psychbot Bot

psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>A study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070231224063"><em>European Journal of Personality</em></a> examined the effect of birth order on personality traits in a representative Chinese sample of over 14,000 individuals, finding no significant impact.</p>
<p>Chinese culture is heavily influenced by Confucian traditions, which emphasize filial piety and a preference for male offspring. This often leads to unique family dynamics and larger families, with couples reproducing until they have a son. Birth order is believed to play a pivotal role in shaping personality. For example, first born children may develop higher conscientiousness, acting as surrogate parents, while later-borns might adopt strategies like humor to gain parental attention. Research on this topic has yielded mixed results, with some studies finding supporting evidence for the effect of birth order on personality, and others revealing null effects.</p>
<p>Wenlong Mu and colleagues examined these associations in the Chinese cultural context, where Confucian culture plays a meaningful role in family life and sibling interactions. The study utilized data from the China Family Panel Studies, which is a comprehensive household social tracking survey that started in 2010. This study excluded individuals with no siblings, twins, incomplete sibling data, those with half, step or adoptive siblings, or missing control variable data.</p>
<p>Participants with families larger than seven individuals were also excluded given the rarity of such family structures. The final sample included 14,148 individuals, from 13,743 different families (comprising the between-family design), and 405 biological siblings (comprising the within-family design). The utilization of both within- and between-family designs allows for a more robust examination of birth order effects on personality.</p>
<p>Birth order was determined based on the birth year of participants and their siblings. Personality was measured using a concise, 15-item version of the Big Five Inventory. Control variables included individual-level variables such as gender, age, ethnicity, and closest sibling age gap, as well as family-level variables like family size and male ratio of siblings.</p>
<p>The researchers found that birth order had no significant effect on any of the five personality dimensions (i.e., conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion), neither in the between-family or within-family analyses. These findings align with previous work revealing negligible effects of birth order on personality.</p>
<p>Mu and colleagues add to the literature by demonstrating that a Confuciun influenced culture, with clear implications for sibling relationships and roles, yields no birth order effects on personality. These findings are important because prior research has primarily focused on Western cultural contexts. One limitation is that this study only included adults. The impact of birth order on personality during childhood and adolescence in the Chinese context remains unexplored.</p>
<p>The researchers conclude, “this study reinforces the recent empirical findings that the effects of birth order on personality traits might be a myth.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070231224063">Birth order and personality: Evidence from a representative sample of Chinese</a>”, was authored by Wenlong Mu, Yumei Li, Shiyang Cui, Along He and Tianyuan Liu.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>South Africa says more than 50 countries&mdash;mostly from the Arab world and Africa&mdash;support for its case at the United Nations' top court accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza. In contrast, no Western country has declared support for South Africa's allegations against Israel. The U.S., a close Israel ally, has rejected them as unfounded, the U.K. has called them unjustified, and Germany has said it &quot;explicitly...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 14, 2024 at 09:51AM
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TITLE:
As Israel-Hamas War Reaches 100 Days, Here's the Conflict by Numbers
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176674&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vYXBuZXdzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlL3dhci1nYXphLWlzcmFlbC1oYW1hcy0xMDAtbnVtYmVycy1kZWF0aC1jNGQ2ZDQyMjY5YzNjZDZiZjc0ZDRlNmZjNjEyMTE0ZdIBAA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>Now 100 days old, the latest Israel-Hamas war is by far the longest, bloodiest, and most destructive conflict between the bitter enemies. The fighting erupted on October 7, when Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel. Since then, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip. Here's a look in numbers at the toll of the Israel-Hamas war, sourced from Palestinian Health Ministry and Israeli officials as well as international observers and...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>Scientists have discovered that psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic &#8220;magic mushrooms,&#8221; significantly alters brain connectivity in rats. This research, which closely replicates findings in humans, offers new insights into how psilocybin could be used to treat psychiatric disorders such as alcohol use disorder. The findings have been published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02690-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Translational Psychiatry</a></em>.</p>
<p>Previous research has shown that psilocybin holds promise as a treatment for various psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety related to terminal illness, and addiction. However, the precise mechanisms by which psilocybin exerts its therapeutic effects remain unclear.</p>
<p>Most prior research has focused on its effects in healthy individuals, without considering variations in brain response based on specific psychiatric disorders. This knowledge gap motivated researchers to investigate how psilocybin impacts the brain in the context of alcohol use disorder (AUD), a condition where earlier studies suggested a potential benefit from psychedelic treatments.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is still not known whether you can study psychedelic drug effects in rodents. Therefore, we set out to do a translational neuroimaging study which has the potential to demonstrate similar or even same brain signatures of psychedelics in humans and rodents. A second goal was to study the effects of psilocybin on altered brain connectivity in alcohol dependent rats,&#8221; said study author Rainer Spanagel, the scientific director of the Institute of Psychopharmacology at the University of Heidelberg.</p>
<p>To bridge this knowledge gap, the researchers embarked on a detailed study involving 25 female Wistar rats. These rats were chosen for their stable alcohol drinking behavior, developed over 15 years of selective breeding. The study involved two groups of rats: 15 were exposed to a model of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and 10 served as controls. Over 12 months, the AUD group experienced cycles of alcohol availability and deprivation, simulating relapse-like drinking behavior.</p>
<p>The core of the study involved advanced brain imaging techniques. Each rat underwent two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions under anesthesia &#8211; one after being administered psilocybin and one with a placebo. These sessions were aimed at analyzing changes in brain connectivity patterns. The researchers employed several complex analytical methods, including Global Brain Connectivity (GBC) and Network-Based Statistic (NBS), to assess the average connectivity strength of each brain voxel and to characterize connections between predefined brain regions. They also analyzed the default-mode network (DMN), a network of interacting brain regions known to be affected by psilocybin in humans.</p>
<p>The researchers observed a significant decrease in connectivity strength across a widespread cortical cluster in the rats&#8217; brains following psilocybin administration. This decrease was primarily observed in regions like the insula, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. In contrast, increased connectivity was found in some regions, including the hypothalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus, but these changes did not survive strict statistical tests for broader relevance.</p>
<p>Further analysis showed a decrease in mean connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), a brain network implicated in self-referential thought processes and mind-wandering. These findings are particularly significant as they replicate, in an animal model, several effects of psilocybin observed in human studies, lending greater credibility to the use of animal models in psychedelic research.</p>
<p>&#8220;We provide translational evidence for psilocybin-induced DMN hypoconnectivity reported in humans,&#8221; Spanagel told PsyPost. &#8220;This is a very important finding for the entire field of psychedelic research as it is a demonstration that effects of psychedelics can be well studied in rodents as there is a clear construct validity and translational validity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers also discovered that these changes in DMN connectivity varied depending on the intensity of the rats&#8217; alcohol relapse behavior. Rats with a stronger tendency to relapse exhibited a less pronounced decrease in connectivity after psilocybin administration, suggesting that the severity of alcohol addiction might influence the brain&#8217;s response to psilocybin.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We also show that psilocybin is blunting AUD-specific DMN hypoconnectivity, which strongly correlated to the alcohol relapse intensity and was mainly driven by medial prefrontal regions,&#8221; Spanagel said. &#8220;Thus, alcohol relapse severity is negatively correlated with neural responsivity to psilocybin treatment. Our data suggest that a clinical standard dose of psilocybin may not be sufficient to treat severe AUD cases; a finding that should be considered for future clinical trials.&#8221;</p>
<p>While these findings are promising, the researchers acknowledge several limitations to their study. The small control group size may have limited the ability to detect subtle differences between alcohol-dependent and control animals. Additionally, the use of anesthesia in the study differs from conditions in human studies and could potentially influence the results.</p>
<p>Looking forward, the researchers suggest that more studies are needed to fully understand the nuances of psilocybin&#8217;s effects, especially in the context of different severities of AUD. Importantly, future research could explore whether the findings in rats translate to humans, which would be a crucial step in developing effective, personalized treatments for psychiatric disorders using psilocybin.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-023-02690-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psilocybin-induced default mode network hypoconnectivity is blunted in alcohol-dependent rats</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jonathan R. Reinwald, Christian N. Schmitz, Ivan Skorodumov, Martin Kuchar, Wolfgang Weber-Fahr, Rainer Spanagel, and Marcus W. Meinhardt.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

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

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

<p>A series of studies has found that first impressions based on a person&#8217;s attractiveness are not set in stone and can be significantly altered with new information. The research, published in the <em><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.3017?af=R" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Journal of Social Psychology</a></em>, demonstrated that the initial assumptions we make about someone&#8217;s personality based on their looks can be updated or even reversed when we receive contrasting information about their attractiveness.</p>
<p>For years, scientists have been intrigued by the phenomenon known as the &#8216;attractiveness halo effect&#8217;, where a person perceived as physically attractive is also assumed to possess other positive traits, such as sociability and intelligence. However, the question remained: are these snap judgments irreversible, or can they be changed? Seeking an answer, researchers at Ghent University&#8217;s <a href="https://liplab.be/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learning and Implicit Processes Lab</a> embarked on a novel investigation to determine whether and how these initial perceptions could be updated.</p>
<p>&#8220;We know that the attractiveness of individuals generally leads to a myriad of stereotypical attributions (e.g., attractive people are generally perceived as vain but also as sociable),&#8221; said study author Marine Rougier, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLouvain. &#8220;We also know that these attributions can influence real-life behaviors. For instance, attractive people generally receive a more positive treatment than less attractive individuals.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Hence, it is important to determine whether these attributions can be influenced. We were interested particularly in whether these attributions can be changed when the attractiveness of a person is updated — for instance, when a person you thought was attractive is in fact less attractive than he or she initially seemed.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rougier and her co-author, Professor Jan De Houwer, conducted a series of three studies to investigate this.</p>
<p>The first study involved 360 participants, who were shown photographs of faces with varying levels of attractiveness. The participants were initially asked to form impressions based on these photos. They were then informed that the photos might have been altered – either making attractive people look more or less attractive than they actually are, or vice versa. After receiving this new information, participants rated the people in the photos on a series of personality traits.</p>
<p>While it confirmed the existence of the attractiveness halo effect, where attractive faces were generally rated more positively, the updating information didn&#8217;t significantly alter these initial impressions. This was an unexpected finding and led the researchers to wonder if a more explicit updating manipulation might yield different results.</p>
<p>In response to the first study&#8217;s findings, a second study was conducted with 401 participants. This time, only female faces were used, and the updating information was made more explicit. Participants were shown examples of how attractiveness could be artificially enhanced or reduced using photo editing software. The researchers hoped that this would make the updating information more impactful.</p>
<p>The results of the second study were more conclusive. This time, the additional information provided about the faces&#8217; attractiveness did change participants&#8217; impressions. When the updating information suggested that a person was less attractive than initially thought, the positive attributes associated with them decreased. This halo-update effect was especially pronounced for traits typically linked to attractiveness, such as sociability.</p>
<p>In the third study, with 400 participants, the researchers further refined their methodology. They measured participants&#8217; impressions of attractiveness and personality traits at two different times – before and after providing the updating information. Moreover, they did not prompt participants to consider the updating information while making their second set of ratings.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The findings of this third study were the most compelling. It demonstrated that initial positive impressions based on attractiveness could be significantly reversed after updating. For example, if participants were told that someone they initially thought was attractive was actually less so, they also rated them lower on positive personality traits. This effect occurred even though participants weren&#8217;t explicitly reminded of the updating information when making their second set of ratings.</p>
<p>&#8220;We observed that updating the attractiveness of a person (e.g., saying that a person is less attractive than he or she seemed to be on a picture) can change the myriad of stereotypical attributions people made,&#8221; Rougier told PsyPost. &#8220;For instance, if the attractive person was initially perceived as highly vain and sociable, then he or she will be perceived as low on these two attributes after being informed that the person is in fact not attractive. This illustrates that stereotypical attributions are malleable and can be changed when the source of these attributions is updated.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite these significant findings, the research has its limitations. For one, the study relied on direct self-report measures, which might not fully capture more implicit, unconscious biases. Another area for future exploration is understanding why and how initial assumptions partially stick to targets even after updating. The durability of these updated impressions over time and their translation into real-life behaviors and decisions are areas ripe for future research.</p>
<p>&#8220;As noted above, we know that stereotypical attributions can influence real-life behaviors,&#8221; Rougier said. &#8220;In future work, it will be important to test whether the effects we observed can be extended to meaningful behaviors and whether the effects endure over time.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.3017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Updating stereotypical attributions in light of new information: The attractiveness halo effect changes when attractiveness changes</a>&#8220;, was published December 11, 2023.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>The <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Journal of Environmental Research</a></em> recently published a study revealing a nuanced understanding of caffeine&#8217;s effects on our brain and attention, particularly during periods of sleep deprivation. Researchers discovered that while a single dose of caffeine can improve attention in sleep-deprived individuals, regular high consumption of caffeine leads to diminished attentional performance, as well as alterations in brain activity.</p>
<p>Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world, is known for its ability to ward off sleepiness and improve focus — especially after a night of insufficient sleep. But how does this stimulant affect people who drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks regularly? In particular, how does it impact these demographics when they are deprived of sleep?</p>
<p>To answer this, researchers at the Army Biomedical Research Institute in France and Paris Cité University delved into the realm of habitual caffeine consumption and its impact on cognitive function, particularly in conditions of total sleep deprivation (TSD).</p>
<p>The motivation behind the study was to extend general understanding beyond the immediate, short-term effects of caffeine. &#8220;Our goal was to evaluate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on [psychomotor] performance during total sleep deprivation,” the researchers wrote in the study.</p>
<p>Together, the team explored how a regular caffeine intake affects our ability to stay focused and alert during prolonged periods without sleep — a situation common in many professional fields, namely those in the realm of healthcare and the military.</p>
<p>Thirty-seven healthy individuals were studied for their range of daily caffeine consumption habits, from low to high. The participants were between the ages of 18 to 55 and did not have prior sleeping conditions. The researchers employed a double-blind, crossover design in which participants underwent total sleep deprivation with either a placebo or caffeine treatment.</p>
<p>The participants&#8217; attentional performance was measured using a Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), a standard test in sleep research, where subjects respond to visual stimuli as quickly as possible. Additionally, the researchers recorded the participants&#8217; brain activity using EEG, focusing on the individual alpha frequency— a key indicator of alert cognitive processing.</p>
<p>During total sleep deprivation, all participants — regardless of their caffeine habits — showed improved attention with an acute dose of caffeine. However, those with higher regular caffeine intakes (more than 300 mg per day, roughly the amount in three cups of coffee) exhibited slower reaction times compared to those who consumed less on a daily basis. This suggests that while caffeine can offer a temporary boost, over time, high consumption might actually hinder our cognitive sharpness during sleep deprivation. Additionally, EEG results showed that habitual high caffeine consumers had a lower individual alpha frequency — indicating altered brain activity associated with attention and cognitive processing.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s results paint a complex picture of caffeine&#8217;s impact on our cognitive faculties during sleep deprivation. One of the most significant findings was the relationship between habitual caffeine consumption and reaction time (RT) during the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). RT is a critical measure of attentional performance, where shorter times indicate better attentional focus.</p>
<p>Intriguingly, the study found that while acute caffeine intake (a single dose) improved RT for all participants during total sleep deprivation, those who regularly consumed high amounts of caffeine (over 300 mg per day) had longer RTs compared to their lower-consuming counterparts. In other words, while caffeine is effective at enhancing alertness in the short term, over time, high habitual intake could dull its beneficial effects — and cause slow responses when they are most needed.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Another pivotal aspect of the study was the examination of brain activity through EEG recordings, focusing on the individual alpha frequency (IAF). The IAF is a key brain wave associated with cognitive processes, and alterations in this frequency can indicate changes in cognitive states. Remarkably, the study revealed that high habitual caffeine consumers exhibited a lower IAF during tasks, a sign of decreased cognitive processing efficiency. This finding further confirms the observed longer reaction times in high caffeine consumers — corroborating the idea that excessive regular caffeine intake may impair cognitive function during sleep deprivation.</p>
<p>While these findings are revealing, they come with caveats. The study&#8217;s relatively short duration means it didn&#8217;t fully capture potential caffeine withdrawal effects in habitual high consumers. Additionally, the division of participants into low, moderate, and high caffeine consumption groups, while necessary for analysis, might oversimplify the complex spectrum of caffeine habits. Also, the study primarily focused on reaction times and specific EEG measurements, not encompassing all aspects of cognitive function affected by both caffeine and sleep deprivation.</p>
<p>This study offers a more comprehensive picture of caffeine&#8217;s role in our daily lives, especially for those who rely on it to combat sleep-related fatigue. It suggests that while caffeine can be a useful tool for enhancing alertness in the short term, excessive regular intake may reduce its effectiveness and potentially impair cognitive function during periods of sleep deprivation. These findings have significant implications, particularly for professions that often involve sleep deprivation, prompting a reevaluation of caffeine consumption habits and their long-term effects on our brains and attention.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/4971" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Relationship between Habitual Caffeine Consumption, Attentional Performance, and Individual Alpha Frequency during Total Sleep Deprivation</a>&#8220;, was authored by by Michael Quiquempoix, Catherine Drogou, Mégane Erblang, Pascal Van Beers, Mathias Guillard, Pierre-Emmanuel Tardo-Dino, Arnaud Rabat, Damien Léger, Mounir Chennaoui, Danielle Gomez-Merino, and Fabien Sauvet.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

