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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 12, 2023 at 11:46AM
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TITLE:
Endangered Species List Jumps by 2,000, in Part From Climate Change
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175880&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/endangered-species-list-grows-2000-climate-change-part-105556508

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Science and Technology</a></p>Climate change is worsening the planet's biodiversity crises, making environments more deadly for thousands of species&mdash;including salmon and turtles&mdash;and accelerating the precipitous decline in the number of plants and animals on Earth, according to the the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which tracks species health. The news was announced at the United Nations climate conference in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 11, 2023
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TITLE:
The 2023 Re-Cap: The New Social Worker’s Top 10 Articles for 2023...PLUS
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URL:
https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/lindas-agenda/2023-recap-new-social-worker-top-10-articles-plus/

What can we say about 2023? The New Social Worker’s list of Top 10 Articles for 2023 tells us the story of what social workers have been reading here. We look forward to seeing you, our readers, our friends, in 2024.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 02:09AM
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TITLE:
U.S. High Court Rejects an Appeal Over Bans on Conversion Therapy
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175875&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyMy8xMi8xMS8xMjA4ODg0Njg0L3N1cHJlbWUtY291cnQtY29udmVyc2lvbi10aGVyYXB5LXdhc2hpbmd0b24tc3RhdGXSAQA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>The U.S. Supreme Court Monday declined to hear a case challenging Washington state's ban on conversion therapy of minors. In doing so, the court left standing a lower court decision that upheld the state's ban on a therapy that the American Medical Association says &quot;is not based on medical and scientific evidence.&quot; Washington law, enacted in 2018, allows the state to revoke the licenses of therapists who try to change a minor's sexual...</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
People with dark personality traits are more likely to “phub” you
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/people-with-dark-personality-traits-are-more-likely-to-phub-you-214944

<p>New research provides evidence of a link between so-called &#8220;dark&#8221; personality traits and the tendency to prioritize smartphones over face-to-face interactions, a behavior commonly known as &#8220;phone snubbing.&#8221; The study, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941221109119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychological Reports</a></em>, sheds light on some of the potential underpinnings of phubbing, a behavior that can have significant impacts on interpersonal relationships and social dynamics.</p>
<p>Over the past decade, smartphones have transformed from mere communication tools into essential aspects of our daily lives. They keep us connected, informed, and entertained. However, this convenience comes with a downside. An emerging behavior, where individuals focus on their phones instead of their companions during social interactions, has gained attention. Known colloquially as &#8220;phone snubbing,&#8221; this phenomenon has sparked interest among psychologists, prompting them to investigate its underlying causes.</p>
<p>Previous research has explored various aspects of smartphone use, including addiction and its impact on mental health. However, a comprehensive understanding of why people engage in phone snubbing, especially in social settings, is still unclear. The current study aimed to fill this gap by examining the role of specific personality traits and the fear of missing out (FOMO) &#8211; the anxiety of being disconnected from social activities.</p>
<p>The study, conducted in Turkey, involved 506 university students, with a higher proportion of female (70.7%) than male (29.3%) participants. The age range of the participants was between 18 and 29 years. To gather data, the researchers utilized online surveys distributed through university channels.</p>
<p>The surveys comprised various scales designed to measure three main components: the degree of phone snubbing behavior, the presence of FOMO, and the traits associated with the &#8216;Dark Triad&#8217; &#8211; a term in psychology referring to three distinct but related personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.</p>
<p>Narcissism relates to self-centeredness and a need for admiration, Machiavellianism involves manipulation and a focus on self-interest, and psychopathy is characterized by impulsivity and a lack of empathy. The scales provided participants with statements to which they could express their level of agreement or disagreement.</p>
<p>The researchers found a direct positive relationship between the Dark Triad personality traits and phone snubbing behavior. Simply put, individuals who exhibited higher levels of narcissism, Machiavellianism, or psychopathy were more likely to engage in phone snubbing.</p>
<p>They also identified a significant role played by FOMO. Those who scored higher on the FOMO measure were more likely to prioritize their smartphones in social settings. This finding was particularly pronounced among individuals with Dark Triad traits, suggesting that their FOMO levels may drive them to focus more on their online interactions than on the people physically present with them.</p>
<p>The study provides evidence that FOMO mediates the relationship between Dark Triad traits and phone snubbing. In other words, individuals with Dark Triad traits tend to have a high level of FOMO, which in turn is linked to phubbing behavior.</p>
<p>While the study offers valuable insights, it&#8217;s important to note some limitations. The use of self-reported surveys can sometimes lead to biased responses, as participants may answer in ways they perceive as socially acceptable. Additionally, the sample was limited to university students, which may not fully represent the broader population&#8217;s behaviors and attitudes.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Future research could expand on these findings by exploring other age groups and utilizing different research methods, such as longitudinal studies, to better understand the causality in these relationships. Investigating other personality traits and their impact on phone snubbing could also provide a more comprehensive picture.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00332941221109119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dark Triad Personality and Phubbing: The Mediator Role of Fomo</a>&#8220;, was authored by Muhammed Akat, Coşkun Arslan, and Erdal Hamarta.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 02:28PM
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TITLE:
The benefits and challenges of grieving online
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URL:
https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-grieving-online/

<p>As technology continues to change the way people grieve, counselors need to be prepared to help clients navigate how they express their grief online in safe and healthy ways.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-grieving-online/">The benefits and challenges of grieving online</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ct.counseling.org">Counseling Today</a>.</p>

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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
New study reveals nearly double risk of physical health issues in people with severe mental illness
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-study-reveals-nearly-double-risk-of-physical-health-issues-in-people-with-severe-mental-illness-214936

<p>Individuals with severe mental illnesses are almost twice as likely to suffer from multiple physical health problems compared to those without such mental conditions, according to new research published in <em><a href="https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/26/1/e300870" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BMJ Mental Health</a></em>. This finding sheds new light on the intricate relationship between mental and physical health.</p>
<p>Prior research has long suggested a complex link between mental health and physical well-being. However, understanding this relationship in depth, especially for those with severe mental health conditions, remained a challenge. Physical multimorbidity, which refers to the presence of two or more chronic health conditions in an individual, is a growing concern globally, particularly as it can significantly impact a person&#8217;s quality of life, healthcare needs, and overall well-being.</p>
<p>&#8220;Worldwide, mental health complications are among the top ten leading causes of health burdens,&#8221; study author Lee Smith, a professor of public health at Anglia Ruskin University, told PsyPost. &#8220;These complications are associated with an increased risk of physical illness, including, for example, diabetes mellitus, and gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. Moreover, the prevalence of physical multimorbidity is expected to rise. Indeed, those with mental health complications may be at greatest risk.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a meta-analysis, a statistical method that combines the results of multiple studies to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a particular issue. Meta-analyses are particularly useful in healthcare research, as they help in drawing broader conclusions from various smaller studies, which might not be apparent when these studies are viewed in isolation.</p>
<p>In this case, the research team delved into a pool of over 1,200 studies, ultimately focusing on 19 articles that met their stringent criteria. These articles, which included a total of nearly 8 million participants (194,123 psychiatric patients and 7,660,590 control participants), ranged from cohort and case-control to cross-sectional studies.</p>
<p>People with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression, were found to have a 1.84 times higher risk of experiencing physical multimorbidity compared to those without such mental health conditions.</p>
<p>This elevated risk translates to a significant burden on these individuals, often complicating their healthcare needs and affecting their life expectancy. The physical health problems identified ranged widely, including metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity, hypertension, epilepsy, and serious conditions like cancer and heart disease.</p>
<p>What&#8217;s more, these associations were consistent across different regions, with studies from Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East all indicating a similar trend.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mental health underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships, and shape the world we live in,&#8221; Lee said in a news release. &#8220;It is evident from our research that individuals with severe mental illness are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing physical multimorbidity.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This complex relationship between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity has far-reaching implications, including decreased treatment compliance, increased risk of treatment failure, increased treatment costs, relapsing disease, worsening prognosis, and reduced life expectancy.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Poor clinical management of physical comorbidities in people with mental disorders exacerbates the issue, leading to an increased burden on individuals, their communities, and healthcare systems. A holistic approach is urgently needed to improve the physical, mental, and social outcomes of individuals dealing with severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, it is essential for readers to understand the complexities and limitations of this research. One significant challenge was the diversity in the types of physical conditions considered across the studies, which introduced a degree of variability in the results. Moreover, due to the observational nature of the included studies, the research couldn&#8217;t definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity.</p>
<p>Future research, therefore, needs to focus on more homogeneous studies and delve deeper into understanding the mechanisms that drive this association. This could include exploring genetic factors, the impact of long-term medication use, and lifestyle factors associated with mental illness.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe it would be desirable to adopt a sectorial approach, focusing on common groups of diagnoses in order to facilitate thematic working groups, to consider specific service needs and to design the best approach for mental health patients,&#8221; Lee said.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study is a crucial step forward in understanding the intertwined nature of mental and physical health. It highlights an urgent need for an integrated approach to healthcare, where the treatment of severe mental illnesses is not isolated from the management of physical health conditions. Such an approach can lead to more effective and holistic care, improving the life quality and outcomes for patients.</p>
<p>&#8220;The present research highlights the link between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity,&#8221; Lee told PsyPost. &#8220;Thus, a multidisciplinary approach for those with severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity is now urgent to improve physical, mental and social outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/26/1/e300870" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relationship between severe mental illness and physical multimorbidity: a meta-analysis and call for action</a>&#8220;, was authored by Damiano Pizzol, Mike Trott, Laurie Butler, Yvonne Barnett, Tamsin Ford, Sharon A.S. Neufeld, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Christopher N. Parris, Benjamin R. Underwood, Guillermo Felipe López Sánchez, Matt Fossey, Carol Brayne, Emilio Fernandez-Egea, Guillaume Fond, Laurent Boyer, Jae Il Shin, Shahina Pardhan, and Lee Smith.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
Treatments for anxiety and depression increase confidence, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/treatments-for-anxiety-and-depression-increase-confidence-study-finds-214941

<p>An observational study of individuals suffering from anxiety and depression disorders reported an association between the improvement in anxiety or depression symptoms and an increase in confidence. The authors suggest that this correlation arises because the improvement in symptoms diminishes metacognitive biases, thereby enhancing confidence. The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.87193"><em>eLife</em></a>.</p>
<p>The word metacognition refers to the cognitive processes that involve thinking about one&#8217;s own thinking. It allows individuals to monitor, control, and adjust their cognitive activities. Metacognition is a higher-order thinking skill that is crucial for effective learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. However, metacognition may sometimes produce errors and erroneous judgements. This is referred to as metacognitive bias.</p>
<p>Metacognitive biases are systematic errors or distortions in metacognitive processes that can impact decision-making and problem-solving. These biases can arise from various factors, including cognitive limitations, the need to draw conclusions without enough information, and social influences. For example, the confirmation bias is a common metacognitive bias where individuals show a tendency to favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs while disregarding contradictory evidence. The overconfidence bias is another common metacognitive bias where individuals tend to overestimate their own abilities or the accuracy of their judgments. Individuals can also underestimate their own abilities and this tendency is particularly important in the scope of various mental disorders.</p>
<p>Metacognitive abilities and biases vary among individuals. However, it was unclear whether these could change. To explore this, study author Celine Ann Fox and her colleagues investigated the metacognition in a large cohort both before and after undergoing internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy.</p>
<p>The study involved 836 individuals receiving internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, 102 undergoing antidepressant therapy, and 113 participants serving as a control group with no therapy. Each treatment group completed a 4-week course. Approximately 20-22% of participants dropped out during the study, reducing the number of those who completed all assessments. The majority of the participants were female, primarily residing in the UK or Ireland.</p>
<p>At the beginning and end of the study, a span of four weeks, participants completed assessments for various mental health issues. These included functional impairment (Work and Social Adjustment Scale), depression (Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale), trait anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory), schizotypy (Short Scales for Measuring Schizotypy), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCI-R), social anxiety (Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale), eating disorders (Eating Attitudes Test), apathy (Apathy Evaluation Scale), and alcohol misuse (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test).</p>
<p>They also completed a metacognitive task. In the task, the testing system would display two sunflowers with varying numbers of seeds for 300 milliseconds. Participants’ task was to make a judgement on which of the two sunflower pictures contained more seeds and to rate their confidence level in that judgement. There was a total of 210 such trials divided into 5 blocks. The researchers controlled and adjusted the differences between the two pictures in order to keep the objective accuracy of participants’ answers at 70% of correct answers. In that way, all participants were objectively equally successful in the task. However, in spite of this, their confidence levels in their judgments differed.</p>
<p>Results showed that males had significantly higher confidence than women across all treatments. Participants whose education level was above undergraduate had significantly lower confidence compared to those with education up to the undergraduate level. Confidence levels were not associated with accuracy in the metacognitive task, with the time participants needed to give an answer, nor with their age.</p>
<p>Overall, all psychiatric symptoms showed improvement during the treatment period, except for impulsivity. The average confidence level among participants also rose. A notable correlation was observed between the changes in confidence and the alterations in anxiety and depression symptoms. Those who experienced the most significant reductions in these symptoms also exhibited the greatest increase in confidence from the beginning to the end of the study.</p>
<p>Group comparisons revealed that the levels of anxiety and depression symptoms remained unchanged in the control group. In contrast, average changes in these symptoms were observed only in the two treatment groups. The most significant increase in confidence from the start to the end of the study occurred in the antidepressant group, whereas it remained unchanged in the control group. Additionally, participants demonstrated enhanced performance in the metacognitive task at the study&#8217;s conclusion.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Our findings replicated the cross-sectional evidence that higher levels of anxious-depression are associated with under-confidence,&#8221; the study authors concluded. &#8220;We demonstrate that metacognitive confidence increases following four weeks of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy or antidepressant treatment. Overall, we observed that the greater the improvement in anxious-depression, the more confident participants became, which did not appear to be dependent on treatment type. This suggests that metacognitive biases in anxious-depression are state-dependent and might be normalized through clinical improvements.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between confidence and psychopathological symptoms. However, it also has limitations that need to be considered. Notably, the association between changes in symptoms and in confidence was very weak and the change in confidence between the start and the end of the study was very small. Additionally, confidence was measured solely using a single visual perception and judgement task. Results might not be the same if a different way of measuring confidence was used.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.87193">An observational treatment study of metacognition in anxious-depression</a>”, was authored by Celine Ann Fox, Chi Tak Lee, Anna Kathleen Hanlon, Tricia XF Seow, Kevin Lynch, Siobhán Harty, Derek Richards, Jorge Palacios, Veronica O&#8217;Keane, Klaas Enno Stephan, and Claire M Gillan.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Why Some People Choose Not to Know
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-some-people-choose-not-to-know/

