboratory.ca/">Sexuality, Technology, and Addictions Research Laboratory (STAR Lab)</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;First, most people use pornography, but only a small group of them develop problems with it. So we wanted to see how many people may experience such problems worldwide and whether there are any country-, gender-, or sexual-orientation-based differences, as most previous studies focused on really specific populations (e.g., men from the United States).&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Second, problematic pornography use can be considered one of the most common manifestations of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder, which is a new diagnosis in the World Health Organization’s diagnostic manual (the International Classification of Diseases). Given that this is a manual used around the world, we found it important to provide reliable assessment tools in different languages to be able to measure problematic pornography use.&#8221;</p>
<p>The foundation of the research was the <a href="https://internationalsexsurvey.org/">International Sex Survey (ISS)</a>, a pre-registered, self-report study executed across 42 countries. This monumental effort gathered data from 82,243 participants between October 2021 and May 2022. This sample included a significant representation of women (57.0%), men (39.6%), and gender-diverse individuals (3.4%), alongside a broad spectrum of sexual orientations, predominantly heterosexual individuals (68.2%). The mean age of participants was 32.39 years.</p>
<p>Central to the study were validated tools designed to assess problematic pornography use: the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale (PPCS) and its short version (PPCS-6), along with the Brief Pornography Screen (BPS). These instruments measure various dimensions of PPU, such as the importance of pornography in one&#8217;s life, mood modification, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms.</p>
<p>One of the study&#8217;s central revelations was the estimated prevalence of problematic pornography use, which ranged between 3.2% (based on PPCS scores) to 16.6% (based on BPS scores) among the surveyed populations. Men reported the highest levels of problematic pornography use, followed by gender-diverse individuals and women. However, interestingly, the study found no significant differences in problematic pornography use levels across different sexual orientations.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think one of the most important takeaway messages from our study is that problematic pornography use seems to be as common as other mental health issues (e.g., depression), so we need to better understand this problem and provide appropriate care for people experiencing this issue,&#8221; Bőthe told PsyPost. &#8220;Still, despite increasing moral panic around pornography, we should not consider pornography use in itself a public health crisis.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite a noticeable percentage of participants scoring above the established cut-offs for problematic pornography use, only a small fraction had sought treatment. This finding highlights a gap between the need for support and the actual utilization of treatment services.</p>
<p>&#8220;Probably the most surprising finding of the study is that only 4-10% of individuals with problematic pornography sought help for this issue, with an additional 20–40% wanting to but did not do so for various reasons,&#8221; Bőthe explained. &#8220;Some of them didn’t know where or how to seek help, while others couldn’t afford therapy or would have felt embarrassed about their problem.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This result highlights that we, as researchers and practitioners in the field, still have a lot to do to promote better access to evidence-based treatment for problematic pornography use.&#8221;</p>
<p>In addition, countries like Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Turkey, and Brazil showed the highest problematic pornography use scores, hinting at the role of cultural, societal, and possibly regulatory environments in shaping individuals&#8217; experiences with pornography.</p>
<p>However, &#8220;one major limitation of the study is that we were not able to collect data from as many participants as we planned from all countries, so we need to be careful when we want to generalize the study’s findings to specific countries or when comparing findings between countries,&#8221; Bőthe noted.</p>
<p>By providing a clearer picture of its prevalence and the factors that influence it, the research paves the way for more effective interventions for those struggling with pornography use.</p>
<p>&#8220;The ultimate goal of this line of research is to provide help and support for people who experience problems with their pornography use,&#8221; Bőthe said. &#8220;Now, as we identified specific groups of people who may be at a higher risk of developing such problems, we will focus on identifying risk and protective factors that may contribute to the development of problematic vs non-problematic pornography use.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16431" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Problematic pornography use across countries, genders, and sexual orientations: Insights from the International Sex Survey and comparison of different assessment tools</a>,&#8221; was authored by Beáta Bőthe, Léna Nagy, Mónika Koós, Zsolt Demetrovics, Marc N. Potenza, the International Sex Survey Consortium, and Shane W. Kraus.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
People often rely on YouTube videos to make health-related decisions
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/people-often-rely-on-youtube-videos-to-make-health-related-decisions/

<p>A recent study found that 88% of participants engaged with health-related content on YouTube. Among these viewers, 85% make health-related decisions influenced by their viewing habits. Furthermore, 44% of users resort to YouTube for guidance on whether to seek medical advice or adopt certain health practices. The most sought-after videos in this segment are related to exercise and bodybuilding. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17585-5"><em>BMC Public Health</em></a>.</p>
<p>YouTube is a popular online video-sharing platform that allows users to upload, share, and view videos on a wide range of topics, including entertainment, education, and news. It was founded in February 2005 and has since become one of the largest and most influential digital media platforms globally. Users can interact with videos by liking, commenting, and subscribing to channels, and the platform also serves as a significant source of revenue for content creators through advertising and partnerships.</p>
<p>YouTube is also a popular source of health-related content. Studies indicate that the percentage of U.S. adults watching this kind of content on YouTube has increased from 40% in 2020 to 59% in 2022. People are not only watching health-related content on this platform, but also use it to seek support from others who share similar health-related conditions, find answers to their health-related questions, and even to gather information prior to planned medical interventions. Recognizing this trend, in 2022 YouTube introduced the “YouTube Health” initiative aiming to help individuals find trustworthy sources of public health information.</p>
<p>Study authors Fatma Mohamed and Abdulhadi Shoufan wanted to explore the experience of users watching health-related videos on YouTube. They were interested in the share of users that watch this kind of content and how often, how many of them make decisions based on YouTube health-related content, how they perceive the quality of the content, and in a number of other topics.</p>
<p>The study surveyed 3,000 YouTube users via Prolific Academic, requiring participants to be English-fluent and over 18 years old.</p>
<p>The online survey inquired about demographic information, behaviors related to viewing YouTube&#8217;s health-related content, decision-making influenced by these videos, perceptions of their usefulness or bias, quality assessments, and suggestions for enhancing the quality of health-related video content.</p>
<p>The findings revealed that 2,630 out of 3,000 participants (88%) watched health-related content on YouTube, and 2,542 (85%) made decisions influenced by YouTube&#8217;s health-related videos. Additionally, 44% indicated that their choice to consult a doctor was influenced by YouTube content. Among the participants, 16.5% frequently watched health-related videos, and 15.7% often made health-related decisions based on YouTube content.</p>
<p>In the realm of health-related content, exercise and bodybuilding videos were the most popular, watched by 53% of the participants. This was followed by mental health (47%), well-being (42%), diet programs (37%), dermatology (28%), and cosmetics (23%), with other content categories attracting fewer viewers.</p>
<p>Generally, users found the videos beneficial, with bodybuilding and physical therapy programs receiving the highest utility ratings. Conversely, videos on alternative medicine and deciding whether to consult a doctor garnered the lowest ratings, though they were still positively viewed.</p>
<p>The researchers concluded, &#8220;Users turn to YouTube not only for health information but also as a decision-making tool. Combined with their generally positive attitudes towards content quality on this platform, this can have significant consequences for their health.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study makes an important contribution to the scientific understanding of the impact of YouTube videos on health-related behaviors. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on an online sample which is likely international. Studies on groups more representative of the general population might not yield equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17585-5">Users’ experience with health-related content on YouTube: an exploratory study,</a>” was authored by Fatma Mohamed and Abdulhadi Shoufan.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 25, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
ChatGPT linked to declining academic performance and memory loss in new study
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/chatgpt-linked-to-declining-academic-performance-and-memory-loss-in-new-study/