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

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

<p>Recent scientific studies have shed light on the connections between our body’s internal clock, substance use, and mental health. One study, published in <em><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.819566/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frontiers in Neuroscience</a></em> in 2022, suggests that our natural sleep-wake cycles, known as chronotypes, intertwine with the use of substances, affecting our mental wellbeing. Another study, published in <em><a href="https://karger.com/ear/article/doi/10.1159/000535219/870745/Mismatch-of-Biological-and-Social-Time-in-Cocaine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Addiction Research</a></em> in 2023, indicates that people who struggle with cocaine addiction tend to experience greater social jetlag – a misalignment between one&#8217;s biological and social schedules.</p>
<p>The motivation behind these studies stemmed from a growing concern about the increased usage of substances and a parallel rise in mental health issues, particularly during stressful periods like the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers were curious about how the use of psychoactive substances such as cocaine could influence our chronotype—whether we are morning larks or night owls—and how this interplay impacts our mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;Circadian rhythmicity is the base of all of our daily behaviors, and disruption of normal circadian functioning may lead to a mismatch between biological and social time, known as social jetlag,&#8221; explained study authors Jeevan Fernando, a junior doctor at Oxford University Hospitals, and Karen D. Ersche, a professor of addiction neuroscience at the University of Cambridge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Disruption of circadian rhythm is associated with many psychiatric disorders, especially substance use disorders as drugs of abuse interfere with our sleep/wake cycle. However, very little is known about changes in circadian rhythmicity and social jetlag in patients with cocaine use disorder.&#8221;</p>
<p>The <em>Frontiers in Neuroscience</em> study involved 209 participants who were recruited through online platforms and physical advertisements in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing their chronotype, substance use (alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco), and mental health status. The Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Revised Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were among the tools used to gather data.</p>
<p>Findings from this study indicated a significant link between late chronotypes (night owls) and poorer mental health, particularly in terms of increased anxiety. This relationship was further found to be influenced by the combined use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The increased consumption of these substances among late chronotypes seemed to mediate their mental health challenges. In other words, the increased use of these substances among late chronotypes explained the association between their chronotype and heightened anxiety levels.</p>
<p>Following this, the <em>European Addiction Research</em> study in 2023 delved deeper, focusing specifically on cocaine use disorder. This research involved 90 men from the local community, including 48 with moderate-to-severe cocaine use disorder and 42 healthy controls. Participants underwent psychiatric screening, provided urine samples to test for drug use, and completed the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire to assess their sleep-wake patterns. The study aimed to understand the chronotype distribution among cocaine users and its potential implications for their health.</p>
<p>&#8220;Given that cocaine use is a growing public health problem in the United Kingdom, for which effective treatments are lacking, we sought to investigate self-report chronotype in a community sample of chronic cocaine users,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche said. &#8220;Insight into the changes in chronotype may provide new avenues to improve general health and wellbeing for a cocaine use disorder for which successful treatment has yet to be established.&#8221;</p>
<p>One of the key findings was that late chronotypes (or &#8220;night owls&#8221;) were more prevalent in the cocaine group compared to controls. Interestingly, a significant number of cocaine users reported a shift from an early to a late chronotype from childhood to adulthood, a pattern not evident among the control group.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cocaine users with late chronotype tended to have started using cocaine at an earlier age,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche told PsyPost. &#8220;These findings, combined with the existing literature and our previous work may suggest that late chronotype presents a risk factor for increased drug use. This is also in keeping with other studies showing that being a night owl is associated with poorer health and wellbeing more generally. Our study further highlights the importance of the impact this may have on our social life as it leads to social jetlag – an aspect that is often overlooked.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Another significant observation was the presence of greater social jetlag in cocaine users, indicated by a mismatch between their biological and social times. This mismatch was not influenced by drug and alcohol use but was somewhat related to employment status, as most cocaine users were unemployed. This finding suggests that employment might provide a temporal anchor that could improve the circadian rhythms of those struggling with cocaine use.</p>
<p>&#8220;Further research is warranted to evaluate whether regular employment, which may give chronic cocaine users a structure in their daily lives could help counteract the negative effects of social jetlag,&#8221; the researchers said.</p>
<p>However, contrary to expectations, the severity of cocaine use and chronotype were not directly related. Mental and physical health statuses were consistent across different chronotypes, suggesting that changes in these health variables were more associated with the diagnostic group (cocaine users vs. control) than with chronotype.</p>
<p>&#8220;It was quite interesting that our findings did not show any relationship between chronotype, or social jetlag, with addiction severity,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche explained. &#8220;This supports the notion that late chronotype may be a risk factor for an earlier onset of drug use, which in turn increases the risk of developing drug addiction, but it may not influence the level of addiction severity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The new study offers valuable insights but also has limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the research means that while relationships between factors can be identified, cause and effect cannot be established. Future research might include longitudinal studies that track individuals over time to better understand the direction of these relationships. Additionally, exploring the quality of sleep and other lifestyle factors could provide a more comprehensive picture of how our internal clocks, substance use, and mental health are intertwined.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although our study had many advantages, including face-to-face assessment of participants using sophisticated research tools, it had a cross-sectional design, i.e. we compared groups at a single time point,&#8221; Fernando and Ersche said. &#8220;We collected information about childhood or adolescence chronotype retrospectively from our participants. This approach revealed that a larger percentage of patients with cocaine use disorder reported a change from early chronotype during childhood/adolescence to late chronotype during adulthood compared with their non-drug using peers. It would be good if this finding could be verified in a longitudinal study.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.819566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drug Use in Night Owls May Increase the Risk for Mental Health Problems</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jeevan Fernando, Jan Stochl, and Karen D. Ersche.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000535219" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mismatch of Biological and Social Time in Cocaine-Addicted Men</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jeevan Fernando and Karen D. Ersche.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>Scientists have identified a strong link between increasing poverty, income inequality, and the rise in homicide rates across the United States. The study, encompassing data from 1990 to 2020, reveals that states with the highest levels of poverty and income disparity experienced the most significant spikes in homicide rates, especially notable during the turbulent year of 2020. The findings have been published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2023.31"><em><span class="text" data-v-63dfaf6e="">Evolutionary Human Sciences</span></em></a>.</p>
<p>Previous research in the realm of sociology and economics has long attempted to untangle the complex web of factors contributing to homicide rates. Numerous studies have pointed towards various causes, ranging from socio-economic conditions to environmental factors. However, what remained elusive was a comprehensive analysis that could systematically account for the interplay between economic conditions like poverty and inequality, and their impact on violent crime, particularly homicide. This gap in understanding motivated the current study, aiming to explore the relationship between these socio-economic factors and homicide rates using a more nuanced approach.</p>
<p>&#8220;As homicides rates spiked during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, news outlets were nominating a host of potential causes to explain the increase, including factors such as ambient air temperature and city greenness,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://faculty.utah.edu/u0407008-WESTON_CRAIG_MCCOOL/hm/index.hml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weston McCool</a>, a postdoctoral fellow in the Society, Water, and Climate Research Group, and the Anthropology Department at the University of Utah.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were convinced, and still are, that the causes of the 2020 spike were related to the same underlying factors that have been structuring US homicide rates for decades, namely, poverty and inequality. We were also worried that without a theory of behavior, scholars would struggle to distinguish causal factors from spurious correlations or correlated effects. We wrote this paper to build on existing theory and to evaluate whether poverty and inequality can account for variation in homicide rates across US states over the last 30 years, including the 2020 spike.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers compiled and analyzed data for each U.S. state over a thirty-year period, from 1990 through 2020. They used homicide data from the FBI&#8217;s Uniform Crime Reporting Program and socio-economic information (specifically regarding poverty and income inequality) from the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. Notably, the Gini Index, a measure of income distribution within a state, was employed to assess income inequality. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of these datasets, looking for patterns and correlations over time and across different states.</p>
<p>From 2019 to 2020, an alarming increase in homicide rates was observed in 46 states. This period also saw a rise in the proportion of households living below the poverty line and an increase in income inequality in most of these states. Through sophisticated statistical modeling, the study demonstrated that poverty and inequality independently and jointly contributed to higher homicide rates. States with the highest levels of poverty and income inequality were found to have the highest homicide rates. This pattern remained consistent over the three decades of data analyzed.</p>
<p>&#8220;Typically, inequality is seen as the prime driver of homicide rates in the United States,&#8221; McCool told PsyPost. &#8220;Poverty is usually seen as a relatively less important causal factor, with some scholars dismissing its effects entirely. In our statistical model, we show that while inequality <em>and</em> poverty have strong independent effects on homicide rates, we were surprised to find that murders peak when and where inequality and poverty <em>interact</em>. That is, homicide rates peak when and where poverty and inequality have combined effects, which is a novel finding that we did not entirely anticipate.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Readers should come away with two related points: 1) As predicted by theory from the evolutionary social sciences, the combination of poverty and inequality predict homicide rates in the United States over the last 30 years (the range in which homicide data are available), including the 2020 COVID-19 spike. 2) Homicide rates disproportionately impact non-white communities due to a long history of systemic racism towards racial and ethnic minority groups that restrict individual’s access to resources and opportunities,&#8221; McCool explained. &#8220;We suggest these results provide compelling evidence to expand strategies for reducing homicide rates by dismantling structures of systemic racism that generate and concentrate sustained poverty and economic inequality.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study&#8217;s findings come with some caveats. For instance, the model used could not account for all the variations in homicide rates, leaving about 50% of the variation unexplained. This suggests that other factors, possibly cultural or institutional, also play a role in influencing homicide rates. Additionally, the study&#8217;s reliance on state-level data, as opposed to more localized data, might have affected the precision of the findings. The researchers acknowledge this and suggest that future studies could benefit from analyzing more fine-grained local data to better understand the dynamics at play.</p>
<p>&#8220;Currently, the only data available for this kind of US-wide multi-decadal analysis are at the level of US states, rather than, say, counties or zip-codes,&#8221; McCool said. &#8220;We expect that homicide rates are most strongly affected by local poverty and inequality, not so much what’s happening in a different city or on the other side of the state. As such, our analysis is necessarily somewhat coarse.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We hope that in the future higher resolution data will become available to track homicide rates in relation to very localized economic conditions. We should also note that the predictive power of our model was not uniform across US states, and underpredicted homicide rates in some instances. Nonetheless, the model did not underperform in any states for the 2020 COVID-19 data.&#8221;</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study offers crucial insights into the societal and policy implications of its findings. It underscores the need for interventions targeting both poverty reduction and the narrowing of income disparities to effectively tackle the root causes of increased homicide rates. Moreover, the study sheds light on the disproportionate impact of these socio-economic factors on minority communities, suggesting that addressing systemic racism and its contribution to economic disparities could be vital in reducing homicide rates.</p>
<p>&#8220;We contend that studies of homicide and, more broadly, human violence, should take heed of theoretical developments that provide explicit predictions of what conditions should promote violent behaviors, including homicide,&#8221; McCool told PsyPost. &#8220;By explicitly testing theory-based predictions we can work to avoid confusing causes with effects and move beyond the proverbial exercise of throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/evolutionary-human-sciences/article/us-homicide-rates-increase-when-resources-are-scarce-and-unequally-distributed/2EE2181FE8610AFDA8B8BAADB62BB0EB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. homicide rates increase when resources are scarce and unequally distributed</a>&#8220;, was authored by Weston C. McCool and Brian F. Codding.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>A study conducted in Portugal, involving men convicted of intimate partner violence, has uncovered a correlation between childhood exposure to such violence, aggressive traits, and the prevalence of intimate partner violence in adulthood. Aggression, and particularly physical aggression, mediated the link between exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and perpetration of such violence in adulthood. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2270127"><em>Deviant Behavior</em></a>.</p>
<p>Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur before the age of 18. These include experiences of abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), neglect (physical or emotional), and household dysfunction (such as domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, parental separation or divorce, or an incarcerated household member). ACEs can have long-lasting effects on a person&#8217;s mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being into adulthood. They are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood, as well as decreased educational and occupational achievement.</p>
<p>Child maltreatment, a specific category of ACEs, encompasses any act or series of acts, whether by commission or omission, by a parent, caregiver, or other adult that results in harm, the potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. Acts of commission involve physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. On the other hand, acts of omission relate to various forms of neglect, including the failure to meet basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to safeguard the child from harm or potential harm. Such maltreatment can significantly affect a child&#8217;s ability to regulate emotions, often leading to heightened vigilance towards threats and a propensity to perceive hostile intentions in others. These factors may contribute to the development of aggressive behavior.</p>
<p>Study author Olga Cunha and her colleagues wanted to investigate the link between exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and adolescence and the perpetration of intimate partner violence in adulthood. They also wanted to verify whether this link is mediated by aggression and, if it is, by what kind of aggression. Their expectation was that exposure to intimate partner violence in early years of life will lead to higher aggression. Higher aggression will, in turn, make an individual more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence later in life.</p>
<p>The study involved 245 men convicted of crimes against an intimate partner. Of these, 58% were incarcerated, while the remainder were serving community orders, such as suspended prison sentences. Their ages varied from 22 to 81 years, with 72% having received 4 to 6 years of education. Slightly over half had no prior convictions.</p>
<p>The researchers gathered data through a questionnaire, which covered the participants&#8217; education level, socioeconomic status, marital status, and criminal history. They also reviewed the participants&#8217; criminal records for comprehensive background information. The questionnaire included queries regarding childhood or adolescent exposure to intimate partner violence, such as instances of a mother or stepmother being physically abused. Furthermore, the participants completed assessments to measure the frequency of intimate partner violence (using the Marital Violence Inventory) and levels of aggression (via the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire).</p>
<p>Results showed that participants who were exposed to intimate partner violence as children or adolescents tended to be more physically aggressive and to more often experience anger. They also reported perpetrating intimate partner violence more frequently. This was the case with both physical and psychological intimate partner violence.</p>
<p>The research team tested a statistical model which suggested that exposure to intimate partner violence results in increased aggression, which in turn, leads to more frequent intimate partner violence. The results confirmed that such a relationship pattern between these factors is plausible. However, aggression only partially explained the connection between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and its frequency in adulthood.</p>
<p>When analyzing the model with a focus solely on physical aggression, the results were similar. Nonetheless, aggression did not mediate the relationship between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and the frequency of specific types of such violence, whether physical or psychological.</p>
<p>“Our findings contribute to previous literature by demonstrating a positive link between exposure to IPV [intimate partner violence] in childhood, aggression traits, and physical aggression traits, and IPV frequency in adulthood. In addition, our study revealed the mediating role of overall aggression traits and physical aggression traits in the relationship between exposure to IPV in childhood and IPV frequency in adulthood and specific physical IPV,&#8221; study authors concluded.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;These findings highlight the role of aggression traits and physical aggression traits on the perpetration of physical and total IPV, claiming our attention to the need to include strategies to increase emotion regulation and problem-solving strategies in perpetrators’ intervention programs.”</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between adverse childhood experiences and violence later in life. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. The assessment of exposure to intimate partner violence in childhood and adolescence relied exclusively on yes/no questions and the participants&#8217; recollections, which may affect the accuracy of the findings. Research incorporating more objective measures of exposure could yield different outcomes. Moreover, as the study exclusively involved men convicted of intimate partner violence, the results may not be generalizable to the broader population.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2023.2270127">Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence in Childhood and Partner Violence Perpetration in Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Aggression</a>”, was authored by Olga Cunha, Ana Rita Cruz, Andreia de Castro Rodrigues, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves, and Maria Manuela Peixoto.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