<p>Altruists seek to understand how their actions will affect others&mdash;while willful ignorance can free people to act&nbsp;selfishly</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Phantom touch: Virtual reality can induce a mysterious tactile illusion, scientists find
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/phantom-touch-virtual-reality-can-induce-a-mysterious-tactile-illusion-scientists-find-214935

<p>In a new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42683-0"><em>Scientific Reports</em></a>, researchers have uncovered a phenomenon known as the &#8220;phantom touch illusion,&#8221; where individuals experience tactile sensations without actual physical contact in a virtual reality (VR) setting. This intriguing discovery raises questions about how the brain processes sensory information.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown that our nervous system can differentiate between self-generated touch and touch from external sources, a process often described as tactile gating. This ability helps us understand our interactions with the world around us.</p>
<p>When you perform an action that results in self-touch, your brain anticipates this contact. It knows that the sensation is a result of your own movement. Because of this anticipation, the brain &#8216;turns down the volume&#8217; on the sensory response. Essentially, it partially &#8220;cancels&#8221; or gates out the sensation because it&#8217;s expected and self-generated. This is why you can&#8217;t effectively tickle yourself – your brain knows the touch is coming and reduces the response.</p>
<p>However, the introduction of virtual reality has added a new layer to this understanding. VR users often report feeling sensations that aren&#8217;t physically there, especially in social or interactive virtual environments. This led researchers to wonder: could our brains be tricked into feeling touch in a completely virtual setting?</p>
<p>&#8220;In virtual reality, people sometimes report feeling slight touch even if there is no actual person or thing touching them. We followed up on casual chats we had about how people sometimes feel things in VR when touching objects. I got interested in whether this has ever been described and what neural/cognitive processes may be behind it,&#8221; said study author Art Pilacinski, a postdoctoral researcher in the <a href="https://klaeslab.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klaes Lab</a> at Ruhr-University Bochum.</p>
<p>To explore this, the researchers conducted an experiment with 36 volunteers, aged between 21 and 42 years. These participants, who had little to no prior experience with virtual reality, were immersed in a virtual environment using head-mounted displays (the Oculus Quest 2).</p>
<p>Initially, participants familiarized themselves with the VR setting by interacting with various virtual objects. The main task involved using a virtual stick to touch their own virtual hand. Observers carefully monitored the participants&#8217; reactions and feedback. Participants were asked whether they felt anything when their virtual hand was touched. If they reported a sensation, they were further asked to describe it and rate its intensity on different parts of the hand and forearm.</p>
<p>Most participants (89%) reported a tactile sensation during the experiment. They described this sensation as a tingling, static, prickling, electric feeling, or akin to wind passing through the hand. This sensation, consistent with the position of the virtual stick, was what researchers called &#8220;phantom touch illusion.&#8221;</p>
<p>An intriguing aspect of the study was that participants also reported feeling the phantom touch illusion on parts of their body that were not visible in the virtual environment, specifically their forearms. This observation is crucial because it suggests that the illusion is not solely dependent on visual cues.</p>
<p>The ability of participants to feel sensations on non-visible body parts indicates a more complex interaction between the brain&#8217;s perception of the body and sensory inputs. This finding opens up questions about how the brain integrates different types of sensory information, such as proprioception (the sense of body position and movement) and visual cues, to create a coherent experience of touch.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We took a phenomenon anecdotally reported by virtual reality users to investigate a physiological process of self-touch cancellation,&#8221; Pilacinski told PsyPost. &#8220;We see a consistent reporting of this phantom sensation as tingling. But not just that &#8211; we also showed that participants felt the phantom touch in the parts of their arm that were invisible to them. This hints us that mapping touch on the body surface is not just based on vision or touch signals itself but rather uses some higher-order body schema mapping.&#8221;</p>
<p>To determine whether the phantom touch illusion was unique to the virtual reality setting, a control experiment was conducted. In this experiment, participants used a small laser pointer, projecting a red light onto their skin, instead of interacting with virtual objects. This setup tested whether similar sensations could be induced without the immersive visual cues provided by virtual reality.</p>
<p>The results were significant: far fewer participants (44%) reported any sensation in this control setup compared to the virtual reality scenario. This disparity indicates that the phantom touch illusion is indeed specific to the immersive and visually rich environment of virtual reality, and not merely a result of suggestion or the experimental setup itself.</p>
<p>However, there are some limitations to this study. For one, the sensation wasn&#8217;t uniformly experienced by all participants, with four individuals not reporting any phantom touch. This variability suggests that individual differences, such as attention or cognitive processes, might play a role in the experience of phantom touch.</p>
<p>Another point to consider is the reliability of self-reported sensations. The study relied on participants&#8217; subjective descriptions and ratings of the phantom touch, which might not accurately reflect the intensity or nature of the sensation.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, researchers are interested in further exploring the neural mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Understanding how our brain integrates sensory information in a virtual environment could have significant implications for VR technology, both in terms of enhancing user experience and potential therapeutic applications.</p>
<p>&#8220;First off we want to distinguish between real sensation of phantom touch and other cognitive processes potentially involved such as suggestion,&#8221; Pilacinski said. &#8220;For this, we launched a collaborative project investigating cognitive factors in virtual reality embodiment. We will further pursue the investigation of neural basis of the illusion and touch prediction processes.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We will also follow up on the concept that touch cancellation may be not depending on vision. For this, we will use neural measures our experimental paradigm is suited for. That means, we will work both on embodiment and touch in virtual reality but also on the neural and cognitive processes that enable such embodiment.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We think phantom touch illusion is a great start to study a variety of phenomena such as embodiment in virtual spaces, body schema up to basic research in touch physiology,&#8221; Pilacinski added.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-42683-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phantom touch illusion, an unexpected phenomenological effect of tactile gating in the absence of tactile stimulation</a>&#8220;, was authored by Artur Pilacinski, Marita Metzler, and Christian Klaes.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 11, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
Politically-engaged Redditors tend to be more toxic — even in non-political subreddits
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/politically-engaged-redditors-tend-to-be-more-toxic-even-in-non-political-subreddits-214937

<p>A recent study delving into Reddit&#8217;s online discourse reveals a striking correlation between users&#8217; engagement in partisan subreddits and the overall toxicity in their comments, even in non-political discussions. This research provides insight into the nature of online incivility, suggesting that certain individuals display consistently toxic behavior across various discussion contexts.</p>
<p>The findings, based on an analysis of hundreds of millions of comments from over 6.3 million Reddit users, have been published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad325" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PNAS Nexus</a></em>.</p>
<p>For years, social media platforms have been battlegrounds for heated political debates, often marked by incivility and hostility. Previous research has pointed to the role of ideological differences and social identity in fueling online toxicity. These studies, however, primarily focused on political contexts, leaving a gap in understanding how these behaviors translate into non-political discussions. The researchers of this study were motivated to explore whether the toxicity observed in political discourse is a broader behavioral pattern.</p>
<p>&#8220;Social media are a major host of political discussions, but unfortunately these discussions are highly uncivil. To democratize online political discourse, we must first understand the roots of this incivility,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://www.michalismamakos.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michalis Mamakos</a>, a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University.</p>
<p>The study used data from Reddit, a popular online forum where millions engage in a wide array of discussions. The researchers utilized the Pushshift Reddit dataset, which includes detailed information about Reddit comments, such as the author, date, subreddit, and content. To ensure accuracy, comments from bots and moderators were excluded.</p>
<p>The researchers categorized Reddit&#8217;s subforums, known as subreddits, into partisan and nonpartisan based on their content and user base. The partisanship of each subreddit was measured using a z-score, a statistical method that indicates how far a value is from the average. Subreddits with extreme left or right-wing leanings were identified as &#8220;partisan,&#8221; while those close to the neutral average were labeled &#8220;nonpartisan.&#8221;</p>
<p>A massive sample of over 260 million comments from more than 9,000 subreddits spanning from 2011 to 2022 was analyzed. The researchers focused on the commenting behavior of users who registered on Reddit between 2011 and 2021, examining their posts within a year of their registration.</p>
<p>Users were classified as &#8220;engaged&#8221; if they had at least five comments in partisan subreddits and &#8220;nonengaged&#8221; if they did not. The engaged were further divided into two subgroups: unilaterally engaged (commenting in <em>either</em> left-wing or right-wing subreddits) and bilaterally engaged (participating in both).</p>
<p>To assess the civility/toxicity of comments, the researchers employed Google&#8217;s PerspectiveAPI classifier, a tool designed to evaluate the likelihood of a comment being rude, disrespectful, or unreasonable.</p>
<p>The researchers found a quadratic relationship between the level of partisan segregation in a subreddit and the toxicity of the comments within it. This means that in subreddits with high partisan segregation, comments were more likely to be toxic. This pattern was consistent across both left-wing and right-wing subreddits, indicating that the increase in uncivil behavior is not confined to one end of the political spectrum.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Individuals who posted toxic comments in partisan subreddits also tended to be toxic in nonpartisan ones. Engaged users, particularly those active in both left-wing and right-wing subreddits, displayed higher levels of toxicity in nonpartisan discussions compared to nonengaged users. This finding suggests that some users are inherently uncivil, irrespective of the discussion topic.</p>
<p>&#8220;People who are toxic in their political discussions are also toxic when their discussions have nothing to do with politics,&#8221; Mamakos told PsyPost. &#8220;These people dominate political discourse online, and drive those who are averse to hostility to opt out of these discussions. Consequently, the highly toxic individuals are overrepresented, leading the public to conclude that the state of our politics is far more toxic than it really is.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study found that the bilaterally engaged were more toxic than the unilaterally engaged, which runs counter to the idea that echo chambers are the primary cause of toxicity. Instead, it suggests that individuals who engage in discourse across the political spectrum can be more prone to toxic behavior.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of the dominant explanations for why American political discourse is so toxic is that Americans are siloed within echo chambers &#8212; they only hear from people on one side of the political divide,&#8221; Mamakos said. &#8220;In contrast, we found that users who had engagement with both left-wing and right-wing subreddits were more toxic than users with engagement only with left-wing or right- wing subreddits. This finding implies that the overexposure to like-minded viewpoints might not be what drives polarization.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study offers profound insights, it&#8217;s essential to recognize its limitations. Firstly, the research was conducted exclusively on Reddit, which, although diverse, represents only a fraction of the global online community. The behaviors observed on this platform may not perfectly mirror those on other social media sites.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, future research could expand this study to other platforms, like Twitter or Facebook, to see if similar patterns of behavior exist. It would also be beneficial to investigate the reasons behind individuals&#8217; engagement in toxic discourse and explore strategies to cultivate more civil interactions online.</p>
<p>&#8220;To successfully transition to digital democracy, we must all bear the responsibility of disengaging from divisive content, and instead approach differing viewpoints with empathy,&#8221; Mamakos said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/10/pgad325/7293179">The social media discourse of engaged partisans is toxic even when politics are irrelevant</a>&#8220;, was authored by Michalis Mamakos and Eli J Finkel.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 10, 2023 at 05:06AM
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TITLE:
Gaza on Brink of Collapse from Hunger, Thirst, and Chaos
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175836&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiT2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvaHVuZ2VyLXRoaXJzdC1jaGFvcy1zb3V0aGVybi1nYXphLXJjbmExMjg2ODfSAStodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmNuZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzL2FtcC9yY25hMTI4Njg3?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>The situation is bleak for many in Gaza, as the Israeli military's ground invasion and aerial bombardment continues, displacing an estimated 1.9 million Palestinians into shrinking &quot;humanitarian zones,&quot; mostly in southern Gaza. A dire food and water shortage is putting many at risk of infection and death, according to humanitarian aid groups that stressed difficulties in delivering aid due to the intensity of hostilities.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 10, 2023 at 05:05AM
.
TITLE:
Thousands Rally in Berlin After Rise in German Antisemitic Incidents
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175840&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-10/thousands-demonstrate-against-antisemitism-in-berlin-as-germany-grapples-with-a-rise-in-incidents

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Several thousand people demonstrated against antisemitism in Berlin Sunday as Germany grapples with a large increase in anti-Jewish incidents following Hamas' attack on Israel two months ago. Police estimated that around 3,200 people gathered in the rain in the German capital, while organizers put the figure at 10,000. Participants in the protest, titled &quot;Never again is now,&quot; marched to the Brandenburg Gate.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 10, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
Financial optimism linked to lower cognitive ability
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/financial-optimism-linked-to-lower-cognitive-ability-214927