<p>Students tend to turn to ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence tool, when faced with increased academic workload and time constraints, according to new research published in the <a href="https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7"><em>International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education</em></a>. The study also reveals a concerning trend: reliance on ChatGPT is linked to procrastination, memory loss, and a decline in academic performance. These findings shed light on the role of generative AI in education, suggesting both its widespread use and potential drawbacks.</p>
<p>The motivation behind this research stems from the explosive growth of generative AI technologies in educational settings. Despite their potential to assist in learning and research, there&#8217;s a growing concern among educators about their misuse, especially in relation to academic integrity. Previous studies have largely focused on theoretical discussions without much empirical data to support the claims.</p>
<p>&#8220;My interest in this topic stemmed from the growing prevalence of generative artificial intelligence in academia and its potential impact on students,&#8221; explained study author <a href="http://isb.nu.edu.pk/Faculty/Details/9488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Muhammad Abbas</a>, an associate professor at the FAST School of Management at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences in Pakistan. &#8220;For the last year, I observed an increasing, uncritical, reliance on generative AI tools among my students for various assignments and projects I assigned. This prompted me to delve deeper into understanding the underlying causes and consequences of its usage among them.&#8221;</p>
<p>To understand these dynamics, the study was conducted in two phases. Initially, the researchers developed and validated a scale to measure university students&#8217; use of ChatGPT for academic purposes. They began by generating an initial set of 12 items, which was refined to 10 after expert evaluations for content validity. Further refinement through an exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing led to the final selection of eight items that effectively measured the extent of ChatGPT&#8217;s academic use.</p>
<p>The scale included items such as: &#8220;I use ChatGPT for my course assignments,&#8221; &#8220;I am addicted to ChatGPT when it comes to studies,&#8221; and &#8220;ChatGPT is part of my campus life.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the second phase of the study, the researchers sought to validate the findings from the first phase while also testing specific hypotheses related to ChatGPT&#8217;s impact. The sample consisted of 494 university students who were surveyed across three timepoints, each separated by a 1-2 week interval.</p>
<p>This time-lagged approach allowed the researchers to first gather data on predictor variables (academic workload, time pressure, sensitivity to rewards, and sensitivity to quality), followed by the measurement of ChatGPT usage, and finally, the assessment of outcomes (procrastination, memory loss, and academic performance).</p>
<p>Abbas and his colleagues found that high levels of academic workload and time pressure were significant predictors of increased ChatGPT usage, suggesting that students under significant academic stress are more likely to turn to generative AI tools for assistance.</p>
<p>Students who were more sensitive to rewards were less inclined to use ChatGPT, indicating a possible concern about the academic integrity and the potential negative consequences of relying on AI for academic tasks.</p>
<p>Moreover, the study uncovered significant adverse effects of ChatGPT usage on students&#8217; personal and academic outcomes. Increased reliance on ChatGPT was associated with higher levels of procrastination and memory loss, and a negative impact on academic performance, as reflected in students&#8217; grade point averages. These findings suggest that while ChatGPT can be a valuable resource under certain circumstances, its excessive use might lead to detrimental effects on learning behaviors and outcomes.</p>
<p>&#8220;One surprising finding was the role of sensitivity to rewards,&#8221; Abbas told PsyPost. &#8220;Contrary to expectations, students who were more sensitive to rewards were less likely to use generative AI. Another surprising finding was the positive relationship of generative AI usage with procrastination and self-reported memory loss – and negative relationship between generative AI usage and academic performance.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study did not find a significant relationship between sensitivity to quality and ChatGPT usage, suggesting that concerns over the quality of academic work do not necessarily influence the decision to use AI tools.</p>
<p>The findings highlight the potential dual impact of ChatGPT in academia, serving both as a helpful tool under academic pressure and as a potential risk to academic integrity and student learning outcomes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The average person should recognize the dark side of excessive generative AI usage,&#8221; Abbas said. &#8220;While these tools offer convenience, they can also lead to negative consequences such as procrastination, memory loss, and compromised academic performance. Also, factors like academic workload, sensitivity to rewards, and time pressure play significant roles in influencing students&#8217; decision to use generative AI.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study provides important details about ChatGPT usage among university students. But the study, like all research, includes limitations. For example, the time-lagged design, while more robust than cross-sectional designs, does not entirely eliminate the possibility of reciprocal relationships.</p>
<p>The study suggests a one-way impact of ChatGPT usage on students&#8217; academic workload and personal outcomes, such as procrastination and memory loss. However, it&#8217;s conceivable that these relationships could be bidirectional. For instance, students who are prone to procrastination might be more inclined to use ChatGPT, rather than ChatGPT usage leading to increased procrastination.</p>
<p>The research opens the door to investigating the broader effects of ChatGPT usage on students&#8217; learning outcomes and health. Future research could delve into how reliance on generative AI tools affects cognitive skills, mental health, and overall learning experiences.</p>
<p>&#8220;My long-term goals involve expanding this line of research to further explore through other methods, such as experiments, how excessive use of generative AI affects students’ outcomes,&#8221; Abbas said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-024-00444-7">Is it harmful or helpful? Examining the causes and consequences of generative AI usage among university students</a>,&#8221; was authored by Muhammad Abbas, Farooq Ahmed Jam, and Tariq Iqbal Khan.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Political loyalties shape economic sentiments among consumers, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/political-loyalties-shape-economic-sentiments-among-consumers-study-finds/

<p>In a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ecin.13215">new study</a> led by Hector Sandoval at the University of Florida&#8217;s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, it was discovered that national elections, particularly those marking a transition of political power, significantly influence consumer sentiment and spending intentions more than previously understood. This research provides novel insights into the relationship between political events and economic behavior among consumers in Florida.</p>
<p>Economic researchers have long grappled with understanding the dynamic between consumer sentiment—a reflection of public confidence in the economy—and actual spending behavior. Despite the extensive data available, conclusive evidence tying these two factors together has been elusive. Sandoval&#8217;s team conducted this study to bridge this gap, inspired by a similar investigation in Australia in 2018.</p>
<p>&#8220;Consumer sentiment surveys have existed for nearly 75 years, yet the causal relationship between sentiment and consumption is mixed and scarce,&#8221; Sandoval said.</p>
<p>For their study, Sandoval and his co-author, Anita N. Walsh, analyzed data from the University of Florida Consumer Attitude Survey, a rich source of monthly insights into the minds of consumers spanning from 1991 to 2019. This period encapsulates four presidential elections and one gubernatorial election, pivotal moments that potentially influenced consumer attitudes and behaviors due to shifts in political power.</p>
<p>These surveys ask a range of questions, with the primary inquiry being: &#8220;Do you think now is a good or a bad time for people to buy major household items?&#8221; Following this central query, there are six additional questions probing specific major purchases, like cars, apparel, housing, etc.</p>
<p>The researchers found that consumers tend to exhibit more optimistic or pessimistic views about the economy based on whether the political party they affiliate with is in power. This sentiment shift is particularly stark immediately following presidential elections that result in a change of the governing party. For instance, survey respondents affiliated with the incoming party showed markedly increased optimism about future economic conditions.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the study establishes a significant causal link between shifts in consumer sentiment and spending intentions. Leveraging an instrumental variable approach to isolate the effect of sentiment from other economic variables, the findings illustrate that heightened optimism or pessimism post-election directly affects consumers&#8217; willingness to engage in significant spending, such as purchasing major household items, automobiles, and other durable goods.</p>
<p>Notably, the impact of consumer sentiment on spending intentions was robust across different presidential elections, suggesting a recurring pattern tied to political cycles. The study’s results indicate that this effect is not only statistically significant but also sizable, meaning that the shifts in consumer sentiment following elections have a meaningful impact on potential spending activities.</p>
<p>The researchers also explored the relationship between spending intentions and actual spending, employing state- and county-level sales tax data as proxies for consumer expenditures. Their analysis provides evidence that spending intentions, as influenced by political partisanship and subsequent shifts in sentiment, are indicative of actual spending behavior.</p>
<p>For example, counties with a higher proportion of voters affiliated with the party winning the presidency in 2016 saw increased spending on durable goods, underscoring the real-world implications of sentiment-driven spending intentions.</p>
<p>However, this study is not without its limitations. The reliance on survey data, while rich in detail, introduces potential biases based on respondents&#8217; willingness to disclose true feelings or intentions. Moreover, the focus on Florida, though reflective of a diverse and politically pivotal state, may not fully encapsulate the broader national sentiment. Recognizing these constraints, the researchers advocate for further studies, particularly at a national level, to validate and expand upon their findings.</p>
<p>&#8220;It would be interesting to observe whether similar patterns emerge in other states, especially concerning the impact of gubernatorial elections on sentiment,&#8221; Sandoval said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ecin.13215" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sentiments and spending intentions: Evidence from Florida</a>,&#8221; was published March 20, 2024 in the journal <em>Economic Inquiry</em>.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Study of NFL players finds no link between time spent playing football and alcohol consumption
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/study-of-nfl-players-finds-no-link-between-time-spent-playing-football-and-alcohol-consumption/

<p>A longitudinal study of NFL players found no association between the number of years an individual spent playing American football and alcohol use habits later in life. Similarly, alcohol use showed no association with the number of concussions a player sustained. The paper was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acad059"><em>Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology</em></a>.</p>
<p>Traumatic brain injury, a type of brain damage resulting from sudden impact or force to the head, can disrupt normal brain function. These injuries vary from mild (such as concussions) to severe. Severe traumatic brain injuries can result in long-term cognitive, physical, and emotional impairments. Moreover, repetitive brain injuries, sustained over time, can lead to similar effects.</p>
<p>Individuals who play American football are at a heightened risk of traumatic brain injuries, given the sport&#8217;s high-impact nature. The frequent collisions and tackles inherent to the game often result in head impacts. Research indicates that these repeated impacts, even without diagnosed concussions, can accumulate and elevate the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head traumas.</p>
<p>Efforts to mitigate the risk of brain injuries in American football have led to changes in the sport&#8217;s rules, advancements in protective gear like helmets, and better awareness and management protocols for concussions. Despite these improvements, traumatic brain injuries continue to be a major concern in the sport.</p>
<p>Research suggests a two-way relationship between traumatic brain injuries and alcohol use; individuals with a history of such injuries are prone to alcohol use, and excessive drinking can increase the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury for various reasons. Both conditions are linked to diminished neurobehavioral functioning. However, despite athletes&#8217; risk of traumatic brain injuries during their careers, studies have consistently found no link between these injuries and subsequent alcohol use.</p>
<p>In their new study, Brittany Lang and her team sought to explore the connection between concussion history, years spent playing American football, and later life alcohol use among former professional players. This study is part of the ongoing Neurologic Function across the Lifespan: A Prospective, LONGitudinal, and Translational Study for Former National Football League Players (NFL-LONG).</p>
<p>In 2001, a general health survey was dispatched to all living members of the NFL Retired Players Association, with 69% or 2,536 members responding. A revised survey was sent in 2019 to these members, and 1,784 of them responded, including 348 who had also completed the 2001 survey. This allowed researchers to compare responses from these two points, 18 years apart, in their analysis.</p>
<p>Participants provided information on their demographic background, concussion history, and the total years they played American football. The number of years played served as a proxy for the extent of repetitive head injuries sustained. Questions about alcohol consumption frequency and quantity per occasion were included, alongside the CAGE scale to measure problematic alcohol use. For this study, the authors analyzed concussion data from 2001 and alcohol use data from both survey points.</p>
<p>The study found a decrease in the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption among participants from 2001 to 2019. The proportion of abstainers increased from 19% to 26%, and among drinkers, the percentage consuming 1-2 drinks per occasion rose from 24% to 42%.</p>
<p>No link was found between problematic alcohol use symptoms and the years spent playing American football or concussion history. Similarly, concussion history was not associated with alcohol consumption patterns.</p>
<p>The study authors concluded, &#8220;In this study of former NFL players, alcohol use was not related to concussion history or total years of American football participation. These findings do not support the use of alcohol consumption behaviors as explanatory variables in linking head injury history to adverse neurobehavioral functioning in former football players.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study makes a valuable contribution to the scientific understanding of the relationship between traumatic head injuries and alcohol use in former professional athletes. However, it should be noted that professional athletes tend to be individuals very well aware of physical health issues and who were extremely physically fit during their careers in sports. Studies on the general population might not yield equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acad059">The Longitudinal Relationship Between Concussion History, Years of American Football Participation, and Alcohol Use Among Former National Football League Players: an NFL-LONG Study</a>”, was authored by Brittany Lang, Zachary Yukio Kerr, Avinash Chandran, Samuel R. Walton, Rebekah Mannix, Landon B. Lempke, J. D. DeFreese, Ruben J. Echemendia, Kevin M. Guskiewicz, William P. Meehan III, Michael A. McCrea, and Benjamin L. Brett.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 01:09PM
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TITLE:
Ad Campaign Uses Humor to Highlight Natural Gas Dangers
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=178376&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2024-03-23/ad-campaign-uses-humor-to-urge-americans-to-ditch-natural-gas