It’s harder than ever to predict the future. That should be a positive to embrace.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<p>A study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221110633"><em>Psychology of Music</em></a> reveals that more than 86% of popular songs about relationships depict an insecure style of romantic attachment, including avoidant, anxious and fearful attachment. The findings highlight the potential influence of popular music lyrics on shaping adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors in romantic relationships.</p>
<p>Music consumption often drastically increases during adolescence, a period when many individuals also begin to explore romantic relationships. Previous research has demonstrated that the majority of popular music contains lyrics related to romance or sex.</p>
<p>As adolescence is characterized by a period of rapid development, these lyrics can potentially shape adolescents’ romantic behaviors and expectations, whether it is consciously through increased engagement with this music, or unconsciously from everyday exposure to various forms of media.</p>
<p>The study team, led by McKell Jorgensen-Wells from Brigham Young University in Utah, were interested in understanding the romantic attachment styles portrayed in popular song lyrics and how they might influence adolescents’ understanding of relationships.</p>
<p>Two aims were established for the study. The first was to measure the proportion of popular songs portraying an insecure attachment style &#8211; i.e. anxious attachment (seeking constant reassurance and attention), avoidant attachment (distancing oneself to prevent emotional closeness), or fearful attachment (strongly desiring close bonds but becoming distrusting and fearing when connection is provided).</p>
<p>The other aim was to measure whether attachment styles varied according to artist gender, relationship timeline, relationship status of artist, genre of song, romantic focus of the song (i.e. love or sex), and sexualization of the song’s romantic figure.</p>
<p>The team conducted an analysis of lyrics which were derived from songs listed in Billboard’s “Top Year End Chart Hot 100 Songs of 2019”, such as “Lucid Dreams&#8221; by Juice WRLD and “Sunflower” by Post Malone &amp; Swae Lee. A total of 87 songs were analyzed and 13 were discarded as they were not related to love &#8211; for instance “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong and &#8220;You Need to Calm Down&#8221; by Taylor Swift.</p>
<p>Lyrics that expressed uncertainty, pursuit of a partner, self-doubt, or the inability to exist or operate without their significant other (i.e. ’clingy’ behavior) were categorized as anxious attachment (e.g. “I won’t let you forget me”). On the other hand, lyrics which instructed partners to leave, escaping from a partner, or mistrust of a partner were labeled as avoidant attachment (e.g. “Baby girl you just a fling”).</p>
<p>Songs that contained multiple anxious attachment and avoidant attachment phrases were labeled as fearful attachment.</p>
<p>Finally, songs that contained minimal to no anxious or avoidant expressions, along with positive romantic attitudes or actions were classified as secure attachment (e.g. “We can do anything if we put our minds to it/My love is yours if you’re willing to take it).</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Meanwhile, songs that revolved around romance but didn’t provide sufficient context to determine the attachment style were labeled as neutral.</p>
<p>Statistical analyses revealed that 86.2% of songs illustrated an insecure attachment. Songs were predominantly avoidant attachment (33.33%), followed by anxious attachment (27.59%) and then fearful attachment (25.29%). Only a minor proportion of songs portrayed a secure attachment style (8.05%), and 5 songs were coded as neutral (5.75%).</p>
<p>Furthermore, music genre was related to attachment style. The researchers noted, “pop songs were less likely to be avoidant, although there was no evidence they were more often secure. Rap/hip hop/R&amp;B songs were less likely to be anxious and very likely to be avoidant. These songs often noted that the subject did not need emotional closeness and thrived on being alone.”</p>
<p>The study team also analyzed the relationship between attachment style and romantic focus (i.e. sex or love). Lyrics with a focus on love were often secure and rarely avoidant, whereas songs with a sex focus were often avoidant and rarely secure. “Teenagers and parents would be wise to seek songs focused on love, noting that some genres (e.g., pop) are more likely to focus on love while others focus on sex (e.g., rap/hip hop/R&amp;B),” the authors suggested.</p>
<p>The majority of the songs examined included at least one element of sexualization, and these songs tended to exhibit an avoidant attachment style and were less likely to display a secure attachment style. Conversely, songs that did not contain any sexualization showed the opposite trend &#8211; they were more likely to be secure and less likely to be avoidant. Jorgensen-Wells and colleagues explain this relationship, “avoidant individuals may objectify their romantic partner to diminish the other’s humanity, decreasing the objectifier’s perceived responsibility to elicit connection.”</p>
<p>“These portrayals of insecure attachment in popular music may influence adolescents’ romantic expectations and attitudes … examined in light of previous theoretical and empirical work, our findings insinuate that romantic messages presented by popular music may not depict healthy romantic relationships,” the authors concluded.</p>
<p>However, it’s important to note that the study does not establish a direct causal relationship between listening to certain types of music and adopting specific romantic behaviors or attitudes. The study team suggested that further research could incorporate other music genres such as rock and K-pop.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03057356221110633">”Love lies”: A content analysis of romantic attachment style in popular music</a>”, was authored by McKell A Jorgensen-Wells, Sarah M Coyne and Janna M Pickett.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Science_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Science News</a></p>Imagine easing a fear of heights by getting over a phobia of spiders. That might sound odd, but it works, researchers report. Folks who use exposure therapy to overcome one phobia can find themselves less afraid of other things, according to a study published recently in the journal Translational Psychiatry. Exposure therapy, in which patients directly face their fear, has proven to be the most effective treatment against phobias, researchers...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Canada does not accept the premise of South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday. Israel rejected the accusations brought by South Africa at the ICJ, the U.N.'s top court. Trudeau stressed that Canada was a strong backer of the court but added that this support &quot;does not mean that we support the premise of the case brought forward by...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.upi.com/Science_News/" rel="tag" target="_blank">United Press International - Science News</a></p>Lawyers for Israel rebutted South Africa's claim it is guilty of genocide in Gaza at the International Court of Justice on Friday by turning the case on its head, arguing the case lays out a &quot;grossly distorted story&quot; and that Israel is the real genocide victim. All of Israel's actions in Gaza have been in self-defense against Hamas and &quot;other terrorist organizations,&quot; and any acts of genocide were against Israel, not the Palestinians, Israel...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Jordan said on Friday Israeli &quot;war crimes&quot; against Palestinians were to blame for heightened regional tension and violence in the Red Sea, which it said threatened to ignite a wider war in the Middle East. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also voiced support for South Africa's &quot;genocide&quot; case against Israel at the U.N.'s top court over the war against Hamas in Gaza, and said Jordan was ready to submit legal documents and appear in court if the case...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 02:00PM
.
TITLE:
Attractiveness and racial similarity influence purchase intentions on collaborative fashion platforms, study shows
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/attractiveness-and-racial-similarity-influence-purchase-intentions-on-collaborative-fashion-platforms-study-shows-220664

<p>When it comes to purchasing pre-owned fashion items online, the physical attractiveness of the previous owner and the racial similarity between the seller and buyer appear to play crucial roles in influencing consumer decisions, according to a new study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114083"><em>Journal of Business Research</em></a>. The findings highlight how these factors significantly reduce perceived concerns about cleanliness and increase the likelihood of purchase.</p>
<p>The fashion industry has been witnessing a transformative shift from outright ownership to a model of collaborative consumption &#8211; a way of sharing and redistributing goods that has gained popularity with the advancement of online platforms such as Depop and Poshmark. Researchers have long studied the economic, environmental, and social benefits of this shift. However, a deeper understanding of the barriers preventing consumers from embracing this model, especially in the fashion sector, remained underexplored. This gap in knowledge led researchers to embark on this novel study.</p>
<p>&#8220;My research has revolved around the phenomenon of collaborative consumption (e.g., renting, thrifting, swapping), which promotes the recirculation of goods and the reduction of waste. My fascination lies in exploring the concept of contamination perception that arises during the exchange of shared items, and I&#8217;ve been studying various factors that may amplify or diminish this perception,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://design.umn.edu/directory/naeun-lauren-kim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Naeun Lauren Kim</a>, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota &#8211; Twin Cities.</p>
<p>The research was carried out in several steps. Initially, a pretest involved 34 female undergraduate students who helped select fashion items and images of sellers for the main study. They rated seven fashion items (coat, shirt, skirt, jacket, dress, pants, and handbag) on how much they would be in contact with the body and also rated the attractiveness of eight female model headshots. A shirt, having the highest degree of body contact, and a handbag, with the lowest, were chosen for the study. Similarly, images rated highest and lowest for attractiveness were selected.</p>
<p>For the main study, a fictitious company named &#8216;Fashion Connect&#8217; was created to avoid any biases from existing brand familiarity. The researchers developed a mock website for this company, showcasing fashion items at price points similar to those on real platforms. The study participants, American women over 18 years old, were recruited through MTurk, a platform for sourcing participants for various tasks. The researchers managed to gather 242 valid responses from these participants.</p>
<p>In the main study, participants were shown different scenarios involving the sale of the selected fashion items (shirt and handbag) by sellers varying in attractiveness and racial similarity. The women then rated their likelihood of purchasing these items using a series of measurements, such as perceived cleanliness and purchase intention, on a seven-point scale. The study also included variables like age, income, and education level as controls.</p>
<p>The researchers found that items associated with an attractive previous owner were perceived as cleaner and were more likely to be purchased compared to those linked with a less attractive owner. This effect held true regardless of whether the item was a shirt or a handbag, indicating that the level of physical contact with the item did not significantly alter these perceptions.</p>
<p>Additionally, items sold by a racially similar seller were viewed as less contaminated and had higher purchase intentions than those from a racially dissimilar seller. Like the findings on physical attractiveness, the impact of racial similarity did not vary with the type of item, suggesting a broad applicability of these influences across different product types.</p>
<p>These findings provide valuable insights into the psychological factors driving consumer behavior in the online secondhand fashion market. The influence of the seller&#8217;s physical attractiveness and racial similarity on perceived cleanliness and purchase intentions challenges traditional assumptions about consumer concerns in the sharing economy. This knowledge can be invaluable for businesses operating in this space, offering new strategies to enhance customer engagement and trust.</p>
<p>&#8220;The concept of contamination has been generally associated with negative connotations and reactions,&#8221; Kim told PsyPost. &#8220;However, this study uncovered ways in which contamination can exert a positive influence on consumers’ perceptions of the object. Specifically, the factors of physical attractiveness and racial similarity of the contamination source (i.e., the previous owner of shared items) were identified to create a positive contamination effect in the secondhand purchasing context.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Despite its revealing insights, the study acknowledges certain limitations. The sample was predominantly Caucasian and female, suggesting a need for more diverse participant pools in future research to understand broader consumer behavior patterns. Moreover, the study was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, a factor that might have since altered consumer perceptions about cleanliness and contamination in online shopping.</p>
<p>Future research could explore additional variables that might amplify these findings, such as lifestyle congruency between the seller and buyer or the duration and frequency of item usage. Understanding male consumer behavior in this context also presents an intriguing avenue for exploration.</p>
<p>&#8220;Other variables, such as non-physical attributes of the seller (e.g., lifestyle congruency), might contribute to magnifying the positive contamination effect,&#8221; Kim noted. &#8220;To overcome limitations associated with the study sample, which is predominantly female and Caucasian, collecting new data that encompasses greater diversity is recommended.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296323004411" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does beauty encourage sharing? Exploring the role of physical attractiveness and racial similarity in collaborative fashion consumption</a>&#8220;, was authored by Naeun Lauren Kim and Byoungho Ellie Jin.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Scientists develop AI models able to accurately estimate risk of gaming disorder
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/scientists-develop-ai-models-able-to-accurately-estimate-risk-of-gaming-disorder-220673