<p>A recent study has uncovered a striking connection between cognitive ability and the tendency to have unrealistic financial expectations. The findings, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231209400"><em>Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</em></a>, provide evidence that individuals with higher cognitive abilities tend to have more realistic, or even pessimistic, views about their financial future.</p>
<p>Humans often exhibit unrealistic optimism, particularly in their financial decisions. This optimism bias – the inclination to overestimate positive outcomes while underestimating negative ones – has been extensively documented. Previous studies have shown that people tend to overestimate their future earnings and life expectancy while underestimating the likelihood of negative events like divorce or health issues. The curiosity here lies in understanding why, despite the advantages of unbiased assessments, people still skew towards optimism.</p>
<p>This latest study, spearheaded by <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/profiles/senior-lecturer-associate-professor-christopher-dawson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Dawson</a>, an associate professor in Business Economics at the University of Bath School of Management, builds on these foundations. Dawson sought to investigate whether this optimism bias, particularly regarding financial expectations, could be linked to cognitive abilities – a factor not thoroughly examined in earlier research.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have a longstanding interest in why people are persistently optimistic about the future despite constant feedback from their environment &#8211; that is, people should be able to learn about their realistic probabilities for good and bad events,&#8221; Dawson told PsyPost. &#8220;It seemed to me that in this view cognitive biases, like optimism, could be linked to cognitive abilities.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study analyzed data from Understanding Society, a comprehensive annual survey spanning from 2009 to 2021, which included around 36,312 individuals from various households across the United Kingdom. This dataset provided a rare opportunity to observe financial expectations and outcomes over multiple years, offering a rich ground for analysis.</p>
<p>Participants were asked about their financial expectations for the following year – whether they believed they would be better off, worse off, or about the same. These expectations were then compared to the actual changes in their household income, measured and adjusted for inflation and household size. Participants were categorized into groups ranging from &#8220;extreme pessimism&#8221; to &#8220;extreme optimism&#8221; based on the comparison between their financial expectations and the actual financial outcomes.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study evaluated cognitive abilities through various tasks assessing memory, verbal fluency, subtraction, fluid reasoning, and numerical reasoning. These measures were used to create a standardized cognitive ability score for each participant.</p>
<p>Dawson found that individuals with higher cognitive abilities were less likely to fall into &#8220;extreme optimism&#8221; about their financial futures. In contrast, they were more likely to have realistic or even pessimistic expectations. For example, those with cognitive abilities two standard deviations below the mean exhibited a higher probability of &#8220;extreme optimism&#8221; compared to those two standard deviations above the mean.</p>
<p>Moreover, he found that this relationship held true even after accounting for factors like educational attainment, suggesting that the link between cognitive ability and financial optimism is not merely a reflection of higher education levels.</p>
<p>&#8220;Forecasting the future with accuracy is difficult, and for this reason alone, errors in forecasting, both optimistic and pessimistic, may be more likely to arise for those low on cognitive ability,&#8221; Dawson said. &#8220;However, the results indicate that low cognitive ability leads to an increased probability of just self-flattering biases. This pattern of results is consistent with the idea that humans are naturally primed to be optimistic and that intelligence governs the ease to which this primed response can be overridden when important financial decisions have to be made.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Dawson suggested that the ability to override intuitive responses might play a role in the relationship between cognitive ability and unrealistic optimism. According to dual-process theories of cognition, our minds operate using two systems: an intuitive, fast-acting System 1 and a more analytical, slower-acting System 2. Individuals with higher cognitive abilities are posited to have a more pronounced capacity to engage System 2, enabling them to critically assess and, if necessary, override the automatic judgments and decisions generated by System 1.</p>
<p>In the context of financial expectations, this means that those with higher cognitive abilities might be less swayed by initial optimistic impulses and more inclined to consider a broader range of information, including potential negative outcomes. This capacity for critical reflection and deliberation allows for more balanced and realistic assessments of future financial situations, reducing the tendency towards unrealistic optimism.</p>
<p>&#8220;When we think about the future we may be primed to expect the best, perhaps it helps us stay motivated to do things,&#8221; Dawson told PsyPost. &#8220;However, when it comes to serious decisions about health, wealth and careers, we need to try an override this tendency towards optimism and think about these decisions realistically. This leads to be better decision making and hence higher well-being for individuals.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the findings are compelling, several limitations and future research directions were noted. One concern is the potential influence of omitted variable bias. For instance, individuals with lower cognitive abilities might be in environments that inherently make financial forecasting more difficult, thus influencing their optimism bias. Additionally, the study&#8217;s reliance on self-reported data could also introduce some inaccuracies.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, the researchers suggest exploring the mechanisms through which higher cognitive ability leads to more realistic financial expectations. Is it due to a better processing of information, or do individuals with higher cognitive abilities more effectively resist the allure of optimism bias? Answering these questions could provide further insights into the complex relationship between cognitive ability and financial decision-making.</p>
<p>&#8220;I speculate as to why optimism bias and cognitive ability are correlated, but we still don&#8217;t know the underlying mechanism,&#8221; Dawson said. &#8220;That is, the mechanism through which unrealistic optimism—perhaps a universal part of our naturally primed heuristic response system—is overridden by intelligence is an open question. It could be that those high on cognitive ability more able to resist the immediate affective benefits of holding a positive outlook about the future and recognize the need for more realistic or cautious expectations, which may lead to present gloom but also to better decision-making.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Or perhaps, those high on cognitive ability are more symmetric in how they incorporate (or attribute) undesirable and desirable information, from their past or present, into their current beliefs,&#8221; the researcher explained. &#8220;This last point stems from the idea that the optimism bias can only be maintained if individuals update their beliefs optimistically when new information is positive but neutrally when new information is negative or, in a similar way, if people attribute past success to their own skill and failure to bad luck. I have PhD students working on uncovering this.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01461672231209400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Looking on the (B)right Side of Life: Cognitive Ability and Miscalibrated Financial Expectations</a>&#8220;, was published online on November 10, 2023.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 10, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Yoga-based interventions might improve anxiety and depression symptoms
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/yoga-based-interventions-might-improve-anxiety-and-depression-symptoms-214931

<p>A meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of qigong, tai chi, and yoga-based interventions on symptoms of anxiety and depression found that yoga-based interventions were effective in decreasing these symptoms. Tai chi and qigong had no effect on depression symptoms. The authors of the study reported a high risk of bias in the analyzed studies. The study was published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106497"><em>British Journal of Sports Medicine</em></a>.</p>
<p>Affective disorders such as anxiety and depression affect a large share of the population. It is estimated that approximately 20% suffer from depression, while anxiety disorders affect between 4% and 25% of people worldwide. These disorders frequently present chronic symptoms, leading to disability and substantial socioeconomic costs.</p>
<p>Treatments for affective disorders are sometimes less effective than desired, leading health professionals to seek ways to enhance existing treatments. Exercise has emerged as a promising avenue in this respect. Several studies suggest that exercise can improve symptoms of affective disorders, either as an adjunct therapy or as a standalone treatment. Numerous empirical studies have explored the effects of mind-body practices like qigong, tai chi, and yoga on these disorders, often reporting mental health improvements following such interventions.</p>
<p>Qigong is a Chinese mind-body practice involving coordinated movements, breath control, and meditation to cultivate and balance the body&#8217;s vital energy or &#8220;qi&#8221; for improved physical and mental well-being. Tai Chi originates from Chinese martial arts. It is a meditative and slow-paced exercise characterized by flowing, graceful movements, promoting balance, flexibility, and relaxation while fostering a connection between mind and body. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that combines physical postures, breath control, meditation, and ethical principles to enhance physical and mental health, promoting unity of the body, mind, and spirit.</p>
<p>Study author Javier Martínez-Calderon and his colleagues wanted to synthesize the results of studies evaluating effects of interventions based on these three types of practice on symptoms of depression and anxiety. They also wanted to identify factors that might modulate their effectiveness.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a search through scientific journal databases for articles presenting the results of randomized clinical trials. These trials investigated the effectiveness of qigong, tai chi, and yoga in alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms in adults clinically diagnosed with these disorders.</p>
<p>The search resulted in 22 studies presented in 23 different papers. These were selected out of a wider body of 305 publications that matched search criteria, but did not fulfill all the conditions to be included in the meta-analysis. Independent reviewers were employed by the study authors to evaluate the risk of bias, the certainty of evidence, the adequacy of procedural descriptions, and the presence of information spin in the paper summaries.</p>
<p>In total, these studies encompassed 1,420 participants. Two clinical trials specifically evaluated yoga-based interventions for anxiety disorder symptoms, comparing the effects of yoga with drug therapy or naturopathy (lifestyle modification or prevention), with intervention durations ranging from 3 to 12 weeks. The rest of the studies concentrated on depression: 16 investigating yoga, four examining tai chi, and two assessing the effects of qigong. These studies compared the impact of these exercises on depression against usual care, waitlists, education, drug therapy, aerobic exercise, or psychotherapy.</p>
<p>The reviewers determined that all these studies had a significant risk of bias. Except for one, the summaries of all studies exhibited some form of information spin, potentially indicating a degree of misrepresentation in study findings. The most prevalent form of spin involved not mentioning the adverse effects of interventions and selectively reporting positive results while omitting negative ones. Notably, no paper provided complete details of the interventions used. The reviewers assessed the certainty of evidence for all outcomes as low.</p>
<p>The meta-analysis revealed that in the two studies focusing on individuals with anxiety disorders, yoga-based interventions were more effective than control measures in reducing anxiety symptoms. However, in studies involving individuals with depressive disorders, yoga-based interventions did not outperform controls in lessening anxiety.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Initial analysis of effects of yoga-based interventions on depressive symptoms of individuals suffering from depression also found no effect. However, researchers noted that the yoga-based interventions applied were very heterogenous. After excluding three studies, the remaining studies showed that yoga-based interventions were better than controls in reducing depression symptoms. Statistical analyses showed no effects of qigong or tai chi interventions on depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>&#8220;We observed that yoga-based interventions may reduce anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders. Furthermore, we also found that yoga-based interventions may decrease depression symptoms in depressive disorders. However, we cannot make definitive clinical recommendations due to the very low certainty of the evidence, several methodological concerns and the heterogeneity of qigong, tai chi and yoga styles among studies. Therefore, a specific yoga style cannot be recommended with the current evidence,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study makes a valuable contribution to the systematization of knowledge about effects of exercise on mental health. However, as authors of the study already noted themselves, the methodological quality of the studies analyzed in this meta-analysis and papers their results were reported in was very low. Therefore, these findings should be approached with caution.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106497">Yoga-based interventions may reduce anxiety symptoms in anxiety disorders and depression symptoms in depressive disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression</a>”, was authored by Javier Martínez-Calderon, María Jesús Casuso-Holgado, Maria Jesus Muñoz-Fernandez, Cristina Garcia-Muñoz, and Alberto Marcos Heredia-Rizo.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 10, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
ChatGPT-created letters of recommendation are nearly indistinguishable from human-authored letters, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/chatgpt-created-letters-of-recommendation-are-nearly-indistinguishable-from-human-authored-letters-study-finds-214929

<p>In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aet2.10924"><em>AEM Education and Training</em></a>, researchers discovered that academic physicians could only slightly better than guesswork differentiate between recommendation letters written by humans and those generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The study raises critical questions about the future role of AI in academic assessments, the need for ethical considerations in its use, and the potential reevaluation of the current practices in recommendation letters.</p>
<p>Letters of recommendation are a staple in the academic world, particularly in medicine. They play a critical role in various decisions, from student admissions to faculty promotions. However, writing these letters is often a burdensome task for busy academics. With the rise of AI technologies like ChatGPT, a tool adept at generating human-like text, the possibility emerged: Could AI assist in this labor-intensive process?</p>
<p>&#8220;This topic interested us as we recognized the essential yet time-consuming role of letters of recommendation (LORs) in academic medicine,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://www.donutoftruth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carl Preiksaitis</a>, a clinical instructor at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. &#8220;These letters are written for a variety of different scenarios, from application to medical school and residency to faculty promotion. We had heard anecdotal evidence that generative AI models, such as ChatGPT, were being used to aid in authoring LORs and we wanted to explore this possibility in a more rigorous way.&#8221;</p>
<p>To conduct the study, the researchers selected four hypothetical candidates for academic promotion. They prepared detailed profiles for these candidates, covering their educational background, employment history, and accolades, but without any gender identification to avoid bias.</p>
<p>Next, the team crafted letters of recommendation. Two experienced members wrote letters as they usually would, serving as the &#8216;human&#8217; authors. Meanwhile, two junior team members, with no prior experience in such letter writing, used ChatGPT to create AI-authored letters. The AI-generated letters were based on prompts derived from the candidates&#8217; achievements. To maintain consistency, all letters were formatted similarly, focusing solely on content differences.</p>
<p>The researchers then designed a survey, which was administered to 32 participants, primarily full professors in the fields of emergency medicine, internal medicine, and family medicine. These participants were randomly given eight out of 16 letters (half AI-authored, half human-authored) to review. They were asked to guess the authorship of each letter, rate its quality, and assess its persuasiveness regarding the candidate&#8217;s promotion.</p>
<p>On average, participants correctly identified the authorship only 59.4% of the time, barely above a random guess. Interestingly, even those with extensive experience in reviewing letters did not fare much better. When it came to the perceived quality and persuasiveness of the letters, there was a bias: reviewers rated letters they believed were human-written higher than those they thought were AI-generated. However, when the actual source of the letters was considered, this difference in perception disappeared.</p>
<p>&#8220;One surprising element was the overall difficulty participants had in distinguishing between human- and AI-authored LORs, with accuracy only slightly better than chance,&#8221; Preiksaitis said. &#8220;Additionally, the study revealed a discrepancy in the perceived quality and persuasiveness of LORs based on the suspected authorship, with human-suspected LORs rated more favorably, despite the actual authorship.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study also examined gender bias in the letters. Results showed human-written letters contained more female-associated words, while AI-generated letters tended to have more male-associated words. Additionally, AI detection tools like GPTZero and OpenAI&#8217;s Text Classifier showed mixed effectiveness, each correctly identifying the authorship of the letters only half of the time.</p>
<p>The findings are in line with a previous study published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2772766123000289" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research Methods in Applied Linguistics</a></em>. In that study, 72 linguistics experts were tested to see if they could differentiate between research abstracts written by AI and humans. Despite the experts&#8217; efforts to use linguistic and stylistic analyses, their success rate was only 38.9%, indicating a significant challenge in distinguishing AI writing from human writing.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;The average person should understand that AI technologies like ChatGPT have reached a level of sophistication where they can generate text, such as LORs, that is nearly indistinguishable from human-authored content,&#8221; Preiksaitis told PsyPost. &#8220;This suggests that AI might be a viable tool to reduce the administrative workload in academic settings. However, it also raises questions about the integrity and personalization of such important documents. The study highlights the potential for AI to assist in academic writing while also signaling the need for careful consideration of its implications.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite these intriguing results, the study is not without its limitations. The standardized format of the data used in letter creation might not reflect the more personalized and nuanced letters in real-world scenarios. Also, the recruitment strategy could lead to biased results, with an overrepresentation of male participants and those in emergency medicine. Moreover, the study did not delve deeply into why and how reviewers made their distinctions between human- and AI-authored letters.</p>
<p>Future research could explore these areas further, perhaps focusing on how to enhance AI&#8217;s ability to write more personalized and unbiased letters. Additionally, as AI continues to advance, it&#8217;s essential to consider the ethical implications and the need for transparency in its usage, especially in critical areas like academic evaluations.</p>
<p>&#8220;A key caveat is the standardized approach used to generate the LORs, which might not reflect the personalized and nuanced understanding a human writer has of the candidate,&#8221; Preiksaitis noted. &#8220;The overrepresentation of certain demographics in the participant pool and the potential bias in their responses also could limit the generalizability of our findings. Future research should explore how AI-generated LORs might be optimized for authenticity and how biases, both human and AI, can be mitigated. Additionally, the ethical implications of AI assistance in such tasks need thorough exploration.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Perhaps most provocatively, this research and the increasing ability of generative AI causes us to question the utility of practices from a pre-AI era, like LOR&lt;&#8216; the researcher added. &#8220;Perhaps we can use this crossroads as an opportunity to develop a different way of recommending candidates that is more equitable and transparent.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aet2.10924">Brain versus bot: Distinguishing letters of recommendation authored by humans compared with artificial intelligence</a>&#8220;, was authored by Carl Preiksaitis, Christopher Nash, Michael Gottlieb, Teresa M. Chan, Al&#8217;ai Alvarez, and Adaira Landry.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 09:11AM
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TITLE:
Cocoa Extract May Boost Cognition Among Older Adults with Poor Diet
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175825&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231207151255.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>Researchers are reporting new evidence on the effectiveness of cocoa flavanol supplements for cognition. In a randomized controlled clinical trial of 573 people, researchers found that older adults who had unhealthy diets and took daily cocoa extract supplements containing 500 mg per day of cocoa flavanols experienced cognitive benefits. Cognitive benefits, however, were not seen in participants who already had healthy dietary patterns.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 09:11AM
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TITLE:
UK Report Warns Gap Between Haves and Have-Nots May Become Chasm
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175815&url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67661494?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/default.stm" rel="tag" target="_blank">BBC News - UK Politics</a></p>The growing gap between the United Kingdom's &quot;haves and have-nots&quot; is in danger of becoming a &quot;chasm,&quot; warns a report entitled &quot;Two Nations: The State of Poverty in the UK.&quot; Research by the Centre for Social Justice think tank argues that the most disadvantaged are no better off than they were 15 years ago. It cites stagnant wages, family breakdown, poor housing, crime, mental health, and other issues, saying the gap widened during the pandemic.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
Pole dancing classes boost women’s mental wellbeing, study finds
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/pole-dancing-classes-boost-womens-mental-wellbeing-study-finds-214921