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>When environmentalists warn of climate change, it's usually in dire terms. The Gas Leaks Project (GasLeaks.org), formed by climate advocates, launched a $1 million campaign this week using humor to push back against oil and gas industry assertions that natural gas is a safe energy. Based in part on a 2022 Harvard study showing that natural gas used in homes contains hazardous pollutants, the campaign, &quot;Hot &amp; Toxic&quot; (hotandtoxic.com), is a riff...</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 , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Extended hours of video game play linked to negative physical symptoms
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/extended-hours-of-video-game-play-linked-to-negative-physical-symptoms/

<p>Video gaming has escalated into a dominant form of entertainment. But can excessive gaming causing health issues? A new study published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563224000499"><em>Computers in Human Behavior</em></a> casts a spotlight on these potential consequences. The research finds that engaging in video gaming sessions exceeding three hours in a single stretch is associated with a range of physical problems. This findings emphasize the need for interventions promoting healthier gaming habits to mitigate these physical impacts.</p>
<p>The bulk of research on video gaming&#8217;s impact has been skewed towards its psychological and behavioral effects, often highlighting concerns related to addiction and mental health. The World Health Organization&#8217;s inclusion of &#8220;gaming disorder&#8221; in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) underscores the growing recognition of potential negative outcomes associated with excessive gaming.</p>
<p>But the potential physical repercussions of excessive gaming has been mostly overlooked. Prior investigations have hinted at the possible physical repercussions of excessive gaming, but these insights have often come from studies with narrow focuses — such as those limited to specific high-risk groups. Recognizing this gap, researchers set out to explore the physical consequences of gaming over prolonged periods.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our interest in video gaming began when the World Health Organization included Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases, a manual used by doctors internationally to diagnose health problems. We have a general interest in how addictions affect young people, so this piqued our interest and we developed this study,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/23792">Daniel Stjepanović</a>, a senior research fellow at the National Centre for Youth Substance Use and the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland.</p>
<p>Conducted as part of the <a href="https://ncysur.centre.uq.edu.au/research/current-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 International Gaming Study</a>, this multi-site cross-sectional survey included 955 participants from four countries: Australia, Canada, the USA, and the UK. The diverse cohort, comprising a balanced mix of genders and a wide age range (18-94 years), provided a rich dataset for analysis. Participants reported their gaming habits, alongside any physical symptoms experienced as a result.</p>
<p>The researchers employed the Internet Gaming Disorder Test-10 (IGDT-10) to assess potential gaming disorders among participants. In addition, inquiries into aspirations towards professional gaming offered insights into how serious engagement with gaming might correlate with physical health outcomes.</p>
<p>Most of the participants (80%) played games daily, with a significant portion engaging in prolonged sessions weekly or daily. Specifically, 27.5% played for three or more hours per session weekly, while 16.2% did so daily. For sessions lasting six or more hours, 19.2% engaged weekly, and 9% daily. In addition, 17.9% of participants were classified with an internet gaming disorder over the past year, and 21.7% aspired to become professional players.</p>
<p>A significant proportion of participants reported physical problems directly attributed to their gaming habits. Eye fatigue was reported by 46.1% of participants, hand or wrist pain by 45.4%, and back or neck pain by 52.1%. These issues were not confined to a specific age group or gender.</p>
<p>The researchers found a dose-response relationship between the frequency of prolonged gaming sessions and the likelihood of reporting physical symptoms. Specifically, individuals who more often engaged in gaming sessions lasting three hours or more exhibited a higher propensity to report physical problems.</p>
<p>&#8220;The main takeaway is that three hours of continuous video game playing may be enough to increase someone’s risk of experiencing symptoms of physical harm,&#8221; Stjepanović told PsyPost. &#8220;This could be back pain, eye strain, hand or wrist pain or other physical conditions. The effect of video game play on physical harm is an area that hasn’t received much research attention, so we didn’t know what to expect going into this study. It was surprising to us that we saw the increased risk of harm at just three hours of continuous play.&#8221;</p>
<p>Furthermore, the researchers explored the potential influences of aspiring towards a professional gaming career and the presence of an internet gaming disorder on reported physical symptoms. While aspirations of becoming a professional gamer showed a tendency towards higher reports of physical issues, this did not reach the threshold of statistical significance. However, the presence of an internet gaming disorder demonstrated a more pronounced effect, with those meeting the criteria for such a disorder reporting significantly higher rates of physical problems.</p>
<p>However, &#8220;all research is limited in what it can do,&#8221; Stjepanović noted. &#8220;This work focussed only on people who game regularly, so we don’t know if what we found applies for more casual players. We also don’t know how other activities, such as having an office job where you use a computer for long stretches of time, affect the relationship we saw between video game play and physical harm.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We are hoping to expand the work we have done so far into other cultures where we know that video game play is different from the countries we have examined thus far (Australia, Canada, UK and USA),&#8221; he added. &#8220;Video gaming is an enjoyable and enriching experience for most people. We are trying to understand the positive and negative aspects of video gaming as part of our mission of advancing the wellbeing of young people.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108181" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Extended hours of video game play and negative physical symptoms and pain</a>,&#8221; was authored by Janni Leung, John B. Saunders, Daniel Stjepanović, Calvert Tisdale, Caitlin McClure-Thomas, Jason Connor, Matthew Gullo, Andrew P. Wood, and Gary Chung Kai Chan.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Researchers uncover ‘pornification’ trend among female streamers on Twitch
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/researchers-uncover-pornification-trend-among-female-streamers-on-twitch/

<p>In a new study published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02724-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a></em>, researchers investigated sexualized content on Twitch.tv, a livestreaming giant with a global daily viewership of 3 million. Their analysis of approximately 2,000 livestreams reveals a concerning trend: women are more frequently and intensely self-sexualizing than men, hinting at a broader pattern of &#8216;pornification&#8217; in digital content to lure audiences.</p>
<p>Studies on traditional media (such as TV and movies) have extensively documented the sexualization of women and its consequences. However, the interactive and user-driven nature of new digital platforms like Twitch.tv presents new dynamics that warrant exploration, especially as they become integral to daily entertainment and social interaction.</p>
<p>Unlike traditional media, where portrayals of women are often controlled by external entities, platforms like Twitch.tv allow individuals to curate their own online personas. This autonomy raises questions about the factors driving self-sexualization, including societal pressures, the pursuit of popularity, and the platform&#8217;s economic incentives.</p>
<p>&#8220;This topic intrigued us due to the growing popularity of live streaming platforms like Twitch.tv and the public concern regarding the sexualized culture that may arise in these environments. We wanted to explore how this culture specifically manifests based on the gender of the streamers,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://www.uah.es/es/estudios/profesor/Kristel-Anciones-Anguita/">Kristel Anciones-Anguita</a>, a professor at the University of Alcalá and member of the Isabel Muñoz Caravaca Chair of Gender Studies and INTED Group.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our study aimed to shed light on the nature and extent of sexualized culture in deeply masculinized environments such as live streaming platforms. We examined how some streamers resort to the pornification of their content to attract audiences and the potential implications for the perception and behavior of users, especially teenagers who have yet to internalize their beliefs about sexuality.&#8221;</p>
<p>To begin, the researchers collected a sample of 1,920 video clips from Twitch.tv. These clips were selected based on their popularity within the most frequented categories of the platform. The sampling process was carried out from September to October 2022, focusing on the top videos within the videogame and &#8220;In Real Life&#8221; (IRL) categories, which were further broken down into subcategories like &#8220;JustChatting,&#8221; &#8220;ASMR,&#8221; and &#8220;Pools, Hot Tubs &amp; Beaches.&#8221; This cross-sectional sampling aimed to capture the diversity of content and streaming practices on the platform.</p>
<p>The researchers excluded videos where the streamer&#8217;s image wasn&#8217;t shown and those featuring non-real images such as cartoons or 3D human representations. Each livestream was then evaluated based on a combination of factors such as clothing, exposed body parts, the focus of the image, posture, and behaviors that implied sexualization.</p>
<p>The results showed a clear gender disparity in self-sexualization. While the platform boasted a larger number of male streamers overall, female streamers were found to engage in self-sexualization to a much greater extent and intensity. Only two male streamers out of the entire sample were categorized as &#8220;hypersexual,&#8221; compared to 389 female streamers. Similarly, only 5 male streamers out of the entire sample were categorized as &#8220;sexual,&#8221; compared to 190 female streamers.</p>
<p>Female streamers were more likely to wear revealing clothing, focus the camera on their entire bodies, and exhibit behaviors or postures considered seductive or explicitly sexual. These findings underscore a notable difference in content presentation, with female streamers often leveraging their physical appearance and sexuality to attract viewership. In contrast, male streamers typically focused their streams on gaming prowess, conversations, or other non-sexualized content, seldom employing their physical appearance as a primary means of engagement.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were surprised by the significant difference in the levels of content sexualization based on the gender of the streamers,&#8221; Anciones-Anguita told PsyPost. &#8220;While men focus their content on talking or playing video games, it was found that the majority of streamers who used less clothing, simulated sexual acts, or displayed suggestive poses were women.&#8221;</p>
<p>The research also shed light on category-specific trends, revealing that self-sexualization was not uniformly distributed across Twitch.tv. Categories traditionally associated with gaming showed a lower prevalence of sexualized content among female streamers. In contrast, categories like ASMR and &#8220;Pools, Hot Tubs &amp; Beaches&#8221; not only had a higher representation of women but also exhibited much higher levels of sexualization.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s findings raise important concerns regarding the pressures and incentives that drive self-sexualization on digital platforms like Twitch.tv. These patterns of self-sexualization also have potential implications for the shaping of audience attitudes towards gender and sexuality.</p>
<p>&#8220;The intersection of self-objectification with issues such as sexual exploitation and human trafficking underscores the urgent need for platforms and policymakers to address these complex challenges,&#8221; Anciones-Anguita said. &#8220;Especially because, despite references to the concept of sexual freedom, self-sexualization often responds to a patriarchal idea created based on the male ideology.&#8221;</p>
<p>While this study sheds light on significant trends, it also has limitations, such as its focus on specific Twitch.tv categories. Future research could utilize a longitudinal design to examine trends over time, explore less popular streamers, or incorporate mixed methods to capture a fuller spectrum of the Twitch.tv experience and its impacts on both streamers and viewers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our long-term goals for this line of research include deepening our understanding of how online sexualized culture affects adolescent girls and boys and how we can work to create more inclusive and healthy online communities,&#8221; Anciones-Anguita said.</p>
<p>&#8220;This study is just the beginning, and there is much more to explore in terms of the pornification of culture and its psychological impact on users. I hope that this work stimulates further research and conversations on this important topic.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-02724-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sexualized culture on livestreaming platforms: a content analysis of Twitch.tv</a>,&#8221; was authored by Kristel Anciones-Anguita and Mirian Checa-Romero.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
These 11 blood proteins can predict dementia a decade in advance
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/these-11-blood-proteins-can-predict-dementia-a-decade-in-advance/