<p>A group of researchers in Australia developed artificial intelligence (AI) models capable of accurately estimating the risk of gaming disorder in gamers. These models use data about the players&#8217; relationships with their game avatars, their age, and the duration of their gaming involvement. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2023.00062"><em>Journal of Behavioral Addictions</em></a>.</p>
<p>Since their emergence in the late 20th century, video games have become a fundamental part of modern popular culture. This rise coincided with the computer and internet revolutions, leading to a significant expansion in the gaming industry and the number of gamers. Today, video games are enjoyed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.</p>
<p>Popular games like “Minecraft,” “GTA V,” and “Tetris” have each sold over 100 million copies. However, with the increasing popularity of gaming as a pastime and form of entertainment, health professionals have observed that some individuals engage in gaming in ways that adversely affect other aspects of their lives. This observation led to the coining of the term “gaming disorder.”</p>
<p>Gaming disorder is a mental health condition recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is characterized by a pattern of gaming behavior that includes impaired control over gaming, prioritizing gaming over other activities, and the continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences. For a diagnosis, this behavior pattern must be severe enough to significantly impair personal, family, social, educational, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Generally, this pattern should be evident for at least 12 months for a diagnosis to be made, although this duration can be shortened if all diagnostic criteria are met and the symptoms are severe.</p>
<p>In their new study, Vasileios Stavropoulos and his colleagues aimed to investigate if AI and <a href="https://www.psypost.org/definitions/what-is-machine-learning">machine learning</a> could predict the risk of gaming disorder in gamers. Prior research suggests that the nature of the bond between a gamer and their in-game avatar may indicate a risk of gaming disorder. Gamers who play games requiring deep engagement with their avatars, such as in role-playing games, might be at an especially high risk. With this in mind, the researchers set out to develop an AI model that predicts the risk of gaming disorder, based on factors like the user-avatar bond, immersion, the player&#8217;s age, and the duration of gaming involvement.</p>
<p>The study involved 565 role-playing gamers, with an average age of 29 years, ranging from 12 to 68 years. About half of the participants were male. They reported gaming experiences spanning up to 30 years, with an average duration of 5.6 years. Additionally, they had been using social media for an average of 7 years, spending about 3 hours per day on these platforms. Among them, 55% were employed full-time, 36% held an undergraduate degree, and 30% were single.</p>
<p>The authors assessed the participants twice, with a 6-month interval between assessments. By the second assessment, 276 participants had dropped out. The participants completed a gaming disorder diagnostic assessment (the Gaming Disorder Test, GDT-4) and an assessment of their bond with their in-game avatar (the User-Avatar-Bond Questionnaire, UAB-Q). The latter measured identification with the avatar (e.g., “Both me and my character are the same”), immersion (e.g., “Sometimes I think just about my character while not gaming”), and compensation (e.g., “I would rather be like my character”).</p>
<p>At the study&#8217;s outset, slightly less than 20% of participants were identified as being at risk of gaming disorder. The researchers then divided the dataset into two parts: 80% for training the AI models and 20% for testing their predictive quality. After training, the AI models could accurately identify participants at risk of gaming disorder based on their user-avatar bonding scale score, age, and gaming duration. They achieved this both with data from the study&#8217;s start and with data collected 6 months later. The level of avatar immersion was a critical factor in these predictions.</p>
<p>The study authors concluded: “The present study innovatively aimed to unlock the mental health diagnostic potential, likely embedded within the UAB [user-avatar bond], through the pioneering use of a sequence of different ML [machine learning] classifiers and emphasizing an individual’s disordered gaming risk. It did so while abiding with open science principles (i.e., accessible code and findings), such that research teams in the field can employ ML/AI [machine learning / artificial intelligence] to other already collected datasets related to the UAB to corroborate or negate the present findings. Furthermore, and in the context of the present study, ML/AI is converted from a game mechanic employed by industry to increase game engagement, and thus likely GD [gaming disorder] risk into a GD protective factor.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study explores a novel way to predict the risk of gaming disorder. However, the study relied solely on role-playing gamers and self-report data. It did not access medical records. Studies using other methods of data collection and involving players of other types of games might not produce equal results.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2023.00062">Deep learning(s) in gaming disorder through the user-avatar bond: A longitudinal study using machine learning</a>”, was authored by Vasileios Stavropoulos, Daniel Zarate, Maria Prokofieva, Noirin Van De Berg, Leila Karimi, Angela Gorman Alesi, Michaella Richards, Soula Bennet, and Mark D. Griffiths.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 10:10AM
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TITLE:
Recreational art activities linked to heightened mental wellbeing in older adults, study finds
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/recreational-art-activities-linked-to-heightened-mental-wellbeing-in-older-adults-study-finds-220663

<p>Older adults who engage in recreational art activities enjoy better mental wellbeing, according to new <a href="https://www.psypost.org/definitions/what-is-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">psychology</a> research. The study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1288760/full"><em>Frontiers in Public Health</em></a>, revealed that those who actively participated in arts-related activities, such as attending concerts or painting, reported higher levels of mental health and general wellbeing compared to those who did not.</p>
<p>With an increasing number of people living beyond 60 years, understanding how lifestyle choices affect their health and wellbeing is more important than ever. Prior research has shown that events such as bereavement, social isolation, and financial difficulties can significantly impact the mental and physical health of older adults. Additionally, previous studies have suggested that engagement in activities like sports positively influences mental health.</p>
<p>However, the specific impact of arts engagement on health and wellbeing in the aging population had not been extensively explored. This gap in research led scientists from The University of Western Australia to investigate how participation in the arts could serve as a non-medical strategy to enhance the quality of life in older adults.</p>
<p>&#8220;For many people, a long life is an expectation rather than the exception. However, as people age into older adulthood they are likely to experience events and risk factors which have the potential to adversely impact their health and wellbeing,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/christina-davies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christina Davies</a>, the director of the UWA Centre for Arts, Mental Health and Wellbeing and chief investigator of the Good Arts, Good Mental Health Project.</p>
<p>&#8220;Low cost/zero cost solutions that are person-centred and prevention (rather than illness) focused are needed. With an emphasis on social inclusion, happiness, relaxation, enjoyment, self-expression and creativity, recreational arts engagement (like recreational sport engagement which is an established health promotion strategy) could provide wellbeing benefits.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study was conducted as part of the larger Busselton Healthy Ageing Study. It targeted non-institutionalized adults born between 1946 and 1964 residing in the City of Busselton. The researchers managed to contact 82% of eligible individuals, with a robust final sample size of 2,843 participants. The participants were asked about their involvement in various forms of arts – including attending events, participating in artistic creation, and volunteering in art-related activities – over the previous year.</p>
<p>About 85% of the participants had engaged in some form of recreational arts in the last year. Women, and those with higher income and education levels, were more likely to participate in these activities.</p>
<p>One of the most significant findings was the positive correlation between recreational arts engagement and mental wellbeing. This was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), which assesses factors like happiness and psychological functioning. The results showed that those who engaged in arts activities had higher wellbeing scores compared to those who did not. This trend persisted even after accounting for variables such as income, education, and recent life events, indicating a robust association between arts engagement and improved mental wellbeing.</p>
<p>While the link between arts engagement and physical health wasn&#8217;t as strong as it was with mental wellbeing, the study still found a positive association. Participants who engaged in recreational arts reported better overall health than those who did not. This was measured using the SF-12 questionnaire, which evaluates both physical and mental health components.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found that older adults who took part in any recreational arts (in the last 12 months) had significantly better mental wellbeing and physical health than those who didn’t take part in the arts (i.e. 0 hours per year),&#8221; Davies said.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The researchers also found variability in the level of engagement in arts activities among participants, with some spending significantly more time in these activities than others. Importantly, higher levels of engagement were correlated with greater benefits to mental wellbeing. This suggests that not just participation, but the extent of involvement in recreational arts, may play a role in enhancing mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;You don’t have to be good at art for the arts to be good for you,&#8221; Davies told PsyPost. &#8220;It’s about having a go and taking part in the arts activities and events that make you feel good. We know from the literature that individual differences are important. This means that people should take part in the arts activities and events that give them joy, happiness, relaxation, etc. For one person this may be listening to music, for another person it could be singing or dancing or paint or photography, etc.&#8221;</p>
<p>While the study&#8217;s findings are promising, there are limitations to consider. The cross-sectional nature of the research means it cannot definitively establish causality – it&#8217;s unclear whether engaging in the arts leads to better mental wellbeing, or if individuals with better mental wellbeing are more likely to engage in the arts. Future research is needed to explore this relationship further. Longitudinal studies or randomized controlled trials could provide more definitive evidence.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our study suggests that activities, events and programs that encourage engagement in recreational arts may be a useful approach for healthy aging for older adults living in the community and in aged care,&#8221; Davies said. &#8220;However, our study is a starting point and our results are an association. Further research is needed to determine causality.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The gift of art could make the perfect present or could be a way of connecting with older friends and relatives e.g. you could create a music playlists of their favourite songs, take part in an art course together, go to a concert or the theatre together,&#8221; she added. &#8220;If your budget is tight at the moment, you could buy some pencils from your local shop and download colouring pages to do together from our <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/schools/allied-health/arts-and-health/good-arts-good-mental-health/good-arts-and-good-mental-health-resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Good Arts, Good Mental Health&#8217; website</a> for free.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1288760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The art of aging well: a study of the relationship between recreational arts engagement, general health and mental wellbeing in cohort of Australian older adults</a>&#8220;, was authored by Christina R. Davies, Charley A. Budgeon, Kevin Murray, Michael Hunter, and Matthew Knuiman.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 08:00AM
.
TITLE:
New research sheds light on the signaling function of women’s makeup application
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-research-sheds-light-on-the-signaling-function-of-womens-makeup-application-220670

<p>A series of two studies suggest that women adjust their makeup application based on context, increasing intensity and effort in social or mating scenarios, and reducing or avoiding makeup application in threatening situations. This research was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231219283"><em>Evolutionary Psychology</em></a>.</p>
<p>Human fascination with physical appearance is both ancient and evolutionarily driven, as evidenced by the extensive use of beauty products and women’s significant investment in appearance-enhancing activities. Women’s makeup serves various purposes, such as attracting mates, gaining status, and competing with other women.</p>
<p>The perception of women’s attractiveness and mate quality is greatly influenced by their physical appearance, and makeup allows them to accentuate or modify facial features to create their desired impressions across contexts. Previous research has primarily focused on everyday makeup use, overlooking the variation in makeup application depending on the situation.</p>
<p>Researchers Malgorzata Biesiadecka and colleagues conducted two studies to address this gap. Study 1 surveyed 533 Polish women (average age 27.51), using an online platform, with situational context manipulation through vignettes. Participants were randomly assigned to imagine preparing for either a usual workday (everyday context) or a party with attractive people (party context).</p>
<p>The study measured the intensity of intended makeup for lips and eyes on a 0-100 scale, and diligence of application on a 1-7 scale. Sociosexual orientation was included as a moderating variable, and measured using the Revised Sociosexuality Orientation Inventory (e.g., “Sex without love is OK”). The researchers controlled for participants’ age.</p>
<p>Results showed significant differences in makeup application intentions between contexts. Women intended to apply more intense makeup, and with greater diligence, in party vs. everyday contexts. Sociosexual orientation did not moderate these relationships. In other words, women intended to apply more intense and diligent makeup in a party context, regardless of their sociosexual orientation.</p>
<p>Study 2 incorporated two more contexts: presence of an attractive potential partner and presence of a threatening man, and explored the motivation to make an impression as a potential mediator. This study recruited 400 Polish women (average age 31.84), using a similar online survey method. In addition to the previous contexts, new scenarios included a party with an attractive man (mating context) and a party with a threatening man (threatening context).</p>
<p>The study measured the intensity and diligence of intended makeup application and the number of cosmetic categories intended to be used. Moderating variables included sociosexual orientation and appearance orientation (e.g., “I check myself in the mirror whenever I can.”). Motivation to make a good impression was assessed as a mediating variable. Makeup frequency and typical number of cosmetic categories used were included as control variables.</p>
<p>The results indicated significant contextual influences on makeup application intentions. Women intended to apply more intense makeup and use more cosmetic categories in party contexts, especially in the presence of an attractive potential partner, compared to the everyday context. However, in the threatening context, there was less motivation to impress, leading to less diligent makeup application.</p>
<p>Motivation to make an impression fully mediated the relationship between context and makeup application intentions, indicating that context-driven motivation to impress significantly impacts how women intend to apply makeup. Sociosexual and appearance orientations did not moderate these effects, suggesting that the impact of context on makeup application is consistent across different levels of sociosexuality and appearance orientation.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The researchers note that the use of declarative measures for makeup intensity and diligence are common but not ideal in this field, and suggest future research employ laboratory settings to assess actual makeup application in specific contexts.</p>
<p>The research, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231219283">To Enhance, or not to Enhance: The Situational Context Shapes Women’s Intentions on Amount and Diligence of Makeup Application</a>”, was authored by Malgorzata Biesiadecka, Aleksandra Szymkow, and Wieslaw Baryla.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 12, 2024 at 06:00AM
.
TITLE:
Surprising connection found between finger length ratios and psychopathological traits
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/surprising-connection-found-between-finger-length-ratios-and-psychopathological-traits-220666

<p>Researchers have found a link between the relative lengths of index and ring fingers and certain psychopathological personality traits, including antisocial behaviors and substance use disorders. The study, published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.004"><em>Journal of Psychiatric Research</em></a>, provides evidence that people with certain psychiatric disorders have a notably different finger length ratio compared to healthy individuals.</p>
<p>Previous studies have suggested that the ratio of the length of the index finger (2D) to the ring finger (4D), commonly known as the 2D:4D ratio, might be an indicator of various behavioral and personality traits. This ratio is believed to be influenced by the levels of testosterone and estrogen a fetus is exposed to in the womb. The higher the testosterone relative to estrogen, the lower the 2D:4D ratio, typically resulting in a longer ring finger compared to the index finger.</p>
<p>Motivated by these intriguing associations, the researchers aimed to deepen the understanding of how this finger length ratio correlates with specific psychiatric disorders and personality traits. The study&#8217;s primary focus was on individuals diagnosed with Amphetamine Use Disorder (AUD), Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), a combination of both (AUD + ASPD), and a control group of healthy individuals.</p>
<p>&#8220;The topic is interesting, because the relation of the lengths of index finger (2D) and ring finger (4D) is one of the most robust biological markers formed during the prenatal stage with a remarkable impact later on an adult’s behavior,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Serge-Brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serge Brand</a> of the University of Basel and Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.</p>
<p>&#8220;More specifically, a lower 2D:4D-ratio, that is to say, that the index finger is shorter compared to the ring finger, is strongly associated with an increased exposure to testosterone and with a decreased exposure to estrogen during the prenatal stage. Now, several original studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews showed that a lower 2D:4D-ratio as a proxy of prenatal sex steroid exposure enables an adult organism to outperform in behavior in case of necessity. What was unclear so far was, if such sex steroid exposure during the prenatal stage might be mirrored in an adult’s behavior such as amphetamine use disorder and antisocial personality disorder.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers recruited 80 participants for their study, divided into two main groups: 44 individuals with clinical diagnoses (25 with AUD, 10 with ASPD, and 9 with both AUD and ASPD) and 36 healthy controls. Participants were thoroughly informed about the study and its objectives, and confidentiality was ensured. After obtaining their consent, the participants provided detailed sociodemographic information and underwent psychological assessments.</p>
<p>These psychological assessments included measures of Dark Triad traits (a combination of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy), vulnerable narcissism, and intolerance of uncertainty. Additionally, a scan of the palm of their right hand was taken to precisely measure the lengths of their index and ring fingers, from which the 2D:4D ratio was calculated.</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that participants from the clinical group had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios compared to the healthy control group. This indicates that those with AUD, ASPD, and particularly those with both conditions, tend to have longer ring fingers relative to their index fingers. Furthermore, males across the groups showed lower 2D:4D ratios than females.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were surprised to observe such a linear association between higher symptoms of psychopathology and lower 2D:4D-ratios,&#8221; Brand told PsyPost. &#8220;That is to say: The more an adult participant had signs of psychopathology, the more it appeared that this adult has been exposed to higher testosterone concentrations and lower estrogen concentrations during the prenatal period of life.&#8221;</p>
<p>In terms of personality traits, the study found that lower 2D:4D ratios were associated with higher scores in Dark Triad traits, suggesting a link between prenatal hormone exposure and these socially aversive traits. However, there was no significant correlation between the 2D:4D ratio and measures of vulnerable narcissism or intolerance of uncertainty.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study&#8217;s results are significant, as they suggest that the 2D:4D ratio, a simple physical measure, could potentially be used as a non-invasive biomarker for predicting certain personality traits and susceptibilities. This can offer insights into how prenatal development impacts individual differences in behavior and personality.</p>
<p>As Brand explained, the findings indicate that an adult person’s behavior could be understood as the result of biological traits and current psychological cognitive-emotional and behavioral processes and decisions.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study is not without its limitations. The sample size was relatively small, which might limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the study primarily included participants from a single psychiatric facility, which may not represent the broader population. The researchers also noted the difficulty in keeping abreast of the vast amount of literature in this rapidly evolving field. Another limitation was the lack of comprehensive psychological data from the healthy control group, which could have provided a more rounded comparison between the clinical and non-clinical samples. Moreover, the study did not account for other comorbid conditions, which are common in clinical settings.</p>
<p>Future research in this area could focus on larger and more diverse populations to confirm these findings. Including participants with a wider range of psychological and physical conditions could also provide a more comprehensive understanding of the 2D:4D ratio&#8217;s implications. Additionally, further studies might explore the impact of other prenatal factors on personality development and behavior.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is important to understand that the finger lengths-ratio as a proxy of a specific exposure to prenatal sex steroids should not be understood as a person’s irrevocable fate! Rather, a lower 2D:4D-ratio and thus a higher exposure to testosterone during the prenatal period of physiological development <em>might enable</em> an adult person to show a specific pattern of behavior,&#8221; Brand noted.</p>
<p>&#8220;To make the case in point, compared to 117 age- and sex-matched sedentary females, 104 Swedish female Olympic athletes had statistically significantly lower 2D:4D- ratios, or simply put: The Swedish female Olympic athletes were exposed to higher testosterone and lower estrogen concentrations during their prenatal stage of development (Eklund et al., 2020).&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002239562300568X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2D:4D-ratios among individuals with amphetamine use disorder, antisocial personality disorder and with both amphetamine use disorder and antisocial personality disorder</a>&#8220;, was authored by Seyed Sepehr Hashemian, Senobar Golshani, Kimia Firoozabadi, Ali Firoozabadi, Christian Fichter, Kenneth M. Dürsteler, Annette B. Brühl, Habibolah Khazaie, and Serge Brand.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
Precarious manhood beliefs linked to erectile dysfunction, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/precarious-manhood-beliefs-linked-to-erectile-dysfunction-study-finds-220661