<p>Pole dancing, a form of dance that combines strength, flexibility, and sensual movements, can significantly improve women&#8217;s mental wellbeing and aspects of the sexual self-concept, including sexual self-esteem and anxiety, according to new research published in <em><a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01322-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BMC Psychology</a></em>.</p>
<p>Dance has long been recognized not only as an art form but also as a means of personal expression and emotional release. Historically, various forms of dance have been celebrated for their ability to positively influence both physical and psychological wellbeing. However, until recently, dance as a form of therapy had received limited attention, especially newer styles like pole dancing.</p>
<p>Pole dancing, often associated with exotic dance, has evolved beyond its stereotypes and gained popularity as a fitness and recreational activity. Its unique blend of physical exertion and expressive movements intrigued researchers, leading them to explore its potential psychological benefits, particularly focusing on mental wellbeing and sexual self-concept.</p>
<p>&#8220;While previous studies on dance therapy have focused mainly on traditional and expressionistic dances, newer forms of dance with ultimately different techniques have been widely neglected so far. One example of such new dances is pole dance,&#8221; explained the authors of the new study, led by Jalda Lena Pfeiffer of MSB Medical School Berlin.</p>
<p>&#8220;Pole dance has become increasingly popular over the past decade, has paved its way into the recreational sector, and has let a variety of pole dancing classes emerge in fitness studio offers. It combines power exercises with sensual movements, which is why it is suggested to have positive effects on several psychological outcomes. One unique characteristic that distinguishes pole dance from other physical activities is the empowering and sexually liberating notion, as the increasing de-stigmatization of pole dancing challenges societal norms and constructions of female sexuality.&#8221;</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers recruited 50 participants through social media and fitness studios. To ensure relevant results, they selected female participants over 18 years old, native German speakers, with limited prior experience in pole dancing. These participants were then divided into two groups: a pole dance group and a waitlist control group.</p>
<p>Over eight weeks, the pole dance group engaged in specially designed dance sessions at two Berlin studios. Each 60-minute session included a mix of general fitness exercises and pole dance-specific training. The program was tailored to individual capabilities, ensuring everyone could participate effectively. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sessions had to be adjusted for individual or household participation, alongside providing weekly exercise videos for practice at home.</p>
<p>The researchers found an increase in mental wellbeing among the pole dance participants compared to the control group, as measured via the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. In particular, women who completed the pole dancing classes were more likely to agree with statements such as &#8220;I’ve been thinking clearly&#8221; and &#8220;I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future.&#8221; This aligns with previous qualitative studies suggesting that pole dancing can be empowering.</p>
<p>In terms of sexual self-concept &#8212; a person&#8217;s view of their sexual feelings, behaviors, and cognitions &#8212; the pole dance group showed substantial improvements. They reported increased sexual self-efficacy, meaning they felt more capable and confident in sexual contexts. Additionally, there was a notable decrease in sexual anxiety and an increase in sexual self-esteem and body appreciation.</p>
<p>Interestingly, these benefits did not extend to all measured areas. The study found no significant changes in global self-esteem, sexual motivation, or sexual consciousness, indicating that the effects of pole dancing might be more specific to certain psychological aspects.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The researchers concluded, &#8220;our study provides evidence that pole dancing may have broad psychological effects on both overall mental wellbeing and important domains of the sexual self-concept. Pole dancing may be useful to help people cope with sexual anxiety or a lack of sexual self-efficacy and self-esteem.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study is not without its limitations. The pandemic significantly influenced the study&#8217;s structure, restricting the potential socialization benefits of group classes. Additionally, the researchers could not monitor how consistently participants followed the at-home workouts, which might have influenced the outcomes. Moreover, the study did not include long-term follow-up assessments, so the lasting impacts of pole dancing remain unclear.</p>
<p>Future research in this area should aim to address these limitations. Studies with larger participant groups, different settings, and a focus on long-term outcomes would provide more robust evidence. Including an active control group would also help isolate the specific effects of pole dancing from other variables.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01322-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Effects of pole dance on mental wellbeing and the sexual self-concept—a pilot randomized-controlled trial</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jalda Lena Pfeiffer, Setia Kati Sowitzki, Thomas Schäfer, and Frank Euteneuer.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
Emotional intelligence protects runners from negative self-talk, study suggests
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/emotional-intelligence-protects-runners-from-negative-self-talk-study-suggests-214925

<p>A study of more than 1,000 runners found that these individuals use more negative self-talk after a race when they perceive a higher level of stress. Negative self-talk was less common in runners with better emotional intelligence. The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102545"><em>Psychology of Sport &amp; Exercise.</em></a></p>
<p>Negative self-talk refers to the habit of engaging in internal dialogue that is critical, self-deprecating, or pessimistic, undermining one&#8217;s self-esteem and overall mental well-being. It involves repetitive thoughts or statements that focus on perceived shortcomings, failures, or inadequacies. This can result in a negative mindset. This harmful dialogue can become automatic and pervasive, adversely influencing various aspects of life including decision-making, relationships, and overall emotional well-being.</p>
<p>In sports, self-talk is considered to be a strategy that can optimize emotion regulation and improve performance. It is particularly important in endurance sports, where physical activity needs to be sustained for a long time, which often requires that high level of motivation be maintained. These long durations of sport activities allow athletes to use part of the time to talk to themselves. Running is one such sport. As much as positive self-talk might contribute to an athlete maintaining motivation and improving performance, negative self-talk might produce adverse effects that impair athletes’ performance.</p>
<p>Study author Erika Borrajo and her colleagues wanted to explore the joint role of perceived stress and emotional intelligence on the occurrence of negative self-talk in runners. They hypothesized that negative self-talk would be more likely to occur in runners under stress, but less likely to occur in runners who are more emotionally intelligent. These researchers also expected emotional intelligence to buffer the association between perceived stress and the occurrence of negative self-talk.</p>
<p>The study involved 1,071 runners who participated in a race in the Basque Country, Spain. Their ages varied from 18 to 71 years, with an average age of 42, and 71% of them were male. Regarding the race distances, 40% participated in a 10-kilometer race, 45% in a 21-kilometer race, and 15% in a 42-kilometer race. On average, these runners had 9 years of experience, although there was considerable variation in their levels of experience.</p>
<p>Participants completed assessments of negative self-talk (the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sport), emotional intelligence (the Wang-Law Emotional Intelligence Scale), and perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale).</p>
<p>The results showed that participants with higher perceived stress levels were more prone to negative self-talk. More emotionally intelligent individuals were less prone to negative self-talk. Further analysis showed that the link between perceived stress and negative self-talk is stronger in individuals who are less aware of their own emotions and less able to manage them.</p>
<p>&#8220;The present research has highlighted the importance of emotional processes as potential adaptive strategies in stressful situations that generate negative self-talk,&#8221; the study authors concluded. &#8220;On the one hand, self-talk can become an obstacle with negative consequences for runners, and knowing the antecedents that may be related to its appearance can help to establish effective strategies to identify and avoid its presence. On the other hand, identifying the stressors that may appear during training and/or competitions, as well as analyzing the emotions that may appear in the face of these stressors, would enhance runners&#8217; ability to reduce the negative messages they receive.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the factors associated with negative self-talk in runners. However, the correlational design of the study does not allow any cause-and-effect inferences to be made from the findings. Additionally, analyses did not take into account runners’ experience, a factor that may very well affect the relationship of negative self-talk and stress.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102545">Negative self-talk in runners: Emotional intelligence and perceived stress as explanatory factors”,</a> was authored by Erika Borrajo, Esther Calvete, and Itziar Urquijo.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 11:52AM
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TITLE:
Here's Why Food Waste Is a Major Climate Change Issue
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175799&url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/food-waste-emissions-1.7050863?cmp=rss

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Canadian Broadcasting Company - Top Stories News</a></p>In the drive to fight climate change, one source of significant emissions that goes largely unnoticed is food waste. Food releases large amounts of methane&mdash;a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent in terms of warming than carbon dioxide as it breaks down over 20 years. It traps more heat in the atmosphere per molecule than carbon dioxide, according to the UN Environment Program, and the more food that is wasted, the more methane it produces.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 11:52AM
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TITLE:
74 Members of U.S. Congress Demand Three College Presidents Resign
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175796&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiSGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWNyaW1zb24uY29tL2FydGljbGUvMjAyMy8xMi85L2NvbmdyZXNzLXJlc2lnbmF0aW9uLWNhbGxzL9IBAA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>More than 70 members of the United States Congress signed a letter Friday demanding that the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania resign. The letter, signed mostly by Republicans, came three days after the presidents testified in a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing about antisemitism on college campuses&mdash;testimony that the letter referred to as &quot;abhorrent.&quot;</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 11:46AM
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TITLE:
Turkey's President Accuses West of "Barbarism" in Gaza War
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175808&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-09/turkeys-erdogan-accuses-the-west-of-barbarism-and-islamophobia-in-the-war-in-gaza

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West Saturday of &quot;barbarism&quot; for its stance on the Israel-Hamas war and what he alleged was its tolerance of Islamophobia. &quot;Israel has carried out atrocities and massacres that will shame the whole of humanity,&quot; Erdogan told a packed hall in Istanbul the day before the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration enshrines a standard for human rights of all...</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Matcha green tea might help improve perception of emotions and sleep quality in elderly adults with cognitive decline
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/matcha-green-tea-might-help-improve-perception-of-emotions-and-sleep-quality-in-elderly-adults-with-cognitive-decline-214919

<p>A new study has found that drinking matcha, a type of green tea, may improve perception of emotions and sleep quality in older adults with a decline of cognitive functions. The study, conducted by researchers from Japan and published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.069150"><em>Alzheimer’s &amp; Dementia</em></a>, is the first long-term clinical trial to test the effect of matcha on psychological functions.</p>
<p>The causes of dementia are numerous, and studies have suggested that nutrition plays a key role. Matcha is a popular beverage particularly in Japan and contains ingredients such as theanine, which has been suggested to improve short-term memory and sleep.</p>
<p>However, no study has tested the effect of matcha on psychological functions over a long period. Hence, a collaboration was established by the University of Tsukuba between pharmaceutical manufacturing company MCBI and drinks company Ito En.</p>
<p>The teams aimed to investigate the effect of matcha on psychological functions and sleep in elderly adults with cognitive decline over 12 months, in addition to exploring how biological markers found in the blood and brain are related to matcha consumption.</p>
<p>The researchers, led by Kazuhiko Uchida, performed a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized comparative clinical study. This began with recruiting 99 community-dwelling adults aged 60 to 84 years who demonstrated subjective cognitive decline (64 participants) or mild cognitive impairment (35 adults).</p>
<p>Subjective cognitive decline refers to a <em>subjective </em>feeling that memory and thinking abilities have worsened, whereas mild cognitive impairment describes an <em>objective </em>worsening of memory and thinking, but not severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Both conditions are risk factors for developing dementia.</p>
<p>The participants were randomly assigned to receive either 2 grams of matcha per day (49 participants) or the placebo capsules filled with colored corn starch (50 participants), for 12 months.</p>
<p>The researchers assessed the participants’ cognitive functions and sleep quality using various tests and questionnaires. They also took samples of the participants’ blood and conducted brain imaging examinations.</p>
<p>The results demonstrated that the matcha group improved in social acuity, which is the ability to perceive emotions based on facial expression, compared to the placebo group. The matcha group also displayed a trend towards improvement in continuous performance, which is a measure of how well an individual can maintain their attention.</p>
<p>Furthermore, participants who consumed matcha improved in sleep quality compared to the placebo group, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which is a questionnaire that evaluates various aspects of sleep such as sleep duration, and sleep disturbances.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was also administered, which is a test that evaluates overall cognition. A slight increase in the score was observed in the matcha group indicating improvement, while the placebo group showed a slight decrease.</p>
<p>The researchers also found that in the <em>blood </em>plasma of the participants in the matcha group, there was a reduced level of beta-amyloid 42, which is a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and is considered a biological marker of the disease.</p>
<p>However, the researchers did not find any change in the level of <em>brain</em> amyloid accumulation in either group. This was measured by a type of brain imaging scan known as amyloid-PET that detects the presence of amyloid in the brain.</p>
<p>Overall, the researchers concluded that “this long-term intervention study suggests that matcha consumption can improve emotion perception and attention, and sleep quality in elderly adults with cognitive decline”.</p>
<p>The researchers did not note any particular limitations in their publication, but the study appeared to lack control for other dietary and lifestyle factors, as well as lack assessments of mood and anxiety, all of which may have also interfered with sleep quality and cognition.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.069150">Effect of Matcha green tea on cognitive functions and sleep quality in elderly adults with cognitive decline: a randomized controlled study over 12 months</a>”, was authored by Kazuhiko Uchida, Kohji Meno, Hideaki Suzuki, Tatsumi Korenaga, Hitomi Ito, Makoto Inoue, Liu Shan, Miho Ota, Noeru Shiraki, Shin Nakamura, Satoshi Yomota, Nobuyuki Akinaga, Yoshitake Baba, Chika Tagata, Yoshiharu Araki, Shuto Tsunemi, Kenta Aso, Shun Inagaki, Sae Nakagawa, Makoto Kobayashi, Takashi Asada, Tetsuaki Arai, and Takanobu Takihara.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 09, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
New psychology research reveals a strong link between life purpose and reduced depression
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-psychology-research-reveals-a-strong-link-between-life-purpose-and-reduced-depression-214915