<p>In the largest study of its kind, scientists have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00565-0">discovered</a> that a blood test detecting specific proteins could predict dementia up to 15 years before a person receives an official diagnosis.</p>
<p>The researchers found 11 proteins that have a remarkable 90% accuracy in predicting future dementia.</p>
<p>Dementia is the UK’s biggest <a href="https://dementiastatistics.org/about-dementia/deaths/#:%7E:text=The%20leading%20cause%20of%20death%20across%20the%20UK%20in%202022,in%202022%20compared%20to%202021.">killer</a>. Over 900,000 people in the UK are living with the memory-robbing condition, yet less than two-thirds of people receive a formal diagnosis. Diagnosing dementia is tricky and relies on various methods.</p>
<p>These include lumbar punctures (to look for certain telltale proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid), PET scans and memory tests. These methods are invasive, time-consuming and expensive, putting a heavy burden on the NHS. This means that many people are only diagnosed when they have memory and cognitive problems. By this point, the dementia may have been progressing for years and any support or health plan may be too late.</p>
<p>Those with undiagnosed dementia, and their families, cannot attend clinical trials, have an organised healthcare plan or access essential support. So improving dementia diagnosis would provide earlier support and give patients a longer, healthier and more prosperous life.</p>
<p>In this <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00565-0">latest study</a>, researchers at the University of Warwick in England and Fudan University in China examined blood samples from 52,645 healthy volunteers from the UK Biobank genetic database between 2006 and 2010. Over the ten- to 15-year follow-up period, around 1,400 developed dementia.</p>
<p>The researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse 1,463 proteins in the blood. They identified 11 proteins associated with dementia, of which four could predict dementia up to 15 years before a clinical diagnosis.</p>
<p>When combining this data with more regular risk factors of age, sex, education and genetics, the dementia prediction rate was around 90%.</p>
<p>These proteins found in the plasma (the liquid component of blood) are biological markers for the changes that occur in dementia sufferers over a decade before clinical symptoms first appear. They act as warning signs of the disease.</p>
<h2>Why these proteins?</h2>
<p>The four proteins most strongly associated with all-cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (accounting for 70% of all dementias) and vascular dementia (accounting for 20%) are GFAP, NEFL, GDF15 and LTBP2.</p>
<p>Scientists showed GFAP to be the best “biomarker” for predicting dementia. GFAP’s function is to support nerve cells called astrocytes.</p>
<p>A symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8775769/#B42-ijms-23-00616">inflammation</a>, and this causes astrocytes to make a lot of GFAP. Consequently, people with dementia display increased inflammation, resulting in higher levels of GFAP, making it a prominent biomarker.</p>
<p>The study showed that people with higher GFAP were more than twice as likely to develop dementia as people with low levels. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-01137-1">Smaller studies</a> have also identified GFAP to be a potential marker for dementia.</p>
<p>NEFL is the second protein that is most strongly associated with dementia risk. This protein relates to nerve fibre damage. Combining NEFL or GFAP with demographic data and cognitive tests significantly improves the accuracy of dementia prediction.</p>
<p>Proteins GD15 and LTBP2, both involved in inflammation, cell growth and death, and cellular stress, are also strongly linked to increased dementia risk.</p>
<p>But despite the study’s discovery, other scientists <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14737159.2023.2289553">warn</a> that the new biomarkers require further validation before they can be used as a screening tool.</p>
<h2>The bigger picture</h2>
<p>Other initiatives are also promoting the adoption of blood tests as a widespread screening method in diagnosing dementia, including the <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/a-five-year-project-to-bring-alzheimers-blood-tests-to-the-nhs/">Blood Biomarker Challenge</a>, a five-year project aiming to use NHS blood tests to diagnose diseases that lead to dementia by looking at traces of brain proteins leaked into the bloodstream.</p>
<p>The exciting advent of new dementia drugs such as <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-converts-novel-alzheimers-disease-treatment-traditional-approval">lecanemab</a> and <a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/treatments/donanemab#:%7E:text=Is%20donanemab%20FDA%2Dapproved%3F,expects%20action%20by%20early%202024.">donanemab</a>, not yet approved for use in the UK, has the potential to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.</p>
<p>Patients seeking lecanemab or donanemab treatment would require an early-stage diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Research UK <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/news/bbc-panorama-captures-the-promise-and-challenges-of-new-alzheimers-treatments/#:%7E:text=The%20diagnostic%20tests%2C%20a%20PET,around%202%2C000%20patients%20a%20year.">estimates</a> that only 2% of patients undergo such diagnostic testing.</p>
<p>The study shows that blood tests are an effective way to detect dementia early by identifying specific proteins, providing the patient with the best possible opportunity to receive life-changing treatment.</p>
<p>Early diagnosis of dementia would result in a more effective treatment. A simple blood test has the potential to replace the costly, time-consuming and invasive tests currently used for dementia patients, ultimately improving the quality of many lives.<!-- 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/223593/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/dementia-can-be-predicted-more-than-a-decade-before-diagnosis-with-these-blood-proteins-223593">original article</a>.</em></p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 24, 2024 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
The neuroscience of groove: Why certain rhythms make us want to dance
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/the-neuroscience-of-groove-why-certain-rhythms-make-us-want-to-dance/