<p>A recent study published in a prominent scientific journal has shed light on a significant yet often overlooked aspect of men&#8217;s health: the potential impact of men&#8217;s beliefs about their masculinity on erectile dysfunction (ED). Findings published in <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02640-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archives of Sexual Behavior</a></em> journal found a small association between what is known as precarious manhood beliefs and erectile dysfunction among men.</p>
<p>This study takes a different angle from prior research by examining precarious manhood beliefs — the idea that manhood is not a stable identity, but something that must be continually earned and can easily be lost. For years, discourse around men&#8217;s sexual health has been primarily focused on physical factors or broad concepts of masculinity.</p>
<p>In the past, studies have delved into how traditional masculinity ideologies, which emphasize characteristics like dominance and emotional stoicism, impact various aspects of men&#8217;s lives. However, the concept of &#8220;precarious manhood beliefs&#8221; is a relatively new concept in scientific discussions, and its potential impact on men&#8217;s sexual health had not been thoroughly explored.</p>
<p>As such, researchers Andreas Walther, Timothy Rice, and Lukas Eggenberger embarked on this study to explore whether the pressure to uphold precarious manhood beliefs could contribute to sexual performance anxiety and ED. The hypothesis was that if men believe that their status as &#8216;men&#8217; is always at risk, this could lead to increased psychological stress — particularly in the context of sexual performance, which is often seen as a marker of masculinity.</p>
<p>To investigate this, the team conducted an anonymous online survey targeting cisgender men in German-speaking countries. The survey collected detailed information on the participants&#8217; sociodemographic background, sexual function, precarious manhood beliefs, self-stigma, social desirability, and adherence to traditional masculinity ideologies. Specifically, the study used the International Index of Erectile Function to assess sexual function, and a range of other established scales to measure precarious manhood beliefs and related psychological factors. In total, 507 cisgender men participated in the study, providing a substantial data set for analysis.</p>
<p>Findings revealed that men with stronger beliefs in precarious manhood beliefs were slightly more likely to suffer from ED. This association held even after accounting for other factors, including age, education, and traditional masculinity ideologies. Interestingly, while overall adherence to traditional masculinity ideologies was not significantly linked with ED, one specific aspect, termed &#8216;Playboy&#8217;, related to sexual desire but not directly to erectile function.</p>
<p>In other words, men who strongly believe in what&#8217;s called precarious manhood beliefs (e.g., “Some boys do not become men no matter how old they get”) are more likely to experience ED. This finding suggests that psychological factors, specifically how men perceive and feel about their own masculinity, might have a real impact on their sexual health. If a man is overly concerned about proving his manhood, particularly in the bedroom, it may lead to stress or anxiety that can contribute to ED.</p>
<p>However, one of the key aspects of this study that may be a possible limitation is its cross-sectional design, meaning it can identify associations but not cause-and-effect relationships. Additionally, there might have been a self-selection bias, as the survey attracted men particularly interested in mental health self-assessment, possibly leading to a higher representation of those with mental distress and sexual dysfunction. Thus, while the study offers valuable insights, it reflects the perspectives of a specific group of men, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to all cisgender men.</p>
<p>Still, this study opens up new avenues for understanding the psychological underpinnings of sexual dysfunction in men, and highlights the importance of considering men&#8217;s beliefs about their masculinity, specifically the precariousness of manhood, in discussions and treatments of sexual health issues like erectile dysfunction.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02640-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Precarious Manhood Beliefs Are Positively Associated with Erectile Dysfunction in Cisgender Men</a>&#8220;, was authored by Andreas Walther, Timothy Rice, and Lukas Eggenberger.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
New insights into how race impacts sexist attitudes in the United States
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-insights-into-how-race-impacts-sexist-attitudes-in-the-united-states-220641

<p>A recent study has revealed a nuanced picture of how racism and sexism intersect in shaping attitudes towards Black and White women. Published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01421-6"><em>Sex Roles</em></a>, the study found that Black participants generally exhibited higher levels of both hostile and benevolent sexism compared to White participants. Interestingly, the race of the women being considered significantly influenced these attitudes.</p>
<p>The motivation for this study stemmed from a gap in the existing psychological literature, which has primarily focused on general attitudes of sexism, often overlooking how these attitudes might vary when directed towards women of different races. Building on the framework of ambivalent sexism theory, which suggests that sexism can manifest in both overtly negative (hostile) and seemingly positive but patronizing (benevolent) ways, the researchers aimed to explore how these attitudes differed based on the race of both the person holding the attitudes and the women they were directed towards.</p>
<p>&#8220;Ambivalent sexism refers to the complementary components of benevolent and hostile sexism,&#8221; explained study author Jessica T. Campbell, an assistant research scientist at the <a href="https://cepr.indiana.edu/index.html">Center for Evaluation, Policy, &amp; Research (CEPR)</a> within Indiana University.</p>
<p>&#8220;Benevolent sexism views women as largely helpless but pure and moral; hostile sexism views women as controlling and power-hungry. Benevolent sexism is associated with subjectively positive evaluations of women who align with traditional gender roles, while hostile sexism punishes women to maintain male dominance. Both are problematic.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;There is ample research on ambivalent sexism (e.g., benevolent and hostile sexism) that goes back decades, but there are substantial gaps in that literature,&#8221; Campbell said. &#8220;Sexism is cross-culturally impactful, so having a more nuanced understanding of how it manifests is essential.&#8221;</p>
<p>To investigate these complex dynamics, the researchers recruited a sample of 2,775 participants, including 1,084 White and 1,691 Black American volunteers, through the Project Implicit research website. Participants were randomly assigned to consider either Black women, White women, or women in general while responding to the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI). This tool measures both hostile sexism (e.g., Women seek to gain power by getting control over men) and benevolent sexism (e.g., Women should be cherished and protected by men).</p>
<p>The researchers found that Black participants reported higher levels of both hostile and benevolent sexism compared to their White counterparts. When it came to hostile sexism, both Black and White participants displayed higher levels when thinking about women of the other race, indicating a potential outgroup bias. For example, Black participants reported higher levels of hostile sexism towards White women, while White participants indicated higher levels towards Black women.</p>
<p>Benevolent sexism showed a different pattern. Participants, irrespective of their race, reported higher levels of benevolent sexism towards Black women compared to White women or women in general. This trend suggests a form of Eurocentric bias, where benevolent sexism might cater more to the traditional stereotypes surrounding White women.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the study did not find a significant interaction between the race of the perceiver and the race of the target woman in the case of benevolent sexism, a contrast to the findings for hostile sexism. This could indicate different underlying dynamics driving the two forms of sexism.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the current, high-powered study, Black women were the recipients of higher levels of benevolent sexism from all perceivers (participants making sexist judgments), and higher levels of hostile sexism from White perceivers,&#8221; Campbell told PsyPost.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Additionally, Black participants reported higher levels of benevolent and hostile sexism overall compared to White people. Additional support should be directed toward Black women to help mitigate the impact of ambivalent sexism in the workplace, in personal relationships, and in social justice movements (e.g., by centering Black women&#8217;s voices, experiences, and needs).&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, while insightful, is not without limitations. Its reliance on self-reported data and its focus on U.S. American participants mean that the findings may not be universally applicable across different cultural contexts or to other racial or ethnic groups. The researchers suggest that future studies could explore sexist attitudes towards women from other racial and ethnic identities and in different cultural contexts.</p>
<p>&#8220;We cannot generalize these findings to other races or ethnicities, nor can we generalize them to spaces beyond the USA.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01421-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Influence of Perceiver and Target Race in Hostile and Benevolent Sexist Attitudes</a>&#8220;, was authored by Jessica T. Campbell, Sa‑kiera Tiarra Jolynn Hudson, and Kate A. Ratliff.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 12:37PM
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TITLE:
Internalizing Our Authority
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URL:
https://ct.counseling.org/2024/01/internalizing-our-authority/

<p>Two counselors discuss how categories denoting experience level (such as the term “new professional”) affect one’s sense of professional identity.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ct.counseling.org/2024/01/internalizing-our-authority/">Internalizing Our Authority</a> appeared first on <a href="https://ct.counseling.org">Counseling Today</a>.</p>

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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Birth order has little to no effect on personality and intelligence
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/birth-order-has-little-to-no-effect-on-personality-and-intelligence-220651

<p>A new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2015.05.005"><em>Journal of Research in Personality</em></a> examined the association between birth order, personality, and intelligence, concluding there are minimal associations, with an average absolute correlation of .02 for personality and .04 for intelligence.</p>
<p>Early debates between Freud and Adler highlighted different views on the psychological effects of birth order, with Adler suggesting that birth order impacts neuroses and personality traits. This scientific feud with Freud led to his departure from the Psychoanalytic Society and the birth of the Society for Individual Psychology.</p>
<p>Modern theories grounded in evolutionary psychology suggest that siblings compete for parental attention and resources, which influences their personality development. For example, firstborns are thought to be more conscientious and neurotic, with a goal of pleasing their parents, while laterborns might be more rebellious and sociable.</p>
<p>Birth order has been proposed to affect intelligence as well; this idea traces back to Sir Francis Galton’s research which found an over-representation of firstborn sons among prominent English scientists, an observation that was attributed to greater family investment in firstborns. Modern theories, like the confluence model, suggest that the intellectual environment of a household dilutes with the addition of each child, potentially leading to lower intelligence in laterborns.</p>
<p>In this work, Rodica Damian and Brent Roberts examined the relationship between birth order, personality, and intelligence with three methodological advantages. First, they used a large, representative sample of U.S. high school students; second, they considered a range of sociodemographic factors, such as age, sex, sibship size, parental socioeconomic status, and family structure; third, they focused on personality and intelligence within this sample, allowing for a direct comparison of effect sizes.</p>
<p>Data was sourced from Project talent, a longitudinal study beginning in 1960, involving over 440,000 U.S. high school students. Applying exclusion criteria, such as response credibility, twins, and only children, left a final sample size of 272,003 individuals. Measures of birth order (e.g., “How many of your brothers, half-brothers, foster-brothers, or stepbrothers are older than you?”), family background (e.g., ‘‘With whom are you living; that is, who are the heads of the house?’’), as well as demographic factors were included. Personality was measured via the Project Talent Personality Inventory which included 150 items, from which ten different scale composites were derived, including vigor, calmness, mature personality, impulsiveness, self-confidence, culture, sociability, leadership, social sensitivity, and tidiness. Various tests of cognitive abilities, such as verbal (e.g., reading comprehension), mathematical (e.g., arithmetic reasoning), and spatial skills (e.g., three-dimensional spatial visualization), were evaluated for an intelligence metric.</p>
<p>Damian and Roberts observed remarkably small effect sizes between birth order and personality traits, with the average absolute association being .02, suggesting a minimal effect of birth order on personality development, if there is an impact at all. Within the context of such small effects, the researchers found that compared to laterborns, firstborn children tended to be slightly more conscientious, less sociable, and higher in dominance; further, they tended toward higher levels of agreeableness and lower levels of neuroticism. These findings did not vary across demographics or family background factors.</p>
<p>The study found support for the confluence model, which predicts higher intelligence for firstborns, suggesting that firstborn children benefit from more verbal stimulation and parental attention. The researchers found a slightly larger partial correlation between birth order and verbal ability, compared to math or spatial ability. This finding aligns with the model’s emphasis on the significance of early childhood verbal interactions. Importantly, the effect sizes were quite small, with the largest difference amounting to approximately 1 point on an IQ test. This suggests that while firstborns may experience an advantage, it is not a substantial one.</p>
<p>One limitation to this research is the reliance on self-reported data and inability to control for all possible confounds. Future research can consider comprehensive, longitudinal studies using a variety of reporting methods and extensive control variables.</p>
<p>Overall, given the small effect sizes, Damian and Roberts conclude that birth order does not appear to be critical in shaping personality traits or intelligence. Factors such as parental socioeconomic status and gender produce more meaningful impacts.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The research, “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2015.05.005">The associations of birth order with personality and intelligence in a representative sample of U.S. high school students</a>”, was authored by Rodica Ioana Damian and Brent W. Roberts</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
Spooky screen time: New study links specific horror media with belief in the paranormal
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/spooky-screen-time-new-study-links-specific-horror-media-with-belief-in-the-paranormal-220646