<p>Recent research has demonstrated a significant connection between having a sense of purpose in life and lower levels of depression and anxiety. This finding, based on data from tens of thousands of individuals and published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Clinical Psychology</a></em>, suggests that having a sense that your life has meaning and direction can influence your mental well-being.</p>
<p>Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health disorders globally, impacting the lives of millions. The World Health Organization has identified depression as a leading cause of disability worldwide. Given their prevalence and impact, finding ways to effectively prevent and treat these conditions is a high priority in public health and psychology.</p>
<p>Understanding how purpose in life interacts with mental health disorders can inform treatment and prevention strategies. If a strong sense of purpose is found to be significantly protective against depression and anxiety, mental health professionals can integrate methods to cultivate and strengthen this sense of purpose in therapeutic interventions.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of my interests is the area of positive psychology, which focuses on individuals’ strengths and growth potential. Having purpose in life can be a strength and may assist individuals both in flourishing and in buffering the effects of adverse events,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://www.une.edu.au/staff-profiles/psychology/nschutte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicola Schutte</a>, an associate professor of psychology at the University of New England in Australia.</p>
<p>A meta-analysis involves systematically collecting and synthesizing findings from various individual studies to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of a particular topic. This approach is particularly valuable in health research, as it amalgamates diverse findings into a coherent whole, offering more definitive conclusions than a single study could.</p>
<p>In this particular meta-analysis, the researchers embarked on an extensive search for studies that had explored the relationship between purpose in life and depression or anxiety. Using databases such as Scopus and PsycINFO, they gathered relevant research papers. After a thorough screening, the final analysis included data from 89 studies encompassing over 66,000 participants.</p>
<p>The researchers found that a higher sense of purpose in life was strongly associated with lower levels of depression. The effect size for this relationship, measured as a correlation coefficient (r), was -0.49. This indicates that as the sense of purpose in a person’s life increases, the symptoms of depression significantly decrease.</p>
<p>The relationship between a sense of purpose and anxiety, though still negative, was moderate compared to depression. The effect size here was -0.36, suggesting that a greater sense of purpose is also associated with reduced anxiety levels, but the association is not as strong as it is with depression.</p>
<p>An interesting aspect of the findings was how the relationships differed between clinical and healthy populations. For anxiety, the negative correlation with life purpose was more pronounced in those already diagnosed with physical or mental health conditions. This suggests that for individuals grappling with health challenges, having a sense of purpose might play a more vital role in managing anxiety.</p>
<p>Age and gender, on the other hand, did not significantly moderate the relationship between purpose and depression/anxiety.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Our meta-analysis found that across studies greater purpose in life was associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety,&#8221; Schutte told PsyPost. &#8220;Developing and maintaining a sense of purpose in life and perceiving that life and the world around us are meaningful may help us work towards fulfilling goals and assist us when we face challenges.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, it&#8217;s crucial to understand that these findings, while significant, come with limitations. Firstly, the nature of the study being a meta-analysis means it only provides correlations and not causation. In other words, while a strong sense of purpose is linked to lower depression and anxiety, it&#8217;s not clear if or how this sense of purpose directly leads to improved mental health.</p>
<p>Future research is essential to further unravel this relationship. Specifically, experimental studies are needed to understand the cause-and-effect dynamics between purpose in life and mental health. Such research could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches that focus on enhancing life purpose as a means to combat depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>&#8220;More research on the most effective approaches to developing and maintaining purpose in life would be useful,&#8221; Schutte said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jclp.23576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The relationship between purpose in life and depression and anxiety: A meta‐analysis</a>&#8220;, was authored by Ian D. Boreham and Nicola S. Schutte.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:24AM
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TITLE:
Iran's President Condemns Gaza "Genocide" at Moscow Talks with Putin
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175714&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-07/irans-raisi-condemns-gaza-genocide-at-moscow-talks-with-putin

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the West on Thursday of supporting &quot;genocide&quot; by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, at the start of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. After Putin mentioned the Palestinian territories, Raisi responded via a translator: &quot;What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity.&quot; He said it was &quot;even more sad&quot; that this was supported by the United States and...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:24AM
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TITLE:
Light Therapy May Improve Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175746&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231206150519.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>The cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease is often accompanied by sleep disturbances and psycho-behavioral symptoms, including apathetic and depressive behavior, agitation, and aggression. According to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, however, light therapy leads to significant improvements in sleep and psycho-behavioral symptoms for patients with Alzheimer's disease.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:23AM
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TITLE:
Barbados Prime Minister Calls for Slavery Reparation Talks
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175691&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-06/barbados-pm-mottley-calls-for-slavery-reparation-conversations

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley used a speech in London on Wednesday to call for a global conversation on reparations for countries that saw their people enslaved, sometimes for centuries, under colonial rule. Barbados was one of Britain's first slave colonies. English settlers first occupied the Caribbean island in 1627 and developed a sugar plantation economy using enslaved people from Africa. Slavery was abolished there in 1834.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:32AM
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TITLE:
Hanukkah Brings Light to Germany's Jews Facing Surge in Antisemitism
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175707&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-07/hanukkah-brings-light-to-germanys-jews-facing-surge-in-antisemitism

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>A German chancellor for the first time kindled the first flame of the giant Hanukkah Menorah in front of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Jewish people two months after the Hamas attacks. A crane lifted Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the first branch of the 33-foot tall menorah, which he lit with a torch. &quot;Hanukkah stands for hope and trust,&quot; said Scholz. &quot;We need both, especially in these days.&quot;</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:19AM
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TITLE:
Tulane Students Build Wheelchairs for Children with Disabilities
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175767&url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulane-university-students-wheelchairs-children-with-disabilities/

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/us/" rel="tag" target="_blank">CBS News - U.S. News</a></p>A Tulane University program is creating waves of change for kids with disabilities, providing them with specially designed chairs that offer newfound mobility and independence. Volunteers at the university dedicate their time and skills to building the chairs with the help of 3D printing technology. So far this year, they have built 15 chairs. Each chair is personalized and signed by its makers, carrying messages of love and care from their...</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:05AM
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TITLE:
Europe Reaches a Deal on the World's First Comprehensive AI Rules
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175782&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/europe-reaches-deal-worlds-comprehensive-ai-rules-105510262

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Science and Technology</a></p>European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of technology used in popular generative AI services like ChatGPT that have promised to transform everyday life and spurred warnings of existential dangers to humanity. The Artificial Intelligence Act covers controversial topics such facial recognition surveillance used by police.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
U.S. House Committee Opens Probe Into Harvard, Penn, MIT After Hearing
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175737&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-12-07/us-house-committee-opens-investigation-into-harvard-penn-mit-after-antisemitism-hearing

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>A U.S. House of Representatives committee opened an investigation into three of the country's most prestigious universities on Thursday, two days after lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the school presidents' testimony about addressing antisemitism. The panel said it believed the schools were not doing enough to address &quot;rampant antisemitism&quot; on their campuses following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
Meta-analysis highlights potential of psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/meta-analysis-highlights-potential-of-psilocybin-therapy-for-treatment-resistant-depression-214905

<p>A scientific review and meta-analysis published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517812300481X"><em>Psychiatry Research</em></a> concludes that &#8220;well-designed phase III trials are urgently needed&#8221; to further examine the promising effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with major depression and life-threatening cancer. These pivotal trials would assess the safety and efficacy of this novel approach in comparison to existing standard treatments, potentially establishing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as an accepted medical alternative.</p>
<p>The new research was spurred by a pressing need to find effective treatments for depression, particularly for those forms of the condition that do not respond to traditional treatments. Despite advancements in mental health therapies, many patients with major depressive disorder or severe depression related to life-threatening cancer find little relief even after trying multiple treatments. This scenario, known as treatment-resistant depression, affects over 30% of patients treated for major depressive disorder, highlighting the urgency for alternative therapeutic approaches.</p>
<p>Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain types of mushrooms, has long intrigued researchers due to its potential therapeutic effects. In psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, patients are given controlled doses of psilocybin in a clinical setting, accompanied by professional psychological support. This innovative approach aims to create a setting in which patients can explore their thoughts and emotions under the influence of psilocybin, which is known to induce a heightened state of openness and introspection. The therapy sessions typically include a preparation phase, the psilocybin administration session, and subsequent integration sessions, where patients process their experiences.</p>
<p>&#8220;There has been a lot of buzz in both the media and academic circles about psilocybin’s efficacy in major depressive disorder,&#8221; explained study authors Sipan Haikazian, David Chen-Li, and Joshua Rosenblat of Toronto Western Hospital. &#8220;Numerous trials have been published in recent years demonstrating psilocybin’s profound antidepressant effects in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, the gold standard for determining the efficacy of a drug.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The <a href="https://www.mdpu.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU)</a> at Toronto Western Hospital is conducting trials for psychedelic and psychedelic-like substances for the treatment of mood disorders, so we are familiar with the current state of the field. As such, we believed a formal review of the evidence was warranted and conducted both a quantitative and qualitative analysis to summarize the state of the field at this time.&#8221;</p>
<p>A meta-analysis, a statistical technique used to combine results from multiple studies to arrive at a comprehensive conclusion, was employed in this research. This approach is particularly useful in health sciences as it provides a more robust and reliable overview than individual studies. The researchers meticulously searched through various scientific databases to find studies that examined the antidepressant efficacy of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy.</p>
<p>They sifted through thousands of publications, eventually focusing on 13 randomized controlled trials that met their strict criteria. The studies had to include participants with a confirmed diagnosis of major depressive disorder or distressing depressive symptoms associated with life-threatening cancer. This diagnosis needed to be based on standard clinical assessments or structured interviews, such as those outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The combined sample included 686 individuals.</p>
<p>The analysis showed that patients receiving psilocybin therapy exhibited significantly more improvement in depressive symptoms than those who did not receive this treatment. This improvement was consistent across various subgroups, including patients with major depressive disorder and those experiencing depression due to life-threatening cancer.</p>
<p>Notably, the study found that both response rates (the proportion of patients showing a significant reduction in depression symptoms) and remission rates (the proportion of patients whose symptoms subsided to the point of being considered in remission) were higher in the psilocybin group compared to controls.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the effects of psilocybin were observed shortly after administration, suggesting a rapid onset of antidepressant action. This is a significant departure from traditional antidepressants, which typically require a longer period to start working. Interestingly, the study also found that the positive effects of psilocybin therapy could last for several months, an encouraging sign for its long-term efficacy.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study found that while psilocybin was generally well-tolerated, some participants did experience non-serious side effects. Commonly reported adverse events included headaches, nausea, fatigue, and transient anxiety. These are typical of psychedelic-assisted therapies and are usually manageable within the controlled setting of the therapy sessions. Importantly, serious adverse events were rare.</p>
<p>However, there were isolated instances of more concerning effects, such as worsening depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation, particularly in individuals with a history of such issues. This highlights the need for careful screening and monitoring of participants in psilocybin therapy, especially those with a complex psychiatric history.</p>
<p>A significant limitation is the lack of active comparators, which could lead to expectancy bias. Including active comparators that mimic the psychoactive effects of psilocybin would strengthen the reliability of the results, as it would more effectively control for the influence of participants&#8217; expectations on their reported outcomes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The average person should approach the findings of our paper with cautioned optimism, particularly with how psilocybin should be used in both clinical and non-clinical settings,&#8221; Haikazian, Chen-Li, and Rosenblat told PsyPost. &#8220;While the effect size (a measure of how effective psilocybin is at reducing depressive symptoms compared to placebo) of psilocybin was moderate, the studies have several limitations. It is difficult to find a placebo drug that can mimic psilocybin&#8217;s obvious psychological effects while not having the depressive action. In fact, such a drug does not yet exist.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Therefore, it’s very possible that participants in studies were unblinded in regards to what treatment they received,&#8221; the researchers explained. &#8220;Also, despite positive findings, psilocybin should only be prescribed in a monitored, clinical setting, and we nor any of the authors of these studies condone or promote self-medication with the drug. This is particularly important to highlight given the increasing presence of illicitly yet conspicuously sold psilocybin in large urban centres.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517812300481X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis</a>&#8220;, was authored by Sipan Haikazian, David C.J. Chen-Li, Danica E. Johnson, Farhan Fancy, Anastasia Levinta, M. Ishrat Husain, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Roger S. McIntyre, and Joshua D. Rosenblat.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
Teens who frequently watch “girlboss” content exhibit lower professional sexism
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/teens-who-frequently-watch-girlboss-content-exhibit-lower-professional-sexism-214904