<p>Have you ever found yourself tapping your foot or nodding your head to the rhythm of a catchy tune, seemingly without any effort? It turns out, there&#8217;s a scientific explanation behind our instinctual desire to move along with music. A recent study published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi2525"><em>Science Advances</em></a> sheds light on why certain rhythms make us want to dance more than others.</p>
<p>By analyzing brain activity and the sensation known as &#8216;groove,&#8217; researchers discovered that a rhythm of moderate complexity triggers the highest desire to move. This desire is mirrored in our brains, particularly within the left sensorimotor cortex, hinting at a deeply intertwined relationship between motor actions and sensory processes.</p>
<p>Prior studies have shown that even without actual movement, the perception of rhythmic music can activate areas of the brain associated with movement, such as the premotor cortices and basal ganglia. This activation suggests a link between how we process time through movement and how we perceive music.</p>
<p>Building on this foundation, the authors of the new study aimed to unravel the neurophysiological underpinnings of the groove by examining how changes in rhythmic properties of music could induce motor engagement through alterations in audio-motor neural dynamics.</p>
<p>&#8220;In speech and music, rhythm appears to be a crucial parameter for capturing auditory sensory information. Furthermore, previous studies have implicated the motor-dedicated cortical area in time perception. Initially, we aimed to investigate the implications of these motor dynamics in auditory perception,&#8221; said Arnaud Zalta, the first author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at ENS-PSL.</p>
<p>To explore these dynamics, the researchers conducted a series of experiments involving 111 participants across different settings, including online surveys, magnetoencephalography (MEG) sessions, and control tapping tasks. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 71 years, with a majority being females, and were selected without regard to their musical or dance background.</p>
<p>In the core of these experiments was a collection of 12 original melodies, each manipulated to vary in rhythmic predictability by adjusting the degree of syncopation. Syncopation, in this context, refers to the disruption of regular rhythm by placing accents on weak beats, creating a musical &#8220;hiccup&#8221; that challenges the listener&#8217;s temporal expectations.</p>
<p>For the online survey component, participants were directed to a webpage where they listened to each melody through headphones or earphones. After each melody, they rated their level of groove on a Likert scale, expressing how much they felt moved to dance. This straightforward task was designed to capture the subjective experience of groove in a controlled yet flexible online setting.</p>
<p>In the laboratory, the MEG experiment took a deeper dive into the neurological underpinnings of groove. Participants listened to the same set of melodies while their brain activity was recorded using MEG, a technique capable of detecting the magnetic fields generated by neural activity. This allowed the researchers to observe how different rhythms influenced brain dynamics, particularly in areas associated with movement and auditory processing.</p>
<p>Finally, the control tapping experiment provided a behavioral counterpart to the brain imaging data. Participants tapped along to the rhythms of the melodies on a keyboard, offering a tangible measure of their motor engagement with the music. This task complemented the MEG findings by linking the subjective feeling of groove with observable motor responses.</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that our desire to dance, or the feeling of groove, is most strongly elicited by melodies with a medium level of syncopation. This finding implies that rhythms which strike a balance between predictability and rhythmic complexity are the most effective in inducing the urge to dance. In other words, rhythms that are neither too simple nor too complex, but rather those that offer a moderate challenge to our anticipatory and motor systems, are most likely to get us on our feet.</p>
<p>The researchers further uncovered that this groove sensation is closely tied to specific patterns of brain activity. Participants exhibited a unique neural response when listening to syncopated rhythms, with the left sensorimotor cortex — a brain region involved in coordinating auditory and motor information — playing a pivotal role.</p>
<p>This area of the brain showed increased engagement when participants were exposed to rhythms that evoked a strong desire to move. This suggests that the left sensorimotor cortex not only processes the music we hear but also anticipates and prepares our bodies for movement, acting as a bridge between hearing a rhythm and physically responding to it.</p>
<p>&#8220;The brain region which is the site of the left sensorimotor cortex is currently considered to be the potential cornerstone of sensorimotor integration, essential for the perception of both music and speech. The fact that it appears in our study as necessary for ‘cooperation’ between the auditory and motor systems reinforces this hypothesis, especially as we are using natural stimuli here,&#8221; explained senior author Benjamin Morillon of Aix-Marseille Université.</p>
<p>Moreover, the study introduced a neurodynamic model to explain the transformation of syncopated rhythms into the subjective experience of groove. This model proposes that our brains interpret the rhythms through a network of oscillators, which then translate these rhythms into motor engagement signals. Interestingly, the degree of syncopation correlated with neural activity at a specific frequency (2 Hz), indicating that our brain&#8217;s response to music involves an interaction between auditory perception and motor preparation.</p>
<p>&#8220;Motor actions and sensory processes are closely intertwined to help us adapt better to our environment,&#8221; Zalta told PsyPost. &#8220;Specifically, when we listen to something, time becomes crucial as the auditory stimuli inherently impose high temporal constraints. When the auditory brain regions struggle to process temporal information accurately, motor dynamics appear to be recruited.</p>
<p>&#8220;Furthermore, we observed that sensorimotor regions play a mediating role between sensory auditory and motor regions. In short, it is the interplay of these three regions that gives rise to the sensation of groove.&#8221;</p>
<p>The research also highlighted a spectral gradient along the dorsal auditory pathways when participants listened to music. This means that as one moves from the auditory regions of the brain towards the motor areas, the dominant frequency of brain activity progressively increases. Lower frequencies were noted in regions closer to auditory processing, while higher frequencies were found as the gradient approached areas implicated in motor control.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we examined the cortical dynamics of the brain during our task, we observed an ascending postero-anterior gradient which was not expected,&#8221; Zalta said. &#8220;However, this gradient does not seem to be related to the sensation of groove or the level of syncopation of the stimuli. This phenomenon remains unclear.&#8221;</p>
<p>Regarding the long-term goals for this line of research, Zalta explained that &#8220;the dopaminergic system is closely intertwined with motor processes and has been implicated in time perception. I aim to delve deeper into investigating this neurotransmitter.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adi2525" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neural dynamics of predictive timing and motor engagement in music listening</a>,&#8221; was authored by Arnaud Zalta, Edward W. Large, Daniele Schön, and Benjamin Morillon.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
What does “we’re just talking” mean? New psychology research unpacks the meaning behind contemporary dating slang
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/what-does-were-just-talking-mean-new-psychology-research-unpacks-the-meaning-behind-contemporary-dating-slang/

<p>A recent study sheds light on the phrase &#8220;just talking,&#8221; a term commonly used by college students to describe a stage in their romantic or sexual interactions. The research, published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21676968241234398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emerging Adulthood</a></em>, suggests that &#8220;just talking&#8221; is not merely a euphemism for casual dating or hooking up but rather a linguistic tool that allows for the cultivation of intimacy in an environment where the overt pursuit of emotional connection and romantic relationships is often stigmatized.</p>
<p>The concept of &#8220;just talking&#8221; emerged against a backdrop where sexual and romantic behaviors on college campuses have been predominantly viewed through the lens of hookup culture. This culture emphasizes casual, non-committed sexual interactions, overshadowing the pursuit of emotional intimacy and committed relationships. Yet, despite this prevailing view, the term &#8220;just talking&#8221; began to surface in conversations among young adults, suggesting a different approach to forming connections.</p>
<p>Intrigued by the lack of academic exploration into this phenomenon, researchers at Binghamton University&#8217;s <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/labs/human-sexualities-lab/index.html">Human Sexualities Lab</a> conducted a study to better understand what &#8220;just talking&#8221; entails and how it functions within the social dynamics of college life.</p>
<p>The research into the phenomenon of &#8220;just talking&#8221; began with an exploratory survey aimed at unpacking the meanings and purposes behind this contemporary slang. The survey was distributed to 403 participants at a mid-sized public university, with questions designed to probe the definition, purpose, and communication methods associated with &#8220;just talking.&#8221;</p>
<p>The survey results revealed that &#8220;just talking&#8221; is perceived as a form of amorous activity that could include physical intimacy but is primarily characterized by its non-committal nature. Participants noted that &#8220;just talking&#8221; could serve as a prelude to more formalized relationships, indicating a process of getting to know someone with the potential for escalation.</p>
<p>Importantly, the findings underscored the ambiguity of &#8220;just talking,&#8221; with responses varying significantly regarding its emotional and physical intimacy levels.</p>
<p>A key insight was the role of &#8220;just talking&#8221; in facilitating intimate connections without the pressure of formal commitment. The survey also highlighted the predominant use of smartphones and social media as communication channels among individuals engaged in &#8220;just talking,&#8221; reflecting the digital age&#8217;s influence on modern romantic interactions.</p>
<p>“I do think romance is more important to emerging adults than people may think,” said Melissa Hardesty, co-investigator at the Human Sexualities Lab. “My guess is that romance never went away, but the dominant college culture is centered around drinking alcohol and finding sexual partners. My best guess is that a cultural shift has been in the works for some time, but social scientists don&#8217;t usually detect these things until they&#8217;re well underway.”</p>
<p>Building on the survey&#8217;s findings, the researchers conducted focus groups to further investigate the nuances of &#8220;just talking.&#8221; These discussions were organized with 37 students and revolved around an eleven-question semi-structured interview guide, which was informed by the initial survey data.</p>
<p>The focus groups provided evidence that &#8220;just talking&#8221; often signifies a stage of exploration and gradual intimacy building, beginning with interactions on social media platforms and potentially progressing to more personal forms of communication. Participants distinguished &#8220;just talking&#8221; from hooking up, emphasizing its potential for developing deeper, more personal connections. It was seen as a pathway to discovering shared interests, values, and ideologies, crucial for determining compatibility before potentially entering into a committed relationship.</p>
<p>The focus groups revealed that while &#8220;just talking&#8221; allows for emotional intimacy and connection, it also serves as a linguistic tool to navigate the pressures and expectations surrounding modern romantic relationships. By engaging in &#8220;just talking,&#8221; individuals can explore potential romantic interests without the implications of commitment, thereby maintaining a sense of autonomy and freedom in their relational explorations.</p>
<p>For example, one participant stated: &#8220;You don’t want to necessarily put, like, a label on anything, especially because, like, a lot of the labels we have are either ‘in a relationship’ or ‘friends with benefits’ so there’s not a lot of labels [&#8230;] to necessarily use [&#8230;] it’s a kind of a label without a label.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hardesty explained: “In hookup culture, emotional attachments are taboo (though they do occur); just talking allows students to form emotional intimacy while downplaying the significance of such intimacy – they&#8217;re <em>just talking</em>. It’s striking to me that students have difficulty recognizing courtship, which is a process rather than a status.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think this may be because a sex and gender-integrated social environment allows people to meet potential partners without a formal courtship strategy in place. Students almost certainly courted one another outside of hookup culture prior to the emergence of ‘just talking’, but there didn&#8217;t seem to be a dominant/recognizable strategy.&#8221;</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes limitations. For example, the study&#8217;s non-random sampling and focus on a single university may restrict the generalizability of the findings. Future research could benefit from a broader demographic scope, including non-college young adults, to paint a more comprehensive picture of emerging adulthood and relationship dynamics.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the research contributes valuable insights into the evolving nature of romantic relationships among college students. It underscores the complexity of navigating intimacy in an environment marked by contradictory desires for connection and the maintenance of a non-committal facade.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968241234398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What Are College Students Talking About When They Say They’re “Just Talking?</a>&#8220;, was authored by Melissa Hardesty, Sayre E. Wilson, Leora Wasserman, Sarah Young, Sean Massey, and Ann Merriwether.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Therapy before COVID-19 offered protective shield against pandemic anxiety, research suggests
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/therapy-before-covid-19-offered-protective-shield-against-pandemic-anxiety-research-suggests/