<p>A recent study has discovered a connection between watching horror content and belief in the paranormal. The findings, published in <em><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-29415-001?doi=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychology of Popular Media</a></em>, indicate that certain types of horror media, particularly those claiming to be based on real events, are linked to viewers&#8217; beliefs about the supernatural.</p>
<p>&#8220;I have always been interested in how media use can shape the way we think about and interact with the world,&#8221; said study author <a href="https://femkegeusens.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Femke Geusens</a>, a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University. &#8220;In my PhD and postdoctoral work, my research focus is on the role of social media in people’s health experiences and behaviors. Much of this research deals with heavier topics, such as alcohol misuse or mental health issues.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;When I finished my PhD, I wanted to do a ‘lighter’ side-project. I have always been an avid horror fan, and can really enjoy a good scary book or movie. I also secretly believe in ghosts, something many people find strange considering that ‘I am a scientist and should know better’. This got me wondering: is there any chance that my belief in ghosts is in any way shaped by my media use? Is this something many horror fans experience, or am I just weird?&#8221;</p>
<p>To investigate this, Geusens recruited 601 Belgian adults aged 18 to 56 through various channels like student residences, workplaces, youth organizations, and online horror fan groups.</p>
<p>The primary tool used for measuring paranormal beliefs was Tobacyk’s Revised Paranormal Belief Scale. This scale is comprehensive and widely recognized in research for its ability to gauge different dimensions of paranormal beliefs. It consists of 26 items, which participants responded to on a 7-point scale, ranging from &#8216;strongly disagree&#8217; to &#8216;strongly agree.&#8217; These items are grouped into various subscales representing different aspects of paranormal beliefs, such as traditional religious beliefs, psychic powers, witchcraft, superstition, spiritualism, extraordinary life forms, and precognition.</p>
<p>The participants were also asked to rate their frequency of watching eight different horror subgenres. This spectrum included paranormal fiction, based-on-true-events reenactments, found footage, paranormal reality TV, monster movies, slasher films, psychological horror, and horror comedy. Participants responded using a 7-point scale that ranged from &#8216;never&#8217; to &#8216;(almost) daily.&#8217; This broad categorization of horror subgenres allowed the researchers to capture a wide range of horror media preferences and habits.</p>
<p>Recognizing that various factors can influence belief in the paranormal or horror movie watching habits, Geusens also included several control variables. These included gender, age, past paranormal experiences, religious beliefs, and general television and movie consumption. Including these controls helped isolate the specific impact of horror media consumption on paranormal beliefs.</p>
<p>Among the horror subgenres, psychological horror emerged as the most popular, while paranormal reality TV was the least favored. In terms of daily habits, participants reported watching approximately 2-3 hours of television and movie content on weekdays, and slightly more during the weekends. Notably, the study found that most respondents were generally skeptical about the paranormal, with very few endorsing strong beliefs in it. Among the various paranormal aspects, spiritualism received the highest belief acceptance, while superstitions were least believed.</p>
<p>Geusens found that consumption of horror media that claimed to be based on true events or portrayed as reality, such as paranormal reality TV and based-on-true-events horror, positively predicted stronger beliefs in the paranormal. Surprisingly, other horror genres, including found footage and paranormal fiction, did not show a significant correlation with beliefs in the paranormal.</p>
<p>&#8220;There is a link between the media you consume, and how you think about the world,&#8221; Geusens told PsyPost. &#8220;In this study, I found that the more often you watch televised horror content that claims to be real or have its roots in reality (i.e., paranormal reality TV and based-on-true-events horror), the more you likely you are to believe in the paranormal.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;Other types of horror content without that truth-claim are unrelated to paranormal beliefs. This is in line with the idea that if media content is perceived to be more realistic, plausible, credible, or factual, this can potentially lead to stronger effects because viewers accept the fictional content as truth.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, Geusens cautioned that the study&#8217;s cross-sectional nature means that it captures a snapshot of media use and paranormal beliefs at one point in time, making it difficult to determine causality. &#8220;It is likely that people who already believe in the paranormal are also more interested in this type of content,&#8221; she said. Future research should therefore consider longitudinal designs to better understand the direction of influence between horror media consumption and paranormal beliefs.</p>
<p>&#8220;Current media effect theories think of the association between media use and the viewer’s attitudes and beliefs as transactional, meaning that pre-existing attitudes and beliefs predict what kind of media content you will enjoy and consume, and simultaneously, your media use can shape and refine your attitudes and beliefs,&#8221; Geusens said.</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fppm0000513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;I see dead people&#8217;: Exploring the associations between watching horror and belief in the paranormal</a>&#8220;, was published November 30, 2023.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
ADHD symptoms are reduced after ayahuasca retreat experience, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/adhd-symptoms-are-reduced-after-ayahuasca-retreat-experience-study-finds-220649

<p>A pilot study investigating a group of adults visiting an ayahuasca retreat in Peru found significant reductions in their levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity following their stay. These reductions occurred regardless of the duration of the retreat or the number of ayahuasca ceremonies attended. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/20503245231215413"><em>Drug Science</em></a>.</p>
<p>Ayahuasca is a traditional South American psychoactive brew used both in spiritual ceremonies and for medicinal purposes. It is made from the <em>Banisteriopsis caapi</em> vine and the leaves of the <em>Psychotria viridis</em> shrub, which together create a potent mixture containing the hallucinogenic compound DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine).</p>
<p>Ayahuasca is typically drank as part of ceremonies typically led by a shaman or an experienced facilitator. These ceremonies are deeply rooted in South American indigenous practices, often associated with healing and spiritual exploration. After consuming the ayahuasca brew, participants enter a state of altered consciousness that can last several hours. This experience is often described as introspective and can lead to profound psychological and emotional insights.</p>
<p>Ayahuasca ceremonies are increasingly popular worldwide. Most often, they are organized as spiritual activities by religious organizations such as the <a href="https://www.santodaime.org/site-antigo/doctrine/whatis.htm">Santo Daime Church</a> or in the scope of specialized retreats, the most popular of which are found in Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador.</p>
<p>In their new study, WaiFung Tsang of Onaya Science and his colleagues conducted sought to investigate the potential relationship between ayahuasca use in traditional shamanic settings and reductions in self-reported symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, key characteristics of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is typically diagnosed in childhood and often continues into adulthood.</p>
<p>The study was conducted at the Ayahuasca Foundation in Iquitos, Peru, an ayahuasca retreat and research center located in the Amazon rainforest. The primary aim of that retreat is to “provide healing through the use of ayahuasca administered legally in a traditional Shipibo setting adapted for tourists”.</p>
<p>Prior to attending the retreat, participants completed an online questionnaire from the Ayahuasca Foundation, screening for psychiatric and medical history. Accepted participants were instructed to abstain from illicit substances, prescribed medications, and to follow dietary restrictions (excluding red meat, salt, sugar, or fat) for two weeks before arrival. Those on medications were excluded from ceremonies. Retreat lengths varied from 8 days to 4 weeks, with participants deciding the number of ceremonies to attend.</p>
<p>The study included 49 adult participants. Twenty-eight stayed for 8 days, and 21 stayed between 2 to 4 weeks. Those on the 8-day retreat attended 4 or 5 ceremonies, while longer stays involved up to 11 ceremonies. Four participants self-reported a diagnosis of ADHD, but this was not medically verified.</p>
<p>Before their first and after their last ceremony all participants completed an assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms (the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale).</p>
<p>Results for the whole group showed a reduction in ADHD symptoms. After the last ceremony, their levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity were lower. These reductions were medium to large in size. Females reported fewer symptoms of inattention before taking ayahuasca compared to males, but after the ceremonies, males and females had similar levels of these symptoms. Female and males had similar levels of hyperactivity symptoms before the ceremonies, but females experienced a larger decrease after the ceremonies.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>“This pilot study is the first attempt to explore whether ayahuasca use is associated with reductions in inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, the core features of ADHD, in a sample of mostly non-ADHD adults. Although significant reductions were found for both males and females following traditional shamanic ayahuasca ceremonies, further evidence is required to determine causality, mechanisms of change and whether there are long-term effects,&#8221; the researchers concluded.</p>
<p>This study contributes initial insights into the relationship between ayahuasca use and ADHD symptoms. However, only four participants were diagnosed with ADHD. The absence of a control group and reliance on self-reporting as the sole outcome measure make it impossible to conclusively attribute the observed changes to ayahuasca use, as they might result from other factors.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/20503245231215413">Can ayahuasca reduce inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity? A pilot study</a>”, was authored by WaiFung Tsang, Simon GD Ruffell, Nigel Netzband, Angelina Jong, James Rucker, Quinton Deeley, and Jack Hollingdale.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

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DATE:
January 11, 2024 at 06:00AM
.
TITLE:
Neuroplasticity of first-time mothers revealed in unprecedented brain imaging study
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/neuroplasticity-of-first-time-mothers-revealed-in-unprecedented-brain-imaging-study-220642

<p>The brains of first-time mothers undergo significant changes in volume and thickness during late pregnancy and the early postpartum period, according to new research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01513-2"><em>Nature Neuroscience</em></a>. These findings, based on the largest longitudinal neuroimaging study of mothers to date, provide unprecedented insight into the dynamic nature of the maternal brain, shedding light on how pregnancy and childbirth impact brain structure.</p>
<p>Earlier studies hinted that pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of significant brain changes. These studies, however, presented mixed results: some suggested brain volume decreased during pregnancy, while others found increases postpartum. This lack of clarity spurred the recent investigation, aiming to chart a more detailed map of how motherhood affects the brain.</p>
<p>&#8220;The transition to motherhood is a transformative event that affects almost half of the world&#8217;s population, yet it has been largely unexplored from a neuroscientific perspective. It is urgent to approach the topic. Indeed, current evidence positions pregnancy as a period of enhanced neuroplasticity in adult life with important implications for women&#8217;s brain health and brain aging trajectories,&#8221; said study author Susana Carmona, the head of <a href="https://neuromaternal.es/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NeuroMaternal Lab</a> at the Instituto de investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón and author of the book &#8220;<a href="https://www.penguinlibros.com/es/familia-y-crianza/339781-libro- neuromaternal-9788466678087" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NeuroMaternal</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers employed a case-control longitudinal design, allowing them to track and compare changes in brain structure over time between two distinct groups: first-time mothers and nulliparous women (women who have never given birth). The main dataset included 110 first-time mothers, alongside 34 nulliparous women serving as the control group. To validate and bolster their findings, the researchers conducted a replication study with an independent group comprising 29 first-time mothers and 24 control participants.</p>
<p>The primary tool for data acquisition was magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive imaging technique that provides detailed images of the brain. The MRI sessions were scheduled at two critical points: late pregnancy (during the third trimester) and early postpartum (within the first month after birth).</p>
<p>One of the most striking results was the observation of decreased global cortical volume and thickness in first-time mothers during late pregnancy, compared to nulliparous women. This reduction was not confined to a specific area but was widespread, affecting midline regions such as the medial prefrontal gyrus, anterior and posterior cingulate, and lateral areas including the precentral and postcentral sulci, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the temporoparietal junction.</p>
<p>In the early postpartum period, these differences in cortical volume and thickness persisted, though the extent of the affected areas was reduced. The findings suggest that the brain&#8217;s cortical structure undergoes significant adaptation during the transition to motherhood.</p>
<p>Carmona and her colleagues also observed a significant increase in global cortical volume, thickness, and surface area from late pregnancy to early postpartum among the mothers. This increase was particularly notable in areas such as the posterior cingulate, paracentral gyrus, precuneus, and lateral regions like the precentral and supramarginal gyri, and the superior temporal gyrus. The extent of these increases correlated with the percentage of postpartum time, indicating a recovery or compensatory phase in the early postpartum period.</p>
<p>The type of childbirth also impacted these changes: mothers who had a scheduled cesarean section without experiencing labor showed larger increases in cortical volume, thickness, and surface area postpartum than those who went through labor. The results indicate that the series of changes in the immune and hormonal systems during labor might also trigger changes in the brain&#8217;s ability to adapt and reorganize itself.</p>
<p>&#8220;Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum are characterized by very different hormonal, immunological, and environmental processes,&#8221; Carmona told PsyPost. &#8220;This study has enabled us to identify that these three stages also involve distinct neuroplasticity mechanisms, thus highlighting the necessity to evaluate how each of them uniquely shapes the maternal brain.&#8221;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The new findings are in line with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33884-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a previous study</a>, which found evidence that pregnancy leads to specific structural and functional brain adaptations, potentially facilitating the mother-infant bond and preparing the mother for new maternal roles. That study found significant reductions in grey matter volume in pregnant women, affecting areas like the prefrontal and temporal cortex, without significant changes in white matter. Additionally, pregnancy induced selective functional changes, notably an increase in coherence within the Default Mode Network (DMN), particularly in the cuneus, which is linked to visual processing and self-referential tasks.</p>
<p>In addition to MRI, Carmona and her colleagues incorporated a range of neuropsychological evaluations. Participants completed questionnaires before each MRI session, providing data on various factors such as sleep quality, perceived stress, depression symptoms, and maternal attachment.</p>
<p>During the postpartum period, first-time mothers experienced increased levels of perceived stress, sleep problems, and symptoms of depression compared to their levels during pregnancy. Higher levels of anxiety during pregnancy were associated with a more challenging childbirth experience and increased maternal stress about parenting during the postpartum period. A more difficult childbirth experience also correlated with higher perceived stress levels and postpartum maternal stress.</p>
<p>In addition, the researchers found that increased stress and maternal stress from pregnancy to postpartum were linked to higher scores of postpartum depression and lower levels of maternal attachment. Worsening depression scores from pregnancy to postpartum were associated with increased sleep problems and reduced maternal attachment.</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes some limitations. One of the primary limitations was the absence of pre-pregnancy brain data, which would have provided a baseline for comparison. Additionally, the study did not include biomarkers of the endocrine and immune systems, which are believed to play a significant role in regulating brain changes during pregnancy.</p>
<p>&#8220;As a relatively new topic, there are still many questions to be answered,&#8221; Carmona said. &#8220;One of our future objectives is to track the complete trajectory of brain changes from preconception to several years postpartum. From a clinical perspective, establishing the foundations of the human maternal brain is essential to advance in predicting and treating perinatal mental health disorders.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This study would not have been possible without the work of María Paternina-Die and Magdalena Martínez-García, the first two authors of the publications, as well as the rest of the coauthors.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01513-2">Women’s neuroplasticity during gestation, childbirth and postpartum</a>&#8220;, was authored by María Paternina-Die, Magdalena Martínez-García, Daniel Martín de Blas, Inés Noguero, Camila Servin-Barthet, Clara Pretus, Anna Soler, Gonzalo López-Montoya, Manuel Desco, and Susana Carmona.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 08:44AM
.
TITLE:
FDA Warned an Asthma Drug May Induce Despair, But Many Don't Know
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176563&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiRmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlhaG9vLmNvbS9uZXdzL2ZkYS13YXJuZWQtYXN0aG1hLWRydWctY291bGQtMTMzMTI3NzEwLmh0bWzSAQA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>In early 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration responded to decades of concern about a drug commonly prescribed for asthma and allergies by deploying one of its most potent tools: a stark warning on the drug's label that it could cause aggression, agitation, and even suicidal thoughts. Yet the drug was prescribed to 12 million Americans in 2022, including 1.6 million children, who face the greatest risks of the drug's ill effects. Why?</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:
January 10, 2024 at 08:43AM
.
TITLE:
Facebook to Hide Posts on Suicide and Eating Disorders From Teen Feeds
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176538&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/meta-hide-posts-suicide-eating-disorders-teens-instagram-106240145