<p>In a recent Belgian study, researchers found that teenagers who frequently watched TV series and social media posts featuring women in traditionally male-dominated professions, such as CEOs or scientists, had less stereotypical views about gender and professions. However, this correlation did not strongly translate into a change within individuals over time. The findings have been published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01391-9">Sex Roles</a>.</em></p>
<p>Historically, the representation of women in media has been skewed towards traditional roles. Recent efforts to balance this portrayal, especially in male-dominated fields like STEM or executive positions, have led to the emergence of &#8220;woman boss&#8221; content in media. This term describes TV series or social media posts showcasing women in authoritative or traditionally male roles.</p>
<p>&#8220;Gender inequalities in the career world, including the underrepresentation of women in stereotypically male careers, still exist nowadays,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://soc.kuleuven.be/smc/staff/00125902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ilse Vranken</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the School for Mass Communication at KU Leuven in Belgium. &#8220;Efforts to reduce such inequalities are thus highly needed. Such inequalities, and especially the complexity in which such inequalities exist fascinate me and are central to my research on media effects.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;In our longitudinal study, we focused on what we labeled as &#8216;woman boss TV series&#8217; and &#8216;woman boss social media content.&#8217; Such content focuses on female role models in stereotypically male jobs. As the storylines in TV series and posts on social media focus on these role models and their professional or personal lives, they may be particularly inspiring for late adolescents (teenagers between 16-18 years old). Therefore, we were inspired to study how exposure to such content may play a beneficial role in reducing gender-stereotypical beliefs about professional roles that are reserved for men vs. women, what we label as professional sexism.&#8221;</p>
<p>To understand the impact of this new wave of media content, Belgian researchers conducted a longitudinal study involving 1,286 high school seniors. The study spanned over three waves of data collection in January, May, and September of 2021, coinciding with a crucial period when these teenagers were making significant career-related decisions.</p>
<p>Participants were asked about their consumption of TV series and social media content that featured women in male-dominated professions, such as a female police officer, scientist, or CEO. The study also measured the perceived usefulness of this content – whether the participants felt they learned something valuable from it – and their levels of professional sexism, using questions that gauged their beliefs about gender-specific suitability for certain professions.</p>
<p>On a between-person level, meaning when comparing different individuals, there was a clear trend: adolescents who watched more &#8220;woman boss&#8221; series or engaged with similar social media posts tended to have less professional sexism. They also found this content more useful, indicating a potential shift in attitudes thanks to media exposure.</p>
<p>In other words, adolescents who engaged with more &#8220;woman boss&#8221; content were <em>less</em> likely to agree with statements such as &#8220;Women are better suited for caring professions (e.g., nursing) compared to men&#8221; and <em>more</em> likely to agree with statements such as &#8220;After viewing such series, I learned things that I would have never learned otherwise.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, when examining within-person changes over time – meaning how an individual&#8217;s attitudes changed with their media consumption – the results were not as clear-cut. Contrary to the researchers&#8217; expectations, no stable within-person associations were found between exposure to woman boss content and professional sexism. This means that, over time, increased exposure to woman boss series or posts did not consistently relate to changes in professional sexism within individuals.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our study only found differences between adolescents, meaning that late adolescents who were more frequently exposed to women in stereotypically male careers in TV series compared to their peers, also scored lower on professional sexism,&#8221; Vranken told PsyPost. &#8220;However, we could not find any long-term effects of exposure to such content. Exposure to such counter-stereotypical content in TV series or on social media did not affect an adolescent’s professional sexism four months later.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;This finding generally indicates that such content may not have been strong enough to evoke changes within adolescents’ levels of professional sexism. This raises questions on whether such content may only be effective among younger age groups, such as children, who may be more susceptible to endorse counter-stereotypes.&#8221;</p>
<p>One surprising finding was that teenagers with higher levels of professional sexism at one point in the study tended to find &#8220;woman boss&#8221; series more useful later on. This suggests that such content might be particularly informative for those with more traditional views on gender and professions.</p>
<p>However, the study also had its limitations. A significant number of participants dropped out by the third wave of data collection, especially as most had graduated from high school by then. The researchers speculate that important life events like graduation and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed media consumption patterns, could have influenced the results. Moreover, since the study was conducted in Belgium, the findings might not be directly applicable to other cultural contexts.</p>
<p>Future research might look into younger age groups, as the formation of gender-related beliefs and schemas could be more malleable in children than in late adolescents. The researchers also suggest a need for more detailed measures of media exposure, considering not just the quantity but the quality and context of &#8220;woman boss&#8221; portrayals.</p>
<p>&#8220;Another question is whether all female role models in atypical careers in TV series or on social media can be truly inspirational and can cause positive effects,&#8221; Vranken said. &#8220;Together with Prof. Vandenbosch, I conducted a content analysis of 740 characters across 15 fiction series. We found support for what we labelled as an &#8216;atypical occupational trade-off bias&#8217;; women in atypical occupations were more frequently presented as unfavorable and underachieving in other life domains, such as their family life or sexual life, compared to male and female characters in gender-stereotypical careers. This may entail that not all female role models in atypical careers in TV series may be equally effective in lowering adolescents’ professional sexism.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Our study is one of the first studies that examined the potentially beneficial role of exposure to women in atypical careers in TV series and on social media among adolescents,&#8221; Vranken added. &#8220;More research is needed to understand which representations of female role models in TV series and on social media are most likely to evoke positive effects. Such research should also consider under which circumstances and for whom such role models may be most effective.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01391-9">Counter‑Stereotypical Career‑Related Media Content and Adolescents’ Professional Sexism: A Longitudinal Study of Woman Boss Television Series and Social Media Posts</a>&#8220;, was authored by Ilse Vranken, Sarah Devos, and <a href="https://soc.kuleuven.be/smc/staff/00060068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laura Vandenbosch</a>.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
Brief snooze periods might help alleviate drowsiness without other adverse consequences
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/brief-snooze-periods-might-help-alleviate-drowsiness-without-other-adverse-consequences-214909

<p>Two studies on snoozing habits found that morning drowsiness and shorter sleep were more common among individuals who snooze. On the other hand, 30 minutes of snoozing either improved or did not affect cognitive performance after arising compared to rough awakening. There were no effects of snoozing on cortisol awakening response, morning sleepiness, mood, or characteristics of overnight sleep. The study was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14054"><em>Journal of Sleep Research</em></a>.</p>
<p>Since the early 1950s, most alarm clocks have featured a snooze button, allowing the alarm to be delayed for a brief period after its initial activation. This function enables users to employ intermittent alarms to postpone their final awakening, a practice commonly known as snoozing. Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022, involving 20,000 activity-tracking wristwatch users and working professionals respectively, found that approximately 50% of individuals hit the snooze button at least once each morning. Women, individuals with a less pronounced conscientiousness trait, and those who prefer staying up late are more likely to engage in snoozing.</p>
<p>Despite the widespread practice of snoozing, its effects on daily functioning have been largely understudied by scientists. Essentially, snoozing shortens overall sleep duration compared to setting the alarm for a later time, when one would immediately rise after the alarm. This practice could potentially increase the risk of various negative effects associated with sleep loss, such as cognitive deficits, mood disturbances, and others. Conversely, delaying the final wake-up time might allow an individual to complete their sleep cycle and reach a lighter sleep stage before having to wake up.</p>
<p>Tina Sundelin, an assistant professor at the Stress Research Institute and Department of Psychology at Stockholm University, and her colleagues wanted to learn more about snoozing behavior and its effects. &#8220;I was interested in the topic of snoozing partly because it seemed to be such a common behaviour and partly because I kept hearing that it was bad without it having been properly studied,&#8221; she explained.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted two studies; the first aimed to identify the characteristics of people who snooze and their reasons for postponing awakening. The second study examined the effects of snoozing on sleep quality, sleepiness, cognitive ability, mood, and the cortisol awakening response.</p>
<p>The cortisol awakening response is a natural increase in cortisol levels occurring within the first hour of waking, playing a critical role in preparing the body and mind for the day ahead. Cortisol, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is integral to various physiological functions, including metabolism regulation, immune response, and the body&#8217;s stress response.</p>
<p>In the first study, 1,732 individuals responded to a survey conducted by the study authors via Qualtrics. Eighty percent of the respondents were from Sweden, with others hailing from the USA, Finland, the UK, and Australia. Sixty-nine percent of the participants reported occasionally using the snooze function or setting multiple alarms. Most did so only on workdays, but 23% used it on both workdays and days off. Among snooze users, 60% reported falling asleep between alarms.</p>
<p>On average, snoozers were six years younger than non-snoozers, four times more likely to stay up late at night (evening types), and had shorter sleep durations on workdays (but not on days off). The most common reasons for snoozing included feeling too tired to wake up, enjoying the sensation, and preferring a slower, more gradual awakening.</p>
<p>The second study involved 31 habitual snoozers, averaging 27.5 years of age, including 18 women. All participants slept in a laboratory equipped with a polysomnography device for three nights. The first night involved practice tests to minimize learning effects. The subsequent nights included one with snoozing and another without. Participants maintained their regular sleep schedules but either woke up at their usual time or 30 minutes earlier, using the snooze button every 9-10 minutes until their final awakening.</p>
<p>Immediately upon waking, the researchers turned on the lights, collected saliva samples (to measure cortisol levels), and conducted a series of cognitive tests using the Karolinska WakeApp. Participants also rated their sleepiness, effort, and performance after each cognitive test, as well as their mood.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The results indicated that sleep characteristics were similar on nights with and without morning snoozing. Sleep architecture, the organization and structure of sleep stages, differed only during the snooze period, with participants experiencing lower sleep efficiency and more arousals. There was also a variation in sleep stages during this period. Participants exhibited signs of sleep inertia, or drowsiness, immediately after awakening in both conditions.</p>
<p>Cognitive performance generally improved over time after waking. Right after waking, those who snoozed showed somewhat better performance on two cognitive tests, although the effect of snoozing on one test dissipated 40 minutes later. Both sleepiness and mood improved sometime after waking, regardless of snoozing. Furthermore, snoozing had no impact on cortisol levels.</p>
<p>The findings indicate &#8220;that snoozing is common and probably not that bad for you, as long as you are getting the sleep you need beforehand,&#8221; Sundelin told PsyPost. &#8220;I was surprised that the effects of 30 minutes of snoozing had such little impact on the full night’s sleep. And that participants were a bit more quick-thinking after having snoozed.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study provides valuable insights into the effects of snoozing. However, it also has limitations that must be considered. Notably, the second study only included habitual snoozers, meaning the results may not be applicable to individuals who do not usually snooze. Research on such individuals might yield different outcomes. Additionally, the study exclusively used a 30-minute snooze duration, suggesting that shorter or longer snoozing periods could have varying effects.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is a rather small study and we only focus on one morning of snoozing,&#8221; Sundelin said. &#8220;I would be interesting to look at snoozing (vs not snoozing) over time and also to focus on different types of snoozing – different durations and intervals etc.&#8221;</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14054">Is snoozing losing? Why intermittent morning alarms are used and how they affect sleep, cognition, cortisol, and mood</a>”, was authored by Tina Sundelin, Shane Landry, and John Axelsson.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
How marital conversations might influence heart health
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/how-marital-conversations-might-influence-heart-health-214903

<p>In a new study published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-12683-001?doi=1"><em>Emotion</em></a>, researchers have found that the more negative emotion words that spouses use during marital conversations, the higher their cardiovascular reactivity. This discovery could have significant implications for understanding the interplay between emotional expression and physical health in close relationships.</p>
<p>Previous research has long established the importance of close relationships on our health and well-being. Romantic relationships, in particular, hold considerable sway over our emotional and physical health. Studies have shown that how couples navigate conflicts and express emotions during interactions can significantly impact their long-term relationship quality and health.</p>
<p>One area of specific interest has been cardiovascular reactivity – changes in heart rate and blood pressure during stressful interactions. This reactivity is a crucial predictor of long-term health outcomes, with heightened reactivity linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The latest study delves deeper into understanding this phenomenon, particularly focusing on how the language used during marital conflicts and positive interactions relates to cardiovascular reactivity.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide,&#8221; said study co-author Claudia Haase, an associate professor at Northwestern University and director of the <a href="https://haaselab.sesp.northwestern.edu/people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life-Span Development Lab</a>. &#8220;A long line of research has shown that people whose heart rates speed up more in response to stress or challenge are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular diseases down the road.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Researchers have long been interested in the words that couples use when they talk with each other. Words matter. We wondered whether the kinds of words couples use when talking with each other could tell us something about how their hearts would respond.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;People often experience intense emotions when interacting or arguing with their spouse,&#8221; added co-author Tabea Meier, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich. &#8220;Marital interactions thus provide a great testing ground for this research question.&#8221;</p>
<p>Conducted in a laboratory setting, the study involved 49 married couples from the greater Chicago area, representing diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. The choice of a diverse participant group was deliberate, aiming to provide a broader understanding of these dynamics across different sections of society.</p>
<p>In the lab, each couple engaged in two types of videotaped conversations – one involving a conflict and the other, a positive discussion. These conversations were preceded by a period where the couples relaxed and did not engage in any conversation, serving as a baseline for physiological measurements.</p>
<p>During these interactions, physiological measures, specifically the time interval between heartbeats (an indicator of cardiovascular reactivity), were recorded continuously for both spouses. Additionally, the conversations were transcribed, and the language used was analyzed. The focus was on quantifying the frequency and diversity of both negative and positive emotion words used by the spouses.</p>
<p>The findings were revealing and somewhat surprising. The study showed that the use of more negative emotion words, particularly those related to anger, was associated with higher cardiovascular reactivity. This effect was consistent regardless of the couple&#8217;s socioeconomic status, the type of conversation (conflict or positive), and across both husbands and wives. Interestingly, the study found no significant association between the use of positive emotion words and cardiovascular reactivity.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Partners who used more negative emotion words (especially anger words) in conversations with each other experienced greater increases in their heart rate,&#8221; Meier told PsyPost. &#8220;Our research adds to other research showing that the experience of emotions often comes with changes on different levels, including physiology and language. This opens the door for future research to better understand the mechanisms through which language and emotions are connected.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study is robust in its methodology and provides valuable insights, it&#8217;s crucial to note some limitations. Firstly, the sample size, though diverse, was relatively small, which might limit the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, the study&#8217;s design was cross-sectional, capturing data at a single point in time. This means that while a relationship between negative emotion word use and cardiovascular reactivity was observed, it does not necessarily imply causation. It&#8217;s possible that increased cardiovascular reactivity could influence the language used during interactions, rather than the other way around.</p>
<p>In light of these findings, future research could look into the long-term health implications of emotion word use in close relationships. It would be valuable to explore whether certain ways of expressing emotions in words could contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases over time. Additionally, understanding the specific autonomic nervous system responses associated with different types of emotional expressions could provide deeper insights into the physiological processes at play.</p>
<p>&#8220;While we find that the use of more negative emotion words relates to higher heart rate reactivity, it is clear that it is sometimes also important and beneficial to express how we are feeling,&#8221; Meier noted. &#8220;More research is needed to get a more nuanced picture on when and how emotion word use may signal risk factors for cardiovascular health. This will allow to perhaps find the right balance between expressing emotions and not become too overinvolved in negative emotions.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Words are only one part of the story when it comes to heart rate reactivity,&#8221; Haase told PsyPost. &#8220;And different words may matter for different couples. Clearly, this is an area where we need more research with couples from diverse backgrounds.&#8221;</p>
<p>These findings are important as they highlight the potential health implications of how emotions are expressed in words during marital interactions. It seems that expressing negative emotions, especially anger, in words can have immediate physiological effects, potentially posing a risk for cardiovascular health. This is in line with the functionalist perspective on emotions, which posits that emotions manifest in various ways, including physiological responses and language use.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is growing scientific evidence that language can provide a window into our inner lives,&#8221; Haase said. &#8220;Our study shows that language can also provide a window into our hearts.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001299">Feelings in Words: Emotion Word Use and Cardiovascular Reactivity in Marital Interactions</a>&#8220;, was authored by Tabea Meier, Jacquelyn E. Stephens, and Claudia M. Haase.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:00AM
.
TITLE:
First-of-its-kind study sheds light on the psychological impact of antisemitic conspiracy theories on Jewish people
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/first-of-its-kind-study-sheds-light-on-the-impact-of-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-on-jewish-people-214897