<p>In a recent study, it was found that individuals who had undergone therapy for anxiety before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic fared better in terms of managing their anxiety during the high-stress period of the pandemic compared to the general population. Published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296949"><em>PLOS One</em></a>, the research highlights the importance of cognitive and behavioral skills in coping with anxiety during global stress events, suggesting a kind of protective shield for those equipped with these techniques.</p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably had a profound impact on the mental health of people worldwide, with a significant uptick in anxiety levels reported across various demographics. A notable increase in anxiety was documented from the early days of the pandemic in 2020, continuing through the initial rollout of vaccines in early 2021.</p>
<p>Amid this backdrop of widespread uncertainty and heightened perceived threat—a known trigger for anxiety—the study aimed to explore the pandemic&#8217;s effects on the treatment outcomes for anxiety, specifically the role of pre-pandemic therapy in navigating these turbulent times.</p>
<p>&#8220;At the start of the pandemic, I was terrified about my patients. The Center for Anxiety had to shift 500 patients to telehealth in just 2 weeks, and there were early reports of anxiety, depression, and suicidality on the rise,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://dhrosmarin.com/">David H. Rosmarin</a>, the founder of the Center for Anxiety, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, and author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/4amKrKo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thriving with Anxiety</a></em>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was very concerned about our patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders in particular. Surprisingly, I noticed that we did not have decompensations, increased safety risk, or escalations in need to hospitalize our patients.</p>
<p>&#8220;On the contrary, I observed clinically that our patients who were in treatment before the pandemic seemed to be doing better than others. This paper grew out of those “on-the-ground” clinical observations: Last year, I realized that we had the data to evaluate whether there were trends, and that’s what we did.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers conducted their study by analyzing data from 764 patients at the Center for Anxiety, a multisite outpatient clinic in the northeastern United States. Participants were categorized based on when they received treatment: before the pandemic, during its onset, throughout the pandemic, and after vaccines became available. Using self-reported measures of anxiety and detailed clinical interviews, the study tracked changes in anxiety levels across these groups over the course of treatment, specifically focusing on the first 100 days.</p>
<p>The researchers observed a pattern of anxiety reduction that held consistently across all groups, regardless of when their treatment commenced. This trajectory was characterized by an initial rapid decline in symptoms, succeeded by a steadier, more prolonged period of improvement.</p>
<p>This uniformity in treatment outcomes suggests a broad efficacy of therapy in managing anxiety, indicating that the skills and strategies learned through therapeutic interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are robust against the exacerbating potential of large-scale stressors like the pandemic.</p>
<p>&#8220;Having an anxiety disorder can make us surprisingly resilient if we get the skills/tools we need,&#8221; Rosmarin told PsyPost.</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the researchers found that those who had received therapy before the pandemic did not exhibit a spike in anxiety levels during the early, acute phase of the pandemic, a time of heightened uncertainty and stress for the global population. This observation hints at the enduring nature of the benefits conferred by therapy, suggesting that the coping mechanisms acquired through treatment can effectively mitigate the impact of significant external stressors.</p>
<p>&#8220;The findings are counterintuitive, but on the other hand, it makes sense that having a behavioral health concern can actually become a blessing if it sets a person on a more healthy trajectory going forward,&#8221; Rosmarin said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our findings optimistically suggests that the acquisition of psychosocial skills &#8212; such as recognizing and understanding your feelings, learning how to relax your mind and body, challenging negative thought patterns, and confronting rather than avoiding the source of your anxiety &#8212; is a key predictor of mental health, wellbeing, and resilience. Those who acquire such skills can benefit, even when facing significant life stressors,&#8221; added co-author Steven Pirutinsky, an assistant professor at Touro University.</p>
<p>However, this study is not without its limitations. The sample, while clinically diverse, was predominantly from a well-educated, higher socioeconomic background in the northeastern United States, which may not reflect the broader population&#8217;s experiences. Additionally, the pandemic-onset group was smaller than the others, potentially affecting the study&#8217;s findings. Despite these considerations, the results offer valuable insights into the role of therapy in fostering mental resilience.</p>
<p>&#8220;Geographically, these patients were in the Northeastern United States, generally well-educated and higher in socioeconomic status brackets,&#8221; Rosmarin noted. &#8220;However, there is other research to suggest that high SES individuals had the largest increase in anxiety during the pandemic, so in some ways, our findings are even more telling.&#8221;</p>
<p>Looking forward, the researchers are keen to explore the positive aspects of anxiety. Rather than viewing it solely as a disorder, they suggest that anxiety can also drive self-improvement when individuals apply effective coping strategies. This perspective shifts the narrative from anxiety as a pathological condition to a potential catalyst for positive change.</p>
<p>&#8220;I’m interested in how anxiety can potentially help us to thrive and grow in life,&#8221; Rosmarin explained. &#8220;We tend to think about anxiety and other concerns as &#8216;diseases,&#8217; and I don’t think that’s fully accurate. Yes, anxiety can become disordered, but it can also be a catalyst to growth and positive change when people implement tried-and-tested methods in their lives.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0296949" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Response to anxiety treatment before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic</a>,&#8221; was published March 13, 2024.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Formal musical training appears to strengthen the link between working memory and creativity
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/formal-musical-training-appears-to-strengthen-the-link-between-working-memory-and-creativity/

<p>A study conducted on young Italians found that the connection between working memory and divergent thinking is influenced by whether an individual has undergone formal musical training. This relationship proved to be stronger among individuals who have had more extensive formal musical education. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14010061"><em>Brain Sciences</em></a>.</p>
<p>Divergent thinking is a cognitive process that involves generating multiple, diverse solutions to a problem or question, often characterized by its open-ended and spontaneous nature. It is a key component of creativity, as it allows individuals to explore a wide range of possibilities and think outside the box. Creativity, on the other hand, is the ability to produce original and valuable ideas or solutions, often by combining or reimagining existing concepts in novel ways. While divergent thinking focuses on the generation of multiple ideas, creativity encompasses both the generation and the implementation of these ideas.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown that divergent thinking relies on a wide range of psychological factors including personality traits and emotional intelligence, but that it is also controlled by cognitive processes. Of these cognitive processes, working memory seems to play a critical role in divergent thinking because it allows an individual to hold the task instruction in mind, keep track of ideas without repeating them, and to mentally manipulate information.</p>
<p>Study author Maria Chiara Pino and her colleagues noted that people with formal musical background i.e., individuals who had formal musical training tend to show better working memory functioning. Due to this, they reasoned that people with more formal musical training might have higher working memory abilities and, consequently, be better at divergent thinking. They conducted a study to verify whether this is the case.</p>
<p>The study involved 83 healthy young adults, with an average age of 19-20 years, who participated in a larger study at the University of L’Aquila in Italy. Among these participants, 33 were female, and 39 reported having received formal music education at a conservatory.</p>
<p>Participants were assessed on their working memory (using the Digit Span Forward test) and divergent thinking abilities (using the alternative uses task from the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking). They also provided information on their experience playing musical instruments and their formal musical education.</p>
<p>Results showed that divergent thinking and working memory were indeed associated. Individuals with better working memory tended to score higher on the divergent thinking assessment. The number of years of formal musical training was not associated with either of these psychological factors. However, the association between working memory and divergent thinking was stronger among individuals with longer formal musical education.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found that a formal musical background moderates the relationship between WM [working memory] and DT [divergent thinking]. We hypothesize that musical training trains attentional processes and information processing abilities so that memory and idea-generation mechanisms are faster and more automatic,&#8221; the study authors concluded. &#8220;Additionally, our results show that the interaction of different individual resources can explain the divergence of thinking in individuals who practice music.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This is because a musical background is based on associative strategies and the strategy to focus on the relevant elements when integrating sensory, cognitive, and motor stimuli. The same associative and attentional processes are present when an individual faces a problem and tries to identify a better solution by generating several ideas. Thus, musical practices increase DT due to WM competences, which allow DT to activate associative processes and allocate attention resources.”</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between musical education and cognitive abilities. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a relatively small number of participants, all of similar age. Studies on different age or demographic groups might not yield equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14010061">The Association between Working Memory and Divergent Thinking: The Moderating Role of Formal Musical Background,</a>” was authored by Maria Chiara Pino, Marco Giancola, Massimiliano Palmiero, and Simonetta D’Amico.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
Watching alone or together? How different pornography habits are linked to romantic partners’ bond
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/watching-alone-or-together-how-different-pornography-habits-are-linked-to-romantic-partners-bond/