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Science and Technology</a></p>Meta said Tuesday it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers' accounts on Instagram and Facebook, including posts about suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders. The social media giant, based in Menlo Park, California, said in a blog post that while it already aims not to recommend such &quot;age-inappropriate&quot; material to teens, now it also won't show it in their feeds, even if it is shared by an account they follow.</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:
January 10, 2024 at 08:43AM
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TITLE:
AI-Powered Misinformation World's Biggest Near-Term Threat, Report Says
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176549&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2024-01-10/ai-powered-misinformation-is-the-worlds-biggest-short-term-threat-davos-report-says

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>False and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence that threatens to erode democracy and polarize society is the top immediate risk to the global economy, the World Economic Forum said in a report Wednesday. The latest Global Risks Report&mdash;based on a survey of nearly 1,500 experts, industry leaders, and policymakers&mdash;also said an array of environmental risks pose the biggest threats in the longer term.</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:
January 10, 2024 at 08:42AM
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TITLE:
New AI Tool Accurately Detects COVID-19 From Chest X-Rays
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176521&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240108125852.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>Researchers have developed a groundbreaking artificial intelligence system that can rapidly detect COVID-19 from chest X-rays with more than 98% accuracy. &quot;The new AI system could be particularly beneficial in countries experiencing high levels of COVID-19 where there is a shortage of radiologists,&quot; said author Amir Gandomi from the University of Technology Sydney. The study appears in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.</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:
January 10, 2024 at 08:42AM
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TITLE:
Largest Great Ape to Ever Live Went Extinct Because of Climate Change
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=176570&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/largest-great-ape-live-extinct-climate-change-new-106257898

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Science and Technology</a></p>An ancient species of great ape was likely driven to extinction hundreds of thousands of years ago when climate change put its favorite fruits out of reach during dry seasons, scientists reported Wednesday. The species Gigantopithecus blacki, which once lived in southern China, represents the largest great ape known to scientists &mdash; standing 10 feet tall and weighing up to 650 pounds. But its size may also have been a weakness.</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:
January 10, 2024 at 04:00PM
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TITLE:
A digital dilemma: study shows how social media, internet addiction, and “phubbing” shape mental health
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/a-digital-dilemma-study-shows-how-social-media-internet-addiction-and-phubbing-shape-mental-health-220626

<p>Researchers in Turkey and the United Kingdom have unearthed a complex relationship between social media use and mental health — revealing that the negative impact of social media addiction on mental health is significantly mediated by internet addiction and “phubbing” — the act of ignoring others in favor of mobile phone use. The findings have been published in <em><a class="heading-xs mt-2 mb-2" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PRX">Psychological Reports</a>.</em></p>
<p>Prior research in this field has yielded mixed results, with some studies suggesting a direct link between excessive social media use and mental health issues like depression and anxiety, while others found no significant effects. Naif Ergun, Zafer Ozkan, and Mark Griffiths sought to mend this inconsistency by prompting a more nuanced examination of related behaviors — such as internet addiction, the compulsive use of the internet to the point where it interferes with daily life, and “phubbing”, a relatively new phenomenon where individuals focus on their phones instead of engaging in face-to-face interactions.</p>
<p>The purpose of their study was to delve deeper into the potential connections between social media use and mental health; with the rise of digital technologies in everyday life, understanding these relationships is more critical than ever. As such, their research explored not just direct correlations but also the roles of internet addiction and “phubbing” in mediating these<br />
relationships.</p>
<p>603 university students in Turkey were recruited and completed a comprehensive study. All participants, 451 females and 152 males averaging 22 years of age, were all recruited from 20 different cities across 30 different universities. The participants, who were asked about their social media habits, internet use, and experiences of phubbing, also completed assessments measuring indicators of mental health such as levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. This method allowed the researchers to understand the interplay between these various factors.</p>
<p>The study revealed that while social media addiction was linked to poorer mental health, this relationship was significantly influenced by other factors. Specifically, internet addiction was found to be a full mediator between social media addiction and depression. Both internet addiction and “phubbing” were mediators in the relationship between social media addiction and anxiety and stress.</p>
<p>In other terms, the more a person was addicted to social media, the more likely they were to exhibit internet addiction and “phubbing” behaviors — which in turn, were associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.</p>
<p>These findings offer a novel perspective on the indirect effects of social media addiction on mental health as mediated through internet addiction and “phubbing”. However, it is crucial to consider the study’s cross-sectional nature — which tend to highlight correlations but cannot definitively prove causation. The focus on a specific demographic also limits the generalizability of the findings across different age groups or cultural contexts, and the reliance on self-reported data introduces the possibility of bias. Despite these limitations, the study provides significant insights into the complex web of relationships between digital behaviors and mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;The present study contributes novel findings to the literature by showing the important roles of internet addiction and phubbing in explaining the relationship between social media addiction and poor mental health,&#8221; the researchers concluded. &#8220;&#8230;practitioners need to raise awareness of technology-based behaviors’ impact. They may give psychoeducation during their professional activities. More importantly, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists should consider the influence of technology-based behaviors on mental health during diagnosis and treatment. The findings of the present study may also contribute to developing effective intervention strategies by showing that internet addiction is an important variable in other problematic use of technologies.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00332941231166609" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social Media Addiction and Poor Mental Health: Examining the Mediating Roles of Internet Addiction and Phubbing</a>&#8220;, was authored by Naif Ergun at Mardin Artuklu University, Zafer Ozkan at Ordu University, and Mark Griffiths at Nottingham Trent University.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 02:00PM
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TITLE:
Even small changes in depressive symptoms are predictive of increases in body weight, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/even-small-changes-in-depressive-symptoms-are-predictive-of-increases-in-body-weight-study-finds-220613

<p>In a new study published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295117"><em>PLOS One</em></a>, researchers found a subtle yet significant relationship between changes in individual levels of depressive symptoms and subsequent weight gain. Conducted on over 2,000 participants, this study provides evidence that even minor deviations from one&#8217;s typical depressive symptoms can influence body weight, particularly among those with higher body mass index (BMI).</p>
<p>For years, scientists have known that there&#8217;s a complex, two-way street between mental health and weight. People who struggle with their weight often face mental health challenges, and vice versa. However, this relationship has remained somewhat of a mystery, with most studies offering only cross-sectional snapshots of how mental health relates to weight at specific points in time.</p>
<p>The need for a clearer understanding of this interaction, especially how mental health changes within an individual affect their weight over time, has been a significant gap in research. This understanding is crucial, as it could help in developing strategies to prevent weight gain, particularly in the context of mental health.</p>
<p>&#8220;We were interested in this topic because obesity – and helping people to maintain a healthy weight – remain critical public health challenges. Currently, two-thirds of adults in England are living with overweight or obesity,&#8221; explained study author <a href="https://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/people/julia-mueller/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Julia Mueller</a> from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Overweight and obesity increase the risk for numerous health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers. Research has suggested a connection between weight and mental health – with each potentially influencing the other – but the relationship is complex and remains poorly understood, particularly in relation to how changes in an individual’s mental health influence their bodyweight over time. A better understanding of the relationship between mental wellbeing and weight changes can help us understand how we can provide more effective psychological support for people trying to lose weight.&#8221;</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers used data from a segment of the Fenland Study, a comprehensive health study of over 12,000 people in the United Kingdom. The Fenland COVID-19 study, a sub-study conducted during the pandemic, provided a unique opportunity to investigate these changes due to the expected higher fluctuations in weight and mental health during this period.</p>
<p>A total of 2,133 participants, aged 44 to 70 years, were included in the analysis. They provided data on their mental health and weight via a mobile app over 6-9 months. Mental health was assessed using three validated questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder questionnaire for anxiety symptoms, and the Perceived Stress Scale for perceived stress. Body weight was the primary outcome, with participants reporting their weight monthly.</p>
<p>The researchers found no significant association between within-individual variations in anxiety symptoms or stress and subsequent body weight. However, a notable connection was observed with depressive symptoms. The data showed that when individuals experienced a rise in depressive symptoms from their usual level, it was associated with a slight increase in body weight in the following month.</p>
<p>&#8220;We found that even small changes in symptoms of depression are predictive of increases in weight, regardless of whether people meet definitions for &#8216;clinical depression&#8217; or not,&#8221; Mueller told PsyPost.</p>
<p>This effect was primarily observed in participants with higher body mass indexes. This suggests that those who are already overweight or obese might be more susceptible to weight changes in response to mood alterations.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&#8220;We found that increases in symptoms of depression are associated with a subsequent increase in body weight when measured one month later,&#8221; Mueller explained. &#8220;This effect was only observed in those individuals with overweight (defined as BMI 25-29.9kg/m2) or with obesity (BMI of over 30kg/m2). The effect was not seen in those individuals with a BMI below 25kg/m2. Overall, our findings suggest that individuals with overweight or obesity are more vulnerable to weight gain in response to feeling more depressed.&#8221;</p>
<p>The researchers discovered that each unit increase in a person&#8217;s typical depressive symptoms score was associated with a weight gain of 45 grams in the following month. For instance, if an individual&#8217;s score for depressive symptoms increased from five to 10, signifying a shift from mild to moderate depressive symptoms, this change would correspond to an average weight gain of about 225 grams (0.225 kg). While this amount might appear minor, it can accumulate significantly over time.</p>
<p>&#8220;Although the weight gain was relatively small, even small weight changes occurring over short periods of time can lead to larger weight changes in the long-term, particularly among those with overweight and obesity,&#8221; Mueller told PsyPost. &#8220;People with a high BMI are already at greater risk from other health conditions, so this could potentially lead to a further deterioration in their health. Monitoring and addressing depressive in individuals with overweight or obesity symptoms (even if criteria for clinical diagnoses of depression are not met) could help prevent further weight gain and be beneficial to both their mental and physical health.&#8221;</p>
<p>A further surprising revelation was the lack of a reciprocal relationship. The study found no evidence to suggest that changes in body weight could predict future changes in mental health. This finding challenges the often-held belief that the relationship between mental health and body weight is always bidirectional.</p>
<p>“Apps on our phones make it possible for people to answer short questions at home more frequently and over extended periods of time, which provides much more information about their wellbeing,&#8221; added senior author Kirsten Rennie. &#8220;This technology could help us understand how changes in mental health influence behaviour among people with overweight or obesity and offer ways to develop timely interventions when needed.&#8221;</p>
<p>However, the study&#8217;s insights come with certain limitations. The reliance on self-reported weight measurements could introduce some bias, as individuals might over- or under-report their weight. Moreover, the study&#8217;s observational nature means that while it can highlight correlations, it cannot firmly establish causation.</p>
<p>&#8220;This study is an exploratory, observational study, so we can’t draw firm conclusions about whether changes in symptoms of depression cause weight changes,&#8221; Mueller said. &#8220;Future research could more closely examine how changes in mental wellbeing influence behaviours like diet and physical activity.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study, &#8220;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0295117" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The relationship of within-individual and between-1 individual variation in mental health with bodyweight: An exploratory longitudinal study</a>&#8220;, was authored by Julia Mueller, Amy L. Ahern, Rebecca A. Jones, Stephen J. Sharp, Alan Davies, Arabella Zuckerman, Benjamin I. Perry, Golam M. Khandaker, Emanuella De Lucia Rolfe, Nick J. Wareham, and Kirsten L. Rennie.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Does having children make you happier? Here’s what the research suggests
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/does-having-children-make-you-happier-heres-what-the-research-suggests-220629

<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-011-9865-y">prevailing belief</a> in many parts of the world is that having children is key to happiness – and that people who don’t have children are unfulfilled in their lives.</p>
<p>But is this really the case? The answer to this question is both simple and complex – and the fulfilment you feel in your life, whether you decide to have kids or not, depends on many complex factors.</p>
<p>Let’s look first at the simple answer – which is no, you don’t need to have children to be <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1066480720911611">happy and fulfilled</a>.</p>
<p>Studies in women who are child-free by choice show most feel they have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277539514001824?via%3Dihub">good sense of identity and individuality</a>. They don’t feel defined by their role within the family, and feel they have <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243202238982">more freedom</a> and control over their bodies, life and future. Child-free women also report greater <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X07303879">financial stability</a> – although higher <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/353143?origin=crossref">socioeconomic status</a> isn’t necessary to be satisfied with the decision to be child-free.</p>
<p>Women and men who are child-free are also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15374424JCCP2904_13">less stressed</a> on average, and report <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032721013926?via%3Dihub">greater satisfaction</a> in their marriages.</p>
<p>There’s limited research on single men and their experience of being child-free – and even less on the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15240657.2019.1559515">transgender or queer experience of being child-free</a>. But one study of men who were child-free by choice reported most were satisfied with their decision and happy to have more freedom in their life. Only a small number expressed regrets about their decision – largely because they wouldn’t <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/chosen-lives-of-childfree-men-9780897895989/">have a legacy</a>.</p>
<p>However, there’s a risk that child-free men may experience a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0192513X07303879">reduction in overall life satisfaction</a> in older age if they <a href="https://academic.oup.com/esr/article-abstract/26/1/1/538246?redirectedFrom=fulltext">lack social support</a>.</p>
<h2>The parenthood paradox</h2>
<p>Things get a little more complicated when we look at the decision to have children.</p>
<p>While parents can certainly be happy and fulfilled in life, the satisfaction they feel with this decision typically unfolds over time – and can also depend on many factors they can’t control.</p>
<p>Initially, many parents actually experience a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-13310-011">temporary decrease in wellbeing</a> after having a child – a phenomenon known as the “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-21502-002">parenthood paradox</a>”. This is because a new baby can come in the way of many basic needs – such as sleep, eating well and seeing friends. This can be a recipe for discontentment.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Straight women also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2003.00574.x">report more unhappiness</a> when they become parents compared with men. This may be because the burden of care tends to fall disproportionately on women.</p>
<p>But having good <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5222535/">family and social support</a>, an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6294450/">active and equally involved co-parent</a>, and living in an area that has <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-policy-and-society/article/abs/introduction-parenting-support-in-the-nordic-countries-is-there-a-specific-nordic-model/18BFF0AB8EACD27F826AEDB573AEB237">work-family supportive policies</a> can all offset the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-011-9865-y">stresses and costs of parenting</a>.</p>
<p>This probably explains why women in Norway <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-69909-7_3710-2">don’t report</a> a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053535705001733?via%3Dihub">loss of happiness</a> when they have children, as Norway has many family-friendly policies which make it possible for both parents to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959353505051730">raise children and have careers</a>.</p>
<p>While parenting can be tough, that doesn’t mean it can’t still lead to happiness, joy and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797612447798">greater meaning in life</a>. The parenting experience can even lead to a profound form of wellbeing called eudaimonic wellbeing. This is the feeling you have lived a life worth living, which is distinct from short-term happiness.</p>
<p>Both men and women can experience <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-021-10020-0">positive eudaimonic wellbeing</a> when they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X18758344">become parents</a>. But for women, the boost in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/140/3/846">eudaimonic wellbeing</a> they experience also depends on how balanced the parenting duties are with their partner.</p>
<h2>Facing regret</h2>
<p>Another major thing people worry about is whether they’ll regret not having children.</p>
<p>Reassuringly, research in child-free <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1066480720911611">older adults</a> shows many report <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.2190/8PTL-P745-58U1-3330">high life satisfaction</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-015-1177-1">resiliency</a> against poor mental health.</p>
<p>It seems the biggest key in being happy with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480716648676">your decision</a> to have or not have children depends on whether you <a href="https://doi.org/10.2190/J08N-VBVG-6PXM-0T">felt in control</a> of that decision. When we feel we’ve chosen our path, we tend to accept our decisions and be happier about them.</p>
<p>Yet what if that choice has been taken away from you – and you wanted a child but were unable to have one? Can you be happy then? Our research shows the answer is a resounding yes.</p>
<p>We investigated the <a href="https://iacp.ie/files/UserFiles/00981%20IJCP%20Q1-23%20-%20Full_1.pdf">impact of childlessness</a> on 161 UK-based women who wanted to have children but couldn’t for various reasons – such as not being able to find a partner or infertility. Participants were aged between 25 and 75.</p>
<p>We found that on average, the participants’ wellbeing was no different to that of the general public. While 12% languished (meaning their lives felt aimless), 24% were flourishing psychologically – meaning they reported the highest level of mental health. The remainder experienced moderate levels of wellbeing.</p>
<p>Interestingly, for some, the struggle to have a child resulted in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468749920300764">post-traumatic growth</a>. This refers to positive psychological changes that happen after a traumatic event. Women with the highest levels of wellbeing said being able to focus on new possibilities in their lives, outside of being a parent, helped them improve their wellbeing.</p>
<p>Studies in men who have been unable to have children due to infertility show many <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02646838.2010.544294">experienced sadness</a> as a result – though this sadness did reduce as they got older. But similar to women who are involuntarily childless, finding ways of re-framing their identify and role in society <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/1097184X99002001002">outside of fatherhood</a> helped many find meaning and satisfaction in their life.</p>
<p>So, does parenthood make us happier? Does childlessness make us miserable? The answer to these questions isn’t as simple as it seems. The happiness or fulfilment we experience depends on so many factors, many of which are out of our control. While the way you choose to make meaning in your life is indeed a key factor, so too is the social support you have to become a parent, and the political climate you live in.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209540/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-having-children-make-you-happier-heres-what-the-research-suggests-209540">original article</a>.</em></p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 10:00AM
.
TITLE:
People perceive mental illnesses as less distressing to Black than to White individuals
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/people-perceive-mental-illnesses-as-less-distressing-to-black-than-to-white-individuals-220625