<p>New research published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British Journal of Psychology</a></em> shows that Jewish individuals who believe antisemitic conspiracy theories are prevalent in society experience increased feelings of threat and a tendency to avoid those outside their group. This study, one of the first of its kind, sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of conspiracy theories on the groups they target.</p>
<p>While a significant amount of research has been done on why people believe in conspiracy theories, there has been little focus on how these theories affect the groups they target. Conspiracy theories can be harmful, often targeting specific groups with accusations of secret, malevolent actions. This new study aimed to understand the impact of such beliefs on Jewish individuals, a group frequently subjected to conspiracy theories.</p>
<p>&#8220;We can’t fully appreciate how conspiracy theories divide society unless we consider how the targets of these beliefs are affected,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://www.danieljolley.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Jolley</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/DrDanielJolley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@DrDanielJolley</a>), an assistant professor in social psychology at the University of Nottingham. &#8220;Whilst research exploring the consequences of those who subscribe to conspiracy theories is undoubtedly important, a notable oversight is the research examining the perspective of the targets of conspiracy theories. Our work therefore sought to explore how conspiracy theories about social groups can have significant negative effects on their members.&#8221;</p>
<p>The first part of the study involved 250 Jewish participants, mostly from the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom. They were asked to estimate how popular they thought various Jewish conspiracy theories were among non-Jewish people. Following this, the participants rated their feelings of threat from these conspiracies and their level of anxiety about interacting with non-Jewish people. The study also measured their preference for avoiding contact with non-Jewish individuals.</p>
<p>The researchers found that participants who believed that conspiracy theories about Jewish people were more popular felt more threatened and showed a stronger preference for avoiding contact with non-Jewish people. However, there was no direct link between the perceived popularity of these conspiracy theories and personal anxiety when meeting non-Jewish people.</p>
<p>The second study took a different approach, using an experimental method with 210 Jewish participants from the United States. The participants were randomly exposed to manipulated information suggesting that either many or few non-Jewish people believed in Jewish conspiracy theories. The participants then rated their levels of intergroup threat, personal anxiety, and avoidance preferences similar to the first study.</p>
<p>Participants exposed to the scenario where many non-Jews believed in conspiracy theories reported higher levels of threat and perceived anger within their group. However, their personal anxiety and avoidance preferences didn’t show significant differences from those exposed to the scenario where few non-Jews believed in these theories. This reinforced the notion that the perceived prevalence of these theories among outsiders could influence internal group emotions, particularly a sense of threat and collective anger.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our work focused on the impact of conspiracy theories about Jewish people on the emotions and behaviors of the Jewish community,&#8221; Jolley told PsyPost. &#8220;Our studies revealed that perceiving Jewish conspiracy theories as popular is linked with Jewish feeling threatened, angry and anxious. These conspiracy beliefs are also linked to Jewish people being more avoidant of non-Jewish people.&#8221;</p>
<p>The third study, involving 209 American Jewish participants, built further on these findings. Participants were again exposed to manipulated scenarios indicating varying levels of belief in conspiracy theories among non-Jewish people. This time, the researchers also measured the participants&#8217; willingness to take collective action in support of Jewish people and introduced an opportunity for participants to engage in a simulated online interaction with a non-Jewish person.</p>
<p>The participants who were led to believe that conspiracy theories were widely held showed greater willingness for collective action and were more likely to avoid interacting with a non-Jewish person in the behavioral task. This study provided a crucial link between perceptions, emotions, and actual behavior, demonstrating that the perceived popularity of conspiracy theories can lead to real-world avoidance of intergroup contact.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;One surprising aspect of our findings was the dual effect of perceived conspiracy popularity,&#8221; Jolley said. &#8220;On one hand, it increased group solidarity within the targeted community, fostering intentions to support fellow members. However, it also fueled a desire to avoid interactions with individuals outside the community. This nuanced perspective adds complexity to the understanding of the consequences of intergroup conspiracy theories, highlighting both positive and negative outcomes.&#8221;</p>
<p>These studies collectively highlight a critical aspect of conspiracy theories – their impact on the targeted groups. The findings underscore that conspiracy theories are more than just a societal curiosity; they have tangible, adverse effects on those they target. They contribute to a sense of threat, emotional distress, and social avoidance within these groups, which can exacerbate social divides and perpetuate misunderstanding and prejudice.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our work focused on the Jewish community,&#8221; Jolley said. &#8220;However, we believe that our findings are very unlikely to be isolated to Jewish people. Conspiracy theories target many different groups – from healthcare workers and scientists to entire social groups. The same impacts such as feeling threatened, angry, and anxious, and a desire to avoid others, are likely observed in a wide range of target groups.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We hope that our work acts as a catalyst for exploring the impact of perceived conspiracy popularity in other groups, and that such work can provide important insights that can used to support those who are targeted.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The impact of conspiracy beliefs on a targeted group: Perceived popularity of Jewish-targeted conspiracy beliefs elicits outgroup avoidant behaviours</a>&#8220;, was authored by Daniel Jolley, Jenny L. Paterson, and Andrew McNeill.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 03:00AM
.
TITLE:
Cómo ayudan los médicos israelíes a los niños rehenes a volver a casa
.
URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2023/12/08/espanol/israel-rehenes-hamas-ninos.html

A una niña le dijeron que nadie la buscaba y que Israel había desaparecido. Una vez liberada, el personal médico que la atiende trata paso a paso de ganarse su confianza.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 07:51AM
.
TITLE:
University of Pennsylvania Loses $100M Donation After House Testimony
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175733&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNjc2NTU5MTDSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtdXMtY2FuYWRhLTY3NjU1OTEwLmFtcA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>A University of Pennsylvania donor has withdrawn a $100 million grant after a controversial appearance in Congress by the school's president. &quot;Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university's] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment? Yes or no?&quot; New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik asked. The three university presidents said&mdash;in varying ways&mdash;that it depended on the context. The donor, Ross Stevens, said he...</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
Sacred meaning in motion: How spiritual body movements affect our emotions, according to recent study
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/sacred-meaning-in-motion-how-spiritual-body-movements-affect-our-emotions-according-to-recent-study-214876

<p>The way we move our bodies and the sacred meanings we attach to these movements can significantly affect our emotions, according to new research published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/rel0000463"><em>Psychology of Religion and Spirituality</em></a>. This insight sheds new light on how simple actions, when imbued with sacred meaning, can enhance positive emotions and reduce negative feelings.</p>
<p>In various religious and spiritual practices, specific body movements and postures are integral parts. For example, the fluid motions in a Sufi&#8217;s whirling or the disciplined postures in a yogi&#8217;s practice are believed to be more than mere physical activities; they are seen as pathways to higher emotional and spiritual states.</p>
<p>Building on this age-old wisdom, recent psychological research has begun to explore how these physical movements might affect our mental state. Past studies have hinted at the potential of body movements to influence creativity, mood, and even our perception of social concepts like race. However, what was less understood was how the meaning we attach to these movements plays a role in this dynamic.</p>
<p>&#8220;Body movements are common in many religious and spiritual settings. Research on embodiment often examines the type of body movements people do (for example, fluid vs. nonfluid body movements) and the way body movements impact cognition and emotion,&#8221; said study author Paige A. Freeburg (<a href="https://twitter.com/paigeafreeburg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@paigeafreeburg</a>), the Lab Manager for the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience at Georgetown University.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was interested in understanding not only the effects of the types of movements people do but also the effects of the meaning people give to body movements. To what extent do actual body movements themselves, the meaning behind body movements, and the interaction between body movements and their meaning shape cognition and emotion?&#8221;</p>
<p>In the study, which was conducted at Sarah Schnitker&#8217;s <a href="https://sites.baylor.edu/science-of-virtues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Science of Virtues Lab</a> at Baylor University, the researchers recruited 422 participants through an online platform, ensuring a diverse representation in terms of gender, age, race, and religious affiliations. The study was designed to observe two primary variables: the fluidity of the participants&#8217; movements and the sacredness of the meaning they ascribed to these movements.</p>
<p>Participants were divided into groups and asked to perform simple tasks: drawing six lines. Some were instructed to draw these lines with fluid motions, while others were guided to use nonfluid, more angular motions. In addition, half of the participants were asked to imbue these actions with sacred meaning — to connect the act of drawing with something spiritually significant to them, like &#8220;God,&#8221; &#8220;humanity,&#8221; or &#8220;the universe.&#8221; The others were asked to focus on more mundane aspects, like hand-eye coordination.</p>
<p>The researchers measured various emotional states of the participants, including positive and negative emotions, mood, and self-transcendent positive emotions, which include feelings like gratitude and compassion. They also assessed creativity and race conceptions (e.g., &#8220;I believe physical features determine race&#8221;), although these were not the study&#8217;s primary focus.</p>
<p>The researchers found that participants who performed fluid movements experienced more positive emotions compared to those who made nonfluid movements. But, more interestingly, those who ascribed sacred meaning to their movements, regardless of their fluidity, reported even higher levels of positive and self-transcendent positive emotions. They also experienced fewer negative emotions.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found that attributing sacred meaning to arm movements led to greater experiences of positive and self-transcendent positive emotions (and lower negative emotions),&#8221; Freeburg told PsyPost. &#8220;This study highlights the importance of taking into account not only the type of body movements people do but also the meaning people give to body movements.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;For the sacred meaning manipulation, there were no statistically significant differences in any affective or cognitive outcomes between participants who chose a theistic sacred term (e.g., &#8216;God, &#8216;a higher power&#8217;) and participants who chose a nontheistic sacred term (e.g., &#8216;humanity,&#8221; &#8216;the universe&#8217;),&#8221; she noted. &#8220;It didn’t matter what participants found to be sacred; as long as something meaningful to them was associated with the arm movements, positive emotions were elicited. This is a step forward in acknowledging a wide range of religious and spiritual experiences in research.&#8221;</p>
<p>On the flip side, the study didn&#8217;t find significant effects of movement fluidity or sacredness on cognitive outcomes like creativity and race conceptions. This was contrary to what some previous research suggested, highlighting that the relationship between body movements and cognitive processes might not be as straightforward as once thought.</p>
<p>&#8220;Contrary to previous research, we did not find that fluid arm movements led to more fluid thinking,&#8221; Freeburg said. &#8220;This could be because we a) had a larger sample size than previous research, b) used online participants instead of college students, and c) varied our methodology from previous research.&#8221;</p>
<p>Interestingly, these effects on emotions were somewhat influenced by the perceived difficulty of the drawing task. Nonfluid movements were rated as more difficult than fluid ones, and when this difficulty was taken into account, the impact of fluid movements on positive emotions and mood diminished.</p>
<p>There are some caveats to consider in interpreting these findings. First, the study&#8217;s movements were limited to arm movements and drawing lines, which are relatively small and simple actions. It&#8217;s unclear if more complex or whole-body movements would yield similar results. Additionally, the study&#8217;s design, while innovative, focused on short-term interactions. The long-term effects of these types of embodied actions in religious and spiritual settings remain unexplored.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, the researchers suggest that further studies should explore a wider variety of movements and contexts, including larger and more holistic body movements that are common in many religious and spiritual practices. It would also be beneficial to examine the long-term effects of these movements and to expand the research to include a more diverse range of participants and settings.</p>
<p>&#8220;The sample is primarily White, female, and non-Hispanic,&#8221; Freeburg said. &#8220;Furthermore, the body movements were small and limited to the arm, so any effects were likely short-lived. Future research should investigate the effects of movements that involve more of the body (e.g., dancing) and thus may be more potent and long-lasting.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-44659-001">Meaning Behind the Movement: Attributing Sacred Meaning to Fluid and Nonfluid Arm Movements Increases Self-Transcendent Positive Emotions and Buffers the Effects of Nonfluidity on Positive Emotions</a>&#8220;, was authored by Paige A. Freeburg, Patty Van Cappellen, Juliette L. Ratchford, and Sarah A. Schnitker.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 11:14AM
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TITLE:
How to manage sexualized transference
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URL:
https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/how-to-manage-sexualized-transference/

<p>Stigma, fear and a lack of training cause many counselors to feel unprepared and vulnerable when faced with sexualized transference.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/how-to-manage-sexualized-transference/">How to manage sexualized transference</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ct.counseling.org">Counseling Today</a>.</p>

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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Longitudinal study links childhood pet attachment to lower adolescent anxiety
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/longitudinal-study-links-childhood-pet-attachment-to-lower-adolescent-anxiety-214890