<p>The effects of pornography use on sexual behaviors and relationship outcomes have drawn significant attention from researchers. A recent study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02698-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archives of Sexual Behavior</a></em> sheds light on this complex relationship, focusing on how different types of pornography use — alone versus with a partner — relate to various sexual behaviors and, in turn, how these behaviors affect relationship dynamics.</p>
<p>The intrigue surrounding pornography&#8217;s role in modern relationships isn&#8217;t new. With its consumption becoming more common, researchers are keen to understand the nuances of how it influences both individual behaviors and interpersonal relationships. This study ventures into relatively uncharted territory by examining not just the direct impact of pornography on relationships but also how sexual behaviors may serve as a bridge between pornography use and relationship quality.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was interested in this topic because there is a lot of research out there about pornography use, and even a decent amount on how it affects relationships,&#8221; said study author Carson R. Dover, a research assistant at Brigham Young University. &#8220;However, I believed there was a gap in our understanding about <em>why</em> pornography affects relationships. To that end, I was interested to show more about how and why pornography use may be influencing relationship outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study included 2,519 individuals in the United States, who were 18 years or older and were in a committed relationship. These participants completed an online survey administered by Qualtrics, a widely recognized platform for academic research.</p>
<p>To capture the nuances of pornography use, the survey asked participants to report their frequency of consuming specific types of sexually explicit materials, both alone and jointly with their partner, over the past 12 months. Beyond pornography use, the survey collected data on various sexual behaviors, such as vaginal intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and the use of sex toys, asking participants to indicate the frequency of these activities with their partner.</p>
<p>Finally, to assess the impact on relationship outcomes, the study measured two key indicators: sexual satisfaction and relationship stability. These were gauged through a series of questions designed to reflect the participants&#8217; satisfaction with their sexual relationship and the perceived stability of their relationship over time.</p>
<p>The results showed that joint pornography use — where partners view pornography together — had more consistent associations with a range of sexual behaviors compared to solitary pornography use. This distinction underscores the importance of context in understanding the implications of pornography within relationships.</p>
<p>Joint pornography use was positively linked to all examined sexual behaviors. Solitary pornography use was associated only with increased frequency of sex toy use and anal sex, indicating a more limited scope of influence on sexual behaviors.</p>
<p>While some sexual behaviors associated with pornography use were linked to positive relationship outcomes, others had a negative correlation. Specifically, vaginal and oral sex were correlated with increased sexual satisfaction and, to a lesser extent, increased relationship stability. Conversely, anal sex was negatively related to relationship outcomes. This behavior was linked to lower relationship stability and sexual satisfaction, indicating that not all sexual explorations inspired by pornography are beneficial for relationship health.</p>
<p>Importantly, further analysis of indirect effects provided evidence that sexual behaviors served as a pathway between pornography use and relationship outcomes. Joint pornography use had a significant positive indirect effect on sexual satisfaction, driven by the positive contributions of vaginal and oral sex, but tempered by the negative influence of anal sex. This pattern was mirrored in the study&#8217;s findings on relationship stability.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think that main finding from my study that the average person can takeaway is that there are many underlying reasons why pornography use may influence relationship outcomes, and one of them is that it can change behavioral patterns,&#8221; Dover told PsyPost.</p>
<p>&#8220;When people view pornography, they learn more about (whether incorrectly or not) sex, how sex works, and how to perform various sexual acts. When people learn these behaviors from pornography, they are more likely to utilize these behaviors in their sexual relationships, for better or worse. In other words, pornography can influence what kind of sexual behaviors we are interested in pursuing, and these may be positive or negative for a relationship.&#8221;</p>
<p>These insights contribute to the growing body of research on pornography&#8217;s role in intimate relationships, providing a more nuanced understanding of how its consumption can influence relationship dynamics. However, this study, like all research, operates within certain confines. Its cross-sectional nature means causation cannot be inferred—only associations and correlations are identified.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the major caveats is that the sample I used in the study is not nationally representative,&#8221; Dover noted. &#8220;Because of this, the findings may not apply to every individual in every situation. Additionally, I only examined heterosexual relationships, so that limits the scope of how these findings can be applied even more so.</p>
<p>&#8220;Another question that still needs to be addressed is more about how quickly and how impactful learning new sexual behaviors is on relationships. I was not able to address the amount of time that it may take for the pornography to actually lead to engaging in a different behavior, and how long it may take for engaging in that behavior to lead to various relationship outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I hope that when people read the study they will understand the nuance that exists about how pornography influences relationships and relationship outcomes,&#8221; Dover added. &#8220;My study is only one piece of the puzzle in helping us understand more about the mechanisms at work with sexual behaviors and relationships.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02698-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sexual Behaviors as a Mediator Between Pornography Use and Heterosexual Relationship Outcomes</a>,&#8221; was authored by Carson R. Dover and Brian J. Willoughby.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 08:00AM
.
TITLE:
Sadistic pleasure influences victim blaming, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/sadistic-pleasure-influences-victim-blaming-study-finds/

<p>A recent study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000464"><em>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</em></a> found that individuals high in everyday sadism blame victims due to sadistic pleasure and reduced empathy. Further, these individuals showed reduced cognitive engagement in processing victim-related information.</p>
<p>The world is frequently marked by the suffering of others, from war victims to individuals facing bullying or sexual assault. Often, when we hear about such injustices, whether directly from someone we know or through media, we’re moved to feel empathy, compassion, or sympathy for the victims.</p>
<p>However, alongside these empathetic responses, there’s a surprisingly common and less compassionate reaction: blaming the victims for their own misfortune. This tendency stems from a belief that the world is inherently just, leading people to rationalize that victims must have done something to deserve their fate.</p>
<p>With this work, Claudia Sassenrath and colleagues venture beyond the conventional belief in a just world as the primary reason for victim blaming, focusing on the impact of everyday sadism—taking pleasure from witnessing or causing others’ pain.</p>
<p>Studies 1a to 1d used online questionnaires with 2,653 participants to explore if individuals high in everyday sadism are more prone to blame victims of various distressing scenarios, including sexual assault and bullying. These studies controlled for personality traits and dark triad characteristics, finding that sadistic pleasure and a lack of empathic concern were significant predictors of victim blaming. The findings held across different cultural contexts and among police officers.</p>
<p>Study 2 involved 314 participants and examined the behavioral implications of victim blaming in the context of sexual assault, focusing on the willingness to engage in effortful cognitive activity. Results showed that individuals high in everyday sadism remembered less information about a victim-perpetrator scenario, suggesting a reduced readiness to assist a person in need, likely due to increased victim blaming.</p>
<p>Study 3, with 776 participants, manipulated task instructions to see if altering the perceived purpose of recalling information about a sexual assault scenario (either as a measure of memory capacity or as a means to help future victims) would impact the relationship between everyday sadism, victim blaming, and effortful cognitive engagement. The manipulation did not significantly affect the outcomes, reinforcing the notion that higher levels of everyday sadism are associated with less effortful engagement in recalling information about victim-perpetrator scenarios.</p>
<p>Study 4 employed an ambulatory assessment with 273 participants over ten days to capture the real-life prevalence and implications of everyday sadism, sadistic pleasure, and victim blaming. This study confirmed the findings from the earlier studies in a real-world context, demonstrating that individuals high in everyday sadism are more likely to experience sadistic pleasure and engage in victim blaming, independent of their belief in a just world.</p>
<p>Additionally, this study explored the potential moderating effects of interpersonal closeness and the source of information on these relationships, finding that while these factors influenced the extent of sadistic pleasure experienced, they did not significantly alter the association between everyday sadism and victim blaming.</p>
<p>Combined, these studies highlight the influence of everyday sadism on the propensity to blame victims of misfortune, revealing that individuals high in everyday sadism are more likely to blame victims due to experienced sadistic pleasure and diminished empathic concern. This association persists across various contexts, cultural backgrounds, and even among professionals frequently encountering victim-perpetrator scenarios, such as police officers, emphasizing the robustness of these findings.</p>
<p>A limitation to this work is the reliance on cross-sectional, correlational data from online studies; thus, the researchers cannot infer causality.</p>
<p>The research, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000464">I Like It Because It Hurts You: On the Association of Everyday Sadism, Sadistic Pleasure, and Victim Blaming</a>”, was authored by Claudia Sassenrath, Johannes Keller, Dominik Stöckle, Rebekka Kesberg, Yngwie Asbjørn Nielsen, and Stefan Pfattheicher.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 06:00AM
.
TITLE:
Strength training has a moderate antidepressant effect
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/strength-training-has-a-moderate-antidepressant-effect/

<p>A recent study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychiatry Research</a> provides evidence in favor of strength training as a potential complementary strategy to combat depression. This research, a meta-analysis of 38 previous studies, demonstrates that strength training can moderately reduce symptoms of depression. The analysis also highlights how the duration of the intervention, weekly frequency, and specifics such as the number of sets and repetitions can influence this antidepressant effect.</p>
<p>Depression, a condition that affected roughly 280 million people globally in 2019, is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite the widespread use of medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and psychotherapy, a significant portion of those affected don&#8217;t fully recover, highlighting a critical need for complementary treatment strategies.</p>
<p>Among these, exercise, including strength training, has shown promise in reducing depressive symptoms. However, previous research had not fully explored how different aspects of strength training contribute to its antidepressant effects. This gap in knowledge led researchers to conduct a detailed analysis, aiming to refine exercise prescriptions for individuals with depression.</p>
<p>Senior author Lucas Melo Neves explained that his PhD research had focused on the intersection of exercise and brain health. In 2020, he embarked on a postdoctoral journey at the University of São Paulo&#8217;s Psychiatry Institute, where he sought to delve deeper into the nuances of how exercise influences mental health.</p>
<p>For their meta-analysis, the researcher conducted a comprehensive search across multiple online databases, aiming to capture experimental studies that investigated the relationship between strength training and depression outcomes. The selection criteria for studies were carefully defined to focus on an adult population diagnosed with major depression or experiencing subthreshold depressive symptoms, explicitly excluding those with other severe illnesses. This approach aimed to isolate the effects of strength training on depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>Initially, over two thousand articles were identified, but through a process of elimination based on titles, abstracts, and full-text assessments, the final analysis included 38 studies. These studies comprised a diverse sample of 2439 participants.</p>
<p>The meta-analysis showed moderate, significant improvement in depressive symptoms among participants who engaged in strength training compared to those in the non-active control groups. The researchers also discovered that the duration of the intervention, the weekly frequency of the training sessions, and the specific parameters of the training sessions (such as the number of sets and repetitions) played significant roles in the magnitude of the antidepressant effects.</p>
<p>Specifically, longer intervention durations, higher weekly frequencies, and greater numbers of sets and repetitions were associated with stronger antidepressant outcomes. This detail is crucial for practitioners and individuals alike, suggesting that not just any strength training regimen will do; the specific design of the program significantly impacts its effectiveness in alleviating depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>&#8220;The form of conducting the strength exercise is important,&#8221; Neves told PsyPost. &#8220;In other words, some characteristics of a program of strength exercises can potentialize have an antidepressant effect. Thus, doing strength exercises three times or more per week produces more antidepressive effects than doing exercises one or two times, and doing strength exercises with three or more sets of exercises produces more antidepressant effects compared to one or two sets.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, the researchers also explored differences in the antidepressant effects of isolated strength training versus strength training combined with other forms of exercise, such as aerobic training. While strength training alone showed a moderate and significant effect, the combination of strength training with other exercises did not significantly alter the outcome.</p>
<p>While the study provides compelling evidence supporting the antidepressant benefits of strength training, the authors acknowledge certain limitations. For instance, the analysis did not account for potential variables that could also influence outcomes.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our study, there was no comparison according to medication use, diet, and adherence, and some studies did not provide details about their training protocol,&#8221; Neves explained. &#8220;Furthermore, only two studies examined the effect of strength training plus aerobic training, which could impair the potential differences from the control.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178124000908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strength training has antidepressant effects in people with depression or depressive symptoms but no other severe diseases: A systematic review with meta-analysis</a>,&#8221; was authored by Fabricio Eduardo Rossi, Gustavo Gusmão dos Santos, Priscila Almeida Queiroz Rossi, Brendon Stubbs, Felipe Barreto Schuch, and Lucas Melo Neves.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 23, 2024 at 05:00AM
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TITLE:
First He Came For Cancel Culture. Now He Wants to Cancel Smartphones
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/business/jonathan-haidt-smartphones-coddling.html