<p>A series of four studies in the United States found that people believe that identical mental illnesses are less distressing to Black than to White individuals. They also believed that Black individuals would need fewer treatments to deal with psychopathology. The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293078"><em>PLOS One</em></a>.</p>
<p>Racism is a system of discrimination and prejudice based on an individual&#8217;s race. It involves the belief in the superiority or inferiority of certain racial groups and the use of this belief to justify unequal treatment, privilege, or discrimination. Racism can manifest in various forms. It can be institutional, when discriminatory practices are embedded in societal structures and systems. Interpersonal racism involves acts of bias, hostility, or aggression directed at individuals based on their race.</p>
<p>Racism has profound social, economic, and psychological consequences for marginalized racial groups, often resulting in disparities in access to opportunities, education, employment, healthcare, and housing. Studies indicate that racism even extends to the area of psychopathology. People will expect Black individuals to be less hurt by psychopathology than White. Evaluators in studies often deny Black individuals’ complex emotions such as grief, suffering or mental anguish. Black Americans, on the other hand, often report feeling that their social pains are invalidated or minimized.</p>
<p>Study authors Jonathan W. Kunstman and his colleagues wanted to explore whether people believe that psychopathology harms Black individuals less than it harms White individuals. They were also interested in discovering whether these biased distress judgements also produce racial biases in judgements of treatment needs.</p>
<p>The first study aimed to test whether people will really consider Black individuals less hurt by psychopathology. Study authors took 10 pictures of Black and 10 pictures of White male faces from the Chicago Face Database and paired them with 10 forms of psychopathology. The pictures of faces were equated on a number of characteristics in order to minimize their differences on everything except race. 204 MTurk workers viewed these images along with the psychopathology assigned to them (depression, social anxiety, arachnophobia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, panic disorder, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or schizophrenia) and rated how much the individual in the picture was hurt by that disorder.</p>
<p>Studies 2a and 2b again retested the results of the first study using the same methodology and similar samples of MTurk workers, but with one difference – study authors now also asked participants to state how many psychotherapy treatments they believe the person in the picture needed to cope with the problem (e.g., “How many sessions of therapy do you believe this person would need to effectively cope with depression?”).</p>
<p>Participants of study 3 were 160 mental health professionals and 258 individuals from the general population. Mental health professionals were paid $100 each for their participation. They completed the same tasks from studies 2a and 2b, assessing how much individuals in pictures were hurt and how many psychotherapy sessions they needed.</p>
<p>Results of the first study showed that study participants judged Black individuals to experience less distress than White ones. The difference was small to medium in size. Authors reran the analysis on participants of this study who identified themselves as mental health professionals and obtained the same result – Black individuals were perceived as hurting less from listed mental health disorders.</p>
<p>Results of studies 2a and 2b confirmed the finding that people perceive Black individuals as less hurt by psychopathology compared to White individuals. However, participants, on average, also reported that Black individuals needed fewer treatments. On average, in study 2a, participants reported that White individuals need 12 sessions, while Black need 11. In study 2b, the same effect was obtained, but the difference was very small – 11.18 treatments vs 10.87 treatments on average.</p>
<p>Results of study 3 replicated the results of the previous 3 studies – Black individuals were perceived as hurting less and needing a smaller number of treatments. Both clinicians and participants from the general public considered Black individuals hurting less than Whites from the same psychopathology. However, more detailed analysis of responses about treatment needs showed that individuals from the general public assessed treatment needs of the two races differently, but mental health professionals did not. Mental health professionals and participants from the general public did not differ in their evaluations of treatment needs of White faces, but they differed in their evaluations of treatment needs of Black faces.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>“These results provide further evidence that the public believes psychopathology harms Black individuals less than White individuals and, consequently, believe Black individuals have weaker treatment needs than White individuals. Critically, the current study provides suggestive evidence that these biases extend to practicing MHPs [mental health professionals]. Like members of the lay public, MHPs judged Black targets to experience less psychopathology-related distress than White targets and—when analyzing data from all available MHPs—these biased judgments mediated target race’s effect on treatment judgments,&#8221; the study authors conclude.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on racial biases in the judgement of psychopathology experiences and treatment needs. However, the study was based on the evaluation of static pictures of faces and psychopathologies described through words. Results might not be the same if participants evaluated real people whose psychopathological issues they were able to observe in more detail.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293078">Race-based biases in psychological distress and treatment judgments</a>”, was authored by Jonathan W. Kunstman, Tade Ogungbadero, Jason C. Deska, Michael J. Bernstein, April R. Smith, and Kurt Hugenberg.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 09:00AM
.
TITLE:
It Turns Out We Were Born To Groove
.
URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/it-turns-out-we-were-born-to-groove/

<p>The evolution of beat perception likely unfolded gradually among primates, reaching its pinnacle in humans</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 08:00AM
.
TITLE:
New study examines the psychological benefits of long-term intimate relationships
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/new-study-examines-the-psychological-benefits-of-long-term-intimate-relationships-220624

<p>Are romantic relationships good for anything? A new study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231210245"><em>Evolutionary Psychology</em></a> explored this question.</p>
<p>Human mating strategies have evolved to prioritize long-term partnerships due to the need for prolonged parental investment in offspring and the necessity for reliable support and protection to overcome survival challenges. This evolutionary background is reflected in modern human behavior, where long-term mating is the predominant strategy, evidenced by limited sexual dimorphism in humans compared to other species and the universal institution of marriage.</p>
<p>In this research, Menelaos Apostolou and colleagues examined what people perceive as the benefits of being in an intimate relationship.</p>
<p>Study 1 identified the perceived benefits of being in a long-term intimate relationship. The study was conducted online, using Google Forms, and targeted 221 Greek-speaking individuals. Participants were asked to list benefits of being in such relationships. Two graduate students then independently analyzed these responses, creating lists of benefits, which were later refined collaboratively. This process led to the identification of 82 distinct benefits of being in an intimate relationship.</p>
<p>Study 2 expanded on the first study by quantitatively analyzing the 82 benefits identified in Study 1. A total of 545 Greek-speaking participants rated the importance of each benefit on a five-point Likert scale. These benefits were classified into broader categories, resulting in ten factors; these included support, social acceptance, sexual satisfaction, company and shared activities, positive emotions, give and receive care, safe sex, love and passion, sharing expenses, and stability. These factors were further grouped into two domains, as intrinsic (e.g., love and passion) and extrinsic (e.g., social acceptance) to the relationship.</p>
<p>Significant differences were found based on sex, age, and relationship status for some of these factors. For example, women gave higher importance ratings for “love and passion”, “give and receive care,” and “social acceptance”, while older participants gave higher scores for “social acceptance” but lower for “positive emotions” and “give and receive care.” Relationship status was significant only for the “support” factor, with those in intimate relationships attributing greater importance than single participants.</p>
<p>Overall, this research highlights that people value both the emotional and practical aspects of intimate relationships, irrespective of their personal demographics.</p>
<p>A limitation the authors note is that these results pertain to the Greek cultural context and may not be generalizable to other cultures.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231210245">What are Romantic Relationships Good for? An Explorative Analysis of the Perceived Benefits of Being in a Relationship</a>”, was authored by Menelaos Apostolou, Christoforos Christoforou, and Timo Juhani Lajunen.</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

Psychology News Robot
DATE:
January 10, 2024 at 06:45AM
.
TITLE:
Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind
.
URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sludge-videos-are-taking-over-tiktok-and-peoples-mind/

<p>&ldquo;Sludge content&rdquo; is a type of viral video that features multiple clips playing simultaneously on a screen. Experts unpack what it may be doing to the brain</p>
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 08, 2024 at 03:38PM
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TITLE:
Climate anxiety and well-being in later life
.
URL:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/live-long-and-prosper/202401/climate-anxiety-and-well-being-in-later-life

Combating climate change can be empowering and increase generativity.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 08, 2024 at 03:37PM
.
TITLE:
Experts explain the mental and physical benefits
.
URL:
https://www.today.com/health/physical-mental-benefits-walking-t207904

Making walking a daily habit comes with some impressive health benefits — for your mind and your body.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 08, 2024 at 03:36PM
.
TITLE:
TV series &apos;Hoarders&apos; is back. But now we know more about mental health.
.
URL:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2024/01/08/hoarders-show-hoarding-disorder/72120845007/

People hoard for different reasons, including family history, stress or brain function.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 05, 2024 at 03:40PM
.
TITLE:
Combat veterans took a psychedelic drug for PTSD. Then this happened.
.
URL:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/01/05/study-ibogaine-combat-veterans-brain-ptsd/72083144007/

University study is among the first to explore the use of ibogaine to repair traumatic brain injury caused by head trauma or blast explosions.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 04, 2024 at 03:41PM
.
TITLE:
Is sleeping through the night the ‘right’ way to sleep?
.
URL:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/polyphasic-biphasic-segmented-sleep

Historic records show humans slept, woke, and slept again regularly before the Industrial Revolution. But was it really a universal habit, and does it have benefits?
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 04, 2024 at 03:39PM
.
TITLE:
Here&apos;s how to commit to Dry January and stop drinking
.
URL:
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/life/health-wellness/self-improved/2024/01/04/booze-be-gone-how-to-take-a-break-from-alcohol-for-dry-january/72105409007/

Clinical psychologist Dr. Ali Mattu explains how to commit to Dry January and manage social situations involving alcohol.
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psychbot , 7 months ago to psychology

.
DATE:
January 09, 2024 at 05:00PM
.
TITLE:
Persistency in negative self-thinking linked to current depression levels in adolescents
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2024/01/persistency-in-negative-self-thinking-linked-to-current-depression-levels-in-adolescents-220608

<p>A recent study published in psychology journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103823">Acta Psychologica</a></em> has uncovered a significant relationship between persistent negative self-referent thinking and current depressive symptoms in adolescents. The research reveals that while such thinking patterns are associated with depression levels at the moment, they do not necessarily predict future depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>Depression, a prevalent mental health issue, has been extensively studied, particularly how it relates to the way individuals process information. Research has consistently shown that people with depression often have a negatively biased way of thinking, especially about themselves. This might manifest as beliefs like &#8220;I am untrustworthy&#8221; or &#8220;I am unhappy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Until now, most of this research has been focused on adults. However, cognitive functions — including those linked to depression — mature during adolescence. As such, understanding how these patterns emerge and develop in younger individuals is crucial, as this knowledge may help in identifying early signs of depression and pave the way for preventive measures.</p>
<p>The research team, led by Eline Belmans at KU Leuven Research University, embarked on this study to explore the potential link between persistent negative self-referent thinking and depressive symptoms among adolescents. Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage where cognitive functions are still evolving. By focusing on this age group, researchers aimed to shed light on whether patterns of depressive cognition observed in adults also manifest in younger individuals, and whether they could serve as early indicators of depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The study involved 145 adolescents in their last two years of secondary school in Belgium. Researchers utilized a unique approach known as the Emotional Reversal Learning Task (ERLT). This decision-making task required participants to choose between focusing on negative or positive aspects of themselves. Initially, choosing negative aspects was rewarded, but later in the task, this was reversed to being punished. The aim was to see how quickly participants could adapt their thinking as the rewards and punishments changed. In addition to the ERLT, participants completed questionnaires measuring their depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The study&#8217;s findings were twofold. First, it was observed that adolescents who showed a tendency to persistently engage in negative self-referent thinking, indicated by their slower adaptation to the changed reward conditions in the ERLT, had higher levels of depressive symptoms concurrently. In other words, adolescents with depression are more likely to cling to the belief that thinking negatively about themselves is beneficial — even when it ceases to be rewarded.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, this pattern of thinking was not a significant predictor of depressive symptoms at a two-month follow-up, meaning that while it is a concurrent feature of depression, it may not necessarily be a causal factor in its development or continuation.</p>
<p>Overall, the study highlights the role of persistent negative self-referent thinking in current levels of depressive symptoms. These findings offer a new understanding of depressive cognition during a critical developmental stage, and open doors for further research and potential preventive strategies in adolescent mental health.</p>
<p>However, one notable aspect of this study is the reliance on participants&#8217; self-reporting during the ERLT without verification of whether they actually retrieved the memories they claimed to have. Additionally, the reward system in the ERLT was based on points, which may not fully capture the complexity of social reinforcement mechanisms in real life. The study also did not differentiate between specific types of negative thinking, such as negative self-thinking versus general negative thinking, and the follow-up period of two months might have been too short to observe longer-term changes in depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691822003389" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Depressive symptoms and persistent negative self-referent thinking among adolescents: A learning account</a>” was authored by Eline Belmans, Filip Raes, Bram Vervliet, and Keisuke Takano.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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