<p>A longitudinal study revealed that children (4-11 years of age) who spent a lot of time with a pet dog or cat they were highly attached to had lower risk of anxiety or other mental health disorders as adolescents (11-19 years of age). The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03636-0"><em>BMC Pediatrics</em></a>.</p>
<p>Anxiety disorders are a category of mental health conditions characterized by persistent and excessive worry, fear, or apprehension that goes beyond normal stress and can significantly impact daily functioning. Individuals suffering from these disorders often experience heightened and prolonged states of physiological arousal, with increased heart rate, muscle tension, and restlessness. Common types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.</p>
<p>Anxiety disorders often start developing during late childhood. Statistics indicate that 1 in 3 U.S. teens suffer from an anxiety disorder. Children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders often also suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, or other mental health disorders. Early treatment of childhood anxiety can be very effective, but only about a half of children suffering from mental health disorders receive treatment. That is why scientists are very interested in identifying risk factors for anxiety and other mental health disorders.</p>
<p>Recent studies have linked pet ownership, particularly of dogs, with lower anxiety scores in preschool and school children. Study author Anne Gadomski and her colleagues wanted to explore the links between attachment to pets in childhood and adolescent mental health. They sought to examine whether time spent interacting with dogs and cats in childhood is associated with mental health in adulthood.</p>
<p>These authors merged data from their previous study of children 4-11 years of age with electronic medical records of these individuals 8 years later. They were able to do this for 629 participants of the initial study. The medical records contained, among other things, data on common adolescent mental health diagnoses (anxiety, depression, ADHD) up to late October 2021.</p>
<p>The study authors also reached out to these individuals to gather information on their continued interactions with pets and to evaluate mental health symptoms. Participants completed various assessments, including the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders for anxiety, the Adverse Child Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) for stress, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) for depression, the Companion Animal Bonding Scale to measure attachment to pets, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.</p>
<p>The results showed that 58% of the participants owned a pet dog during their childhood, at the onset of the earlier study. Since then, approximately 30% of these children were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Among these, 52% were diagnosed with anxiety, 32% with ADHD, 11% with depression, and 5% had multiple diagnoses. Diagnoses of mental health disorders, excluding anxiety and those requiring psychotropic medications, were less common among participants who had pet dogs.</p>
<p>The total amount of time a child spent with a pet dog or cat between the first study and this follow-up (cumulative exposure) correlated with a reduced risk of developing an anxiety disorder or any mental health diagnosis. The only exception was for diagnoses requiring psychotropic medications, where this association did not apply. Exposure to the pet to which the child was most attached during the 8 years between the two studies was associated with a 43% reduced risk of anxiety and a 36% lower risk of other mental health diagnoses.</p>
<p>“Cumulative exposure to a highly attached pet dog or cat during childhood is associated with reduced risk of adolescent mental health disorders. Although the underlying mechanism for this association is unknown, this study adds to the growing evidence supporting the potential benefits of companion animal interaction for youth socioemotional development. This study also underscores the need to measure and account for the level of child or youth pet attachment and duration of exposure, rather than simply studying the pet ownership,&#8221; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between human-animal interactions in childhood and mental health. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, the study design does not allow any cause-and-effect inferences to be made. Additionally, the follow-up data collection was conducted during the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic which may have limited the ability of some participants of the initial study to participate in this follow-up, potentially creating self-selection bias.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The paper, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03636-0">“Impact of pet dog or cat exposure during childhood on mental illness during adolescence: a cohort study</a>”, was authored by Anne Gadomski, Melissa B. Scribani, Nancy Tallman, Nicole Krupa, Paul Jenkins, and Lawrence S. Wissow.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 06:45AM
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TITLE:
A Good Night's Sleep May Help Control Blood Sugar
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-good-nights-sleep-may-help-control-blood-sugar/

<p>Brain waves during sleep influence glucose and insulin, offering new insights into controlling diabetes</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 05:02AM
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TITLE:
Is This Social Work or Social Indoctrination?
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/opinion/social-work-columbia-ideology.html

Has ideology become more important than the needs of clients?
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 12:30AM
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TITLE:
Are the Solutions to Fight Climate Change Making Progress?
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175657&url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67544977?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment/" rel="tag" target="_blank">BBC News - Science and Environment</a></p>Urgent action is needed to avoid the most damaging consequences of climate change, but it's not all doom and gloom at the U.N. climate summit meeting this week in Dubai, called COP28. Delegates from around the world are discussing several concrete ways to limit warming. So, what are some of these &quot;solutions,&quot; and how are they progressing? This article discusses five specific ways forward.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 12:29AM
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TITLE:
Alphabet Unveils Long-Awaited Gemini Artificial Intelligence Model
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175678&url=https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-12-06/alphabet-unveils-long-awaited-gemini-ai-model

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Alphabet on Wednesday introduced its most advanced artificial intelligence model, a technology capable of crunching different forms of information such as video, audio, and text. Called Gemini, the Google owner's highly anticipated AI model is capable of more sophisticated reasoning and understanding information with a greater degree of nuance than Google's prior technology, the company said.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
New insight into social anxiety: How emotional context alters face perception
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-insight-into-social-anxiety-how-emotional-context-alters-face-perception-214881

<p>A recent study conducted by researchers in China has provided new insights into how individuals with social anxiety interpret facial expressions differently depending on the emotional context. The study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14455"><em>Psychophysiology</em></a>, indicates that people with social anxiety disorder process facial expressions in a unique way, particularly in negative contexts.</p>
<p>Facial expressions are our windows into the emotional states of others and play a pivotal role in our social interactions. Previous research has consistently shown that individuals with social anxiety disorder, a condition characterized by intense fear and avoidance of social situations, exhibit unique patterns in processing facial expressions. They often display an attentional bias, meaning they tend to focus more on threatening or negative information.</p>
<p>However, most of these studies primarily focused on the facial features themselves, not taking into account the broader context in which these expressions occur. Given that our real-world experiences are rich with various contextual cues – from the words we hear to the environments we find ourselves in – understanding how these factors influence facial expression processing is crucial, especially for individuals with social anxiety.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the current era dominated by heightened anxiety, social anxiety stands out as a pervasive mental health concern, surpassing even depression and addiction in prevalence. With social anxiety disorder representing a profound fear or anxiety in situations where one may be scrutinized by others, it emerges as one of the most prevalent psychological disorders,&#8221; said study author <a href="http://www.ischool.sdnu.edu.cn/info/1322/6375.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutao Song</a> of the School of Information Science and Engineering at Shandong Normal University.</p>
<p>&#8220;Against this backdrop, my interest in investigating the event-related alpha power in the early stages of facial expression processing stems from a desire to unravel the neurobiological underpinnings of social anxiety, shedding light on its nuanced interplay with language context. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of a prevalent and impactful mental health issue in our increasingly complex social landscape.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study recruited 62 healthy university students from Shandong Province, China. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Based on a specialized anxiety scale and a depression inventory, the students were divided into two groups: a social anxiety group and a healthy control group. The division was based on their scores, ensuring that none of the participants had severe depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The stimuli used in the study were meticulously selected. Facial expressions were chosen from the Chinese Affective Picture System, encompassing angry, happy, and neutral expressions. In addition to these visual stimuli, sentences with either a positive or negative valence were designed to provide an emotional context. Each sentence was crafted to be self-relevant, meaning they were likely to resonate personally with the participants.</p>
<p>In the experimental setup, participants were first shown these sentences and then the facial expressions. They were asked to rate the faces in terms of emotional arousal (how emotionally stirred they felt) and valence (the positivity or negativity of the emotion). The experiment was divided into several trials, with each trial presenting different combinations of emotional contexts and facial expressions.</p>
<p>Electroencephalography (EEG), a method to record electrical activity in the brain, was used to monitor the participants&#8217; brain responses during the experiment. This EEG data was later analyzed to study the occipital alpha power – a brainwave activity associated with emotional and cognitive processes.</p>
<p>In terms of emotional arousal, participants rated facial expressions in negative contexts as more arousing than those in positive contexts. This was particularly true for angry and happy expressions compared to neutral ones.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>In terms of valence – or the positivity or negativity perceived in the expressions – both the context and the type of expression had a significant impact. Angry and neutral expressions in negative contexts were perceived as more negative, whereas happy expressions in positive contexts were seen as more positive.</p>
<p>One of the key findings was related to the occipital alpha power in the brain. The social anxiety group exhibited lower occipital alpha power in response to angry faces in negative contexts and neutral faces in positive contexts compared to the healthy control group.</p>
<p>This suggests that the emotional context in which a facial expression is seen can significantly influence how individuals with social anxiety process these expressions, particularly at an early stage. Those with social anxiety might be more emotionally involved and sensitive to the context in which they see a face.</p>
<p>&#8220;From our study, the key takeaway for the average person lies in the critical role of accurate emotional interpretation in social interactions,&#8221; Song told PsyPost. &#8220;Our study underscores the intricate interplay between social anxiety, language context, and the early stages of facial expression processing.</p>
<p>&#8220;The research reveals distinct patterns in event-related alpha power among individuals with social anxiety, particularly in response to negative contextual cues paired with angry facial expressions and positive contexts paired with neutral expressions. These findings emphasize the critical role of accurate emotional interpretation in social interactions and highlight the nuanced influence of language context on the early-stage mechanisms contributing to social anxiety.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study offers valuable insights, it&#8217;s important to recognize its limitations. The participants were all university students from a specific region in China, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Additionally, the study used static images of facial expressions. Real-life interactions often involve dynamic and changing expressions, which may yield different results.</p>
<p>Future research in this area could benefit from a more diverse participant pool and the use of dynamic facial expressions. It would also be interesting to explore how these findings translate across different cultures, given the role that cultural norms and practices can play in emotional processing and social anxiety.</p>
<p>&#8220;Be aware of the reliability of neurological indicators about social anxiety,&#8221; Song said. &#8220;Future research should explore more neural indicators for social anxiety and delve deeper into identifying effective interventions for significant improvements in individuals with social anxiety. Addressing these aspects will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the condition and facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/psyp.14455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event-related alpha power in early stage of facial expression processing in social anxiety: Influence of language context</a>&#8220;, was authored by Sutao Song, Aixin Liu, Zeyuan Gao, Xiaodong Tian, Lingkai Zhu, Haiqing Shang, Shihao Gao, Mingxian Zhang, Shimeng Zhao, Guanlai Xiao,Yuanjie Zheng, and Ruiyang Ge.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 10:12AM
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TITLE:
2023 Is Officially the Hottest Year Ever Recorded, With No End in Sight
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175665&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMy1ob3R0ZXN0LXllYXItZXZlci1yZWNvcmRlZC1zY2llbnRpc3RzLXRlbXBlcmF0dXJlcy_SAQA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>It's official&mdash;2023 will be the hottest year ever recorded. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced the milestone after analyzing data showing the warmest November ever. From January through November, global average temperatures were 1.46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, putting the world dangerously close to the 1.5 degrees global warming threshold that scientists have warned about for years.</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 , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
New study reveals promising effects of psilocybin in treating severe depression in bipolar II disorder patients
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-study-reveals-promising-effects-of-psilocybin-in-treating-severe-depression-in-bipolar-ii-disorder-patients-214877

<p>A single dose of psilocybin, when combined with supportive psychotherapy, might help to significantly reduce depression symptoms in individuals with bipolar II disorder, according to new research published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4685"><em>JAMA Network Open</em></a>. This reduction in depression was both substantial and sustained over a 12-week period.</p>
<p>Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, is best known for its use in certain types of mushrooms, often referred to as &#8220;magic mushrooms.&#8221; In recent years, psilocybin has gained attention in the medical community for its potential therapeutic benefits, especially in treating various mental health conditions.</p>
<p>Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy involves administering psilocybin in a controlled setting, under the guidance of trained therapists. This approach is believed to facilitate deeper psychological insights and emotional processing, which can lead to significant improvements in mental health conditions like depression.</p>
<p>Previous studies have shown promising results for psilocybin in treating major depressive disorder. However, its effects on bipolar II disorder—a condition marked by recurring episodes of depression and hypomania—remained unexplored. Given the limited treatment options and the severity of depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder, researchers were motivated to investigate whether psilocybin could offer a new, effective treatment pathway.</p>
<p>The study involved 15 participants, aged 18 to 65, diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. These individuals had not responded adequately to at least two prior pharmacologic treatments for their current depressive episode. The trial, conducted over 12 weeks, involved a single 25-milligram dose of synthetic psilocybin administered under controlled conditions at the Sheppard Pratt Health System.</p>
<p>Prior to the dosing, participants underwent a period of preparation that included stopping other antidepressants and mood stabilizers and engaging in sessions with a trained therapist to build rapport and prepare for the psilocybin experience. On the day of dosing, the participants spent 8 to 9 hours in a specially designed, calming environment under the supervision of a therapist and assistant. Following the dosing, participants attended follow-up sessions for integration and assessment.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s primary finding was a significant reduction in depression severity, measured using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Three weeks after psilocybin administration, participants showed a remarkable 76.3% reduction in depression symptoms from their baseline levels. This improvement remained consistent throughout the 12-week study period.</p>
<p>In terms of secondary outcomes, there were significant reductions in self-reported depression symptoms, and quality of life scores improved notably. No significant changes were observed in mania symptoms or suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the intensity of the psychedelic experience correlated with the degree of antidepressant effects, suggesting that a stronger psychedelic experience might predict a better clinical outcome.</p>
<p>The safety of the treatment was a critical aspect of the study. Notably, no significant adverse events were linked to the psilocybin dosing, with only minor events like headaches reported in a few participants. Importantly, there were no instances of increased mania, psychosis, or suicidal behavior, which are potential concerns in treatments involving psychedelics, especially in individuals with mood disorders.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2023/01/scientists-are-beginning-to-unravel-the-effects-of-psilocybin-mushrooms-on-bipolar-disorder-65142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a prior study</a> using self-reported survey data, it was observed that although most individuals with bipolar disorder felt that their recreational experiences with psilocybin were beneficial for their mental well-being, about one-third (32.2%) reported adverse effects. These included the emergence or worsening of manic symptoms, and in some cases, the need for emergency medical attention. This contrast in findings suggests that the outcomes of psilocybin use might vary significantly between controlled, therapeutic settings and unguided use.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Individuals in this study displayed strong and persistent antidepressant effects, with no signal of worsening mood instability or increased suicidality,&#8221; the researchers wrote. However, they cautioned that &#8220;as a first open-label foray into this underserved and treatment-resistant population, care should be taken not to overinterpret the findings.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the results are promising, the study&#8217;s design and scope come with several limitations. Being an open-label study without a control group, it&#8217;s hard to definitively attribute the improvements solely to psilocybin, as factors like the placebo effect or the intensive therapeutic support could have contributed.</p>
<p>The small sample size and the short duration of follow-up limit the ability to generalize these findings to a larger population or understand the long-term effects. Additionally, the study only included patients in a depressive phase of bipolar II disorder, so the results cannot be applied to those in a hypomanic or mixed phase.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, the researchers suggest conducting randomized controlled trials with larger groups and longer follow-up periods to confirm these findings. It’s also crucial to investigate whether psilocybin treatment could impact the risk of substance use disorders, a concern in the bipolar population. While these initial results are encouraging, much more research is needed before psilocybin could become a mainstream treatment option for bipolar II disorder.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4685">Single-Dose Synthetic Psilocybin With Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Type II Major Depressive Episodes: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial</a>&#8220;, was authored by Scott T. Aaronson, Andrew van der Vaart, Tammy Miller, Jeffrey LaPratt, Kimberly Swartz,Audrey Shoultz, Margo Lauterbach, Harold A. Sackeim, and Trisha Suppes.</p>
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