The N.Y.U. professor Jonathan Haidt became a favorite in Silicon Valley for his work on what he called the “coddling” of young people. Now, he has an idea for fixing Gen Z.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 19, 2024 at 12:30PM
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TITLE:
Brain recordings in people before surgery reveal how all minds plan what to say prior to speaking
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240319123030.htm

A new study in people undergoing surgery to treat seizures related to epilepsy shows that pauses in speech reveal information about how people's brains plan and produce speech.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 02:56PM
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TITLE:
If faces look like demons, you could have this extraordinary condition
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URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240322145602.htm

Imagine if every time you saw a face, it appeared distorted. Well, for those who have a very rare condition known as prosopometamorphopsia (PMO), which causes facial features to appear distorted, that is reality. A new study reports on a unique case of a patient with PMO. The research is the first to provide accurate and photorealistic visualizations of the facial distortions experienced by an individual with PMO.
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
March 19, 2024 at 12:30PM
.
TITLE:
Brain recordings in people before surgery reveal how all minds plan what to say prior to speaking
.
URL:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240319123030.htm

A new study in people undergoing surgery to treat seizures related to epilepsy shows that pauses in speech reveal information about how people's brains plan and produce speech.
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NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 08:00PM
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TITLE:
AI breakthrough: Decoding behavioral states from functional brain scan images
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/ai-breakthrough-decoding-behavioral-states-from-functional-brain-scan-images/

<p>In a recent groundbreaking study, researchers have taken significant strides toward decoding brain activity, marking a substantial advance in the development of brain-machine interfaces. By harnessing an artificial intelligence (AI) image recognition algorithm, the team from Kobe University successfully predicted mouse movement based solely on brain functional imaging data, boasting an impressive accuracy rate of 95%.</p>
<p>The findings have been published in <em><a href="https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011074">PLoS Computational Biology</a>.</em></p>
<p>The motivation behind this study lies in the ongoing quest to decode neural signals, which is essential for the development of brain-machine interfaces. These interfaces aim to bridge the gap between the brain&#8217;s intricate signal network and external devices, potentially aiding in medical treatments and augmenting human capabilities.</p>
<p>The researchers utilized a cutting-edge form of brain imaging known as whole-cortex functional imaging, which captures the activity across the entire brain surface. Unlike traditional methods that focus on electrical activity in specific brain regions, this approach provides a more comprehensive view of brain dynamics.</p>
<p>The challenge, however, has been in processing these complex datasets, which contain an immense amount of information and inherent noise. Traditionally, significant preprocessing of the data was necessary to identify areas of interest and filter out irrelevant information, a labor-intensive process that could potentially overlook valuable insights.</p>
<p>The research team, led by medical student Takehiro Ajioka under the guidance of neuroscientist Toru Takumi, sought to overcome these hurdles. &#8220;Our experience with VR-based real time imaging and motion tracking systems for mice and deep learning techniques allowed us to explore ‘end-to-end’ deep learning methods, which means that they don’t require preprocessing or pre-specified features, and thus assess cortex-wide information for neural decoding,” Ajioka said.</p>
<p>Their innovative approach combined two distinct deep learning algorithms — one for analyzing spatial patterns and another for temporal patterns — applied to the whole-cortex film data of mice either resting or running on a treadmill. The AI model was then trained to accurately predict the mouse&#8217;s state based on the imaging data.</p>
<p>Remarkably, the model achieved a 95% accuracy in predicting the actual behavioral state of the mice without needing to remove noise or pre-define regions of interest. This was accomplished using just 0.17 seconds of data, indicating the model&#8217;s capability for near real-time prediction across different individuals, thus showcasing its potential for wide application.</p>
<p>What sets this study apart is not just its high accuracy rate but also its applicability across different individual mice. This universality indicates that the model can effectively filter out individual differences in brain structure or function, focusing solely on the relevant signals that indicate movement or rest. This feature underscores the potential for this technology to be adapted for broader, more diverse applications, including in humans.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the team developed a method to understand which parts of the imaging data were crucial for these predictions. By systematically removing portions of the data and observing the impact on the model&#8217;s performance, they could identify critical cortical regions for behavioral classification. This method not only boosts the model&#8217;s accuracy but also provides insights into the brain&#8217;s functioning.</p>
<p>&#8220;This ability of our model to identify critical cortical regions for behavioral classification is particularly exciting, as it opens the lid of the &#8216;black box&#8217; aspect of deep learning techniques,&#8221; Ajioka remarked.</p>
<p>This study lays a robust foundation for the further development of brain-machine interfaces capable of near real-time behavior decoding using non-invasive brain imaging. By establishing a generalizable technique for identifying behavioral states from whole-cortex functional imaging data, the research opens new pathways for understanding how brain activity correlates with movement and behavior.</p>
<p>The ability to pinpoint which portions of the data contribute to the predictions enhances the interpretability of neural decoding models. This transparency is crucial for advancing brain-machine interface technology, potentially leading to more effective tools for medical diagnosis, rehabilitation, and even augmenting human capabilities through improved interaction with external devices.</p>
<p>&#8220;This research establishes the foundation for further developing brain-machine interfaces capable of near real-time behavior decoding using non-invasive brain imaging,&#8221; Ajioka explained.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011074">End-to-end deep learning approach to mouse behavior classification from cortex-wide calcium imaging</a>,&#8221; was authored by Takehiro Ajioka, Nobuhiro Nakai, Okito Yamashita, and Toru Takumi.</p>

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psychbot , 5 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
March 22, 2024 at 06:00PM
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TITLE:
Orthorexia nervosa linked to low self-esteem and high levels of obsessive perfectionism
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/orthorexia-nervosa-linked-to-low-self-esteem-and-high-levels-of-obsessive-perfectionism/

<p>Orthorexia nervosa is a term that may not be as widely recognized as anorexia or bulimia, yet it describes a potentially debilitating condition that has been gaining attention in the field of eating disorders. A new study published in the <a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-023-00915-8"><em>Journal of Eating Disorders</em></a> provides evidence that individuals grappling with lower self-esteem and heightened obsessive perfectionism are more susceptible to orthorexia nervosa tendencies, which represent a pathological fixation on healthy food.</p>
<p>Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an excessive preoccupation with eating food that one considers healthy. It involves rigid, self-imposed rules around diet that go beyond simply eating a healthy meal. Individuals with orthorexia nervosa are obsessed with the quality and purity of their food, often leading to significant dietary restrictions, nutritional deficiencies, and even social isolation due to their stringent eating habits.</p>
<p>A team of researchers from Singapore, Poland, Lebanon, and Italy sought to better understand this relatively new condition. Despite increasing recognition, orthorexia nervosa lacks formal diagnostic criteria, making it a challenging disorder to study and treat. The researchers aimed to uncover the psychological underpinnings of the condition to identify those at risk and develop effective interventions.</p>
<p>The study included 977 participants from Italy, Lebanon, and Poland, with an average age of 22 and an average body mass index of 22 (normal weight). A majority of the participants (77.1%) were women.</p>
<p>The participants completed a series of psychological assessments, including the Eating Habits Questionnaire (EHQ), which assesses cognitions, behaviors, and feelings related to an extreme focus on healthy eating; the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), measuring symptoms of OCD; the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44), evaluating domains associated with OCD; the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), assessing different aspects of perfectionism; and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), a measure of self-worth.</p>
<p>The researchers identified three distinct clusters of participants based on their psychological characteristics: High Self-Mastery, Moderate Self-Mastery, and Low Self-Mastery.</p>
<ul>
<li>The High Self-Mastery cluster, constituting 37.0% of the sample, exhibited low levels of obsession-compulsion and high self-esteem.</li>
<li>The Moderate Self-Mastery cluster, constituting 39.5% of participants, displayed moderate levels of both obsessive-compulsive tendencies and self-esteem.</li>
<li>The Low Self-Mastery cluster, constituting 23.6% of the sample, was characterized by high levels of obsession-compulsion and perfectionism, alongside low self-esteem.</li>
</ul>
<p>The analysis further revealed that individuals in the Low Self-Mastery cluster were significantly more prone to exhibit orthorexia nervosa tendencies than those in the High Self-Mastery cluster. This suggests that high obsessive perfectionism and low self-esteem may predispose individuals to orthorexia nervosa tendencies.</p>
<p>Geographical differences also emerged as a notable aspect of the study&#8217;s findings. Participants from Lebanon exhibited higher orthorexia nervosa tendencies compared to those from Poland and Italy. This variation points to the potential influence of cultural factors on the manifestation of orthorexia nervosa, although the study calls for further research to fully understand these dynamics.</p>
<p>The study, like all research, includes some limitations. For example, its cross-sectional nature hinders causal inference. Future research could benefit from incorporating a wider array of psychological and cultural factors, employing more diverse and representative sampling techniques, and exploring the condition through longitudinal studies to better understand its development over time.</p>
<p>&#8220;The study highlights the importance of assessing self-esteem, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and perfectionism in individuals with ON tendencies. These factors seem closely associated with the development and severity of ON. Therefore, interventions aimed at building self-esteem and reducing obsessive–compulsive and perfectionism symptoms may benefit those in the Low Self-Mastery cluster.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-023-00915-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Profiling orthorexia nervosa in young adults: the role of obsessive behaviour, perfectionism, and self-esteem</a>,&#8221; was authored by Daniella Mahfoud, Susanna Pardini, Magdalena Mróz, Souheil Hallit, Sahar Obeid, Marwan Akel, Caterina Novara, and Anna Brytek-Matera.</p>

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