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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused the West on Thursday of supporting &quot;genocide&quot; by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza, at the start of talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin. After Putin mentioned the Palestinian territories, Raisi responded via a translator: &quot;What is happening in Palestine and Gaza is of course genocide and a crime against humanity.&quot; He said it was &quot;even more sad&quot; that this was supported by the United States and...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:24AM
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TITLE:
Light Therapy May Improve Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175746&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231206150519.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Health</a></p>The cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease is often accompanied by sleep disturbances and psycho-behavioral symptoms, including apathetic and depressive behavior, agitation, and aggression. According to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, however, light therapy leads to significant improvements in sleep and psycho-behavioral symptoms for patients with Alzheimer's disease.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:23AM
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TITLE:
Barbados Prime Minister Calls for Slavery Reparation Talks
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175691&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-06/barbados-pm-mottley-calls-for-slavery-reparation-conversations

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley used a speech in London on Wednesday to call for a global conversation on reparations for countries that saw their people enslaved, sometimes for centuries, under colonial rule. Barbados was one of Britain's first slave colonies. English settlers first occupied the Caribbean island in 1627 and developed a sugar plantation economy using enslaved people from Africa. Slavery was abolished there in 1834.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:32AM
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TITLE:
Hanukkah Brings Light to Germany's Jews Facing Surge in Antisemitism
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175707&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-07/hanukkah-brings-light-to-germanys-jews-facing-surge-in-antisemitism

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>A German chancellor for the first time kindled the first flame of the giant Hanukkah Menorah in front of Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday in a sign of solidarity with Jewish people two months after the Hamas attacks. A crane lifted Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the first branch of the 33-foot tall menorah, which he lit with a torch. &quot;Hanukkah stands for hope and trust,&quot; said Scholz. &quot;We need both, especially in these days.&quot;</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:19AM
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TITLE:
Tulane Students Build Wheelchairs for Children with Disabilities
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175767&url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulane-university-students-wheelchairs-children-with-disabilities/

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/us/" rel="tag" target="_blank">CBS News - U.S. News</a></p>A Tulane University program is creating waves of change for kids with disabilities, providing them with specially designed chairs that offer newfound mobility and independence. Volunteers at the university dedicate their time and skills to building the chairs with the help of 3D printing technology. So far this year, they have built 15 chairs. Each chair is personalized and signed by its makers, carrying messages of love and care from their...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:05AM
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TITLE:
Europe Reaches a Deal on the World's First Comprehensive AI Rules
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175782&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/europe-reaches-deal-worlds-comprehensive-ai-rules-105510262

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Technology" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Science and Technology</a></p>European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world's first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of technology used in popular generative AI services like ChatGPT that have promised to transform everyday life and spurred warnings of existential dangers to humanity. The Artificial Intelligence Act covers controversial topics such facial recognition surveillance used by police.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 06:00AM
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TITLE:
U.S. House Committee Opens Probe Into Harvard, Penn, MIT After Hearing
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175737&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-12-07/us-house-committee-opens-investigation-into-harvard-penn-mit-after-antisemitism-hearing

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>A U.S. House of Representatives committee opened an investigation into three of the country's most prestigious universities on Thursday, two days after lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the school presidents' testimony about addressing antisemitism. The panel said it believed the schools were not doing enough to address &quot;rampant antisemitism&quot; on their campuses following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
Meta-analysis highlights potential of psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/meta-analysis-highlights-potential-of-psilocybin-therapy-for-treatment-resistant-depression-214905

<p>A scientific review and meta-analysis published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517812300481X"><em>Psychiatry Research</em></a> concludes that &;well-designed phase III trials are urgently needed&; to further examine the promising effects of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in patients with major depression and life-threatening cancer. These pivotal trials would assess the safety and efficacy of this novel approach in comparison to existing standard treatments, potentially establishing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as an accepted medical alternative.</p>
<p>The new research was spurred by a pressing need to find effective treatments for depression, particularly for those forms of the condition that do not respond to traditional treatments. Despite advancements in mental health therapies, many patients with major depressive disorder or severe depression related to life-threatening cancer find little relief even after trying multiple treatments. This scenario, known as treatment-resistant depression, affects over 30% of patients treated for major depressive disorder, highlighting the urgency for alternative therapeutic approaches.</p>
<p>Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain types of mushrooms, has long intrigued researchers due to its potential therapeutic effects. In psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, patients are given controlled doses of psilocybin in a clinical setting, accompanied by professional psychological support. This innovative approach aims to create a setting in which patients can explore their thoughts and emotions under the influence of psilocybin, which is known to induce a heightened state of openness and introspection. The therapy sessions typically include a preparation phase, the psilocybin administration session, and subsequent integration sessions, where patients process their experiences.</p>
<p>&;There has been a lot of buzz in both the media and academic circles about psilocybin’s efficacy in major depressive disorder,&; explained study authors Sipan Haikazian, David Chen-Li, and Joshua Rosenblat of Toronto Western Hospital. &;Numerous trials have been published in recent years demonstrating psilocybin’s profound antidepressant effects in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, the gold standard for determining the efficacy of a drug.&;</p>
<p>&;The <a href="https://www.mdpu.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU)</a> at Toronto Western Hospital is conducting trials for psychedelic and psychedelic-like substances for the treatment of mood disorders, so we are familiar with the current state of the field. As such, we believed a formal review of the evidence was warranted and conducted both a quantitative and qualitative analysis to summarize the state of the field at this time.&;</p>
<p>A meta-analysis, a statistical technique used to combine results from multiple studies to arrive at a comprehensive conclusion, was employed in this research. This approach is particularly useful in health sciences as it provides a more robust and reliable overview than individual studies. The researchers meticulously searched through various scientific databases to find studies that examined the antidepressant efficacy of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy.</p>
<p>They sifted through thousands of publications, eventually focusing on 13 randomized controlled trials that met their strict criteria. The studies had to include participants with a confirmed diagnosis of major depressive disorder or distressing depressive symptoms associated with life-threatening cancer. This diagnosis needed to be based on standard clinical assessments or structured interviews, such as those outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The combined sample included 686 individuals.</p>
<p>The analysis showed that patients receiving psilocybin therapy exhibited significantly more improvement in depressive symptoms than those who did not receive this treatment. This improvement was consistent across various subgroups, including patients with major depressive disorder and those experiencing depression due to life-threatening cancer.</p>
<p>Notably, the study found that both response rates (the proportion of patients showing a significant reduction in depression symptoms) and remission rates (the proportion of patients whose symptoms subsided to the point of being considered in remission) were higher in the psilocybin group compared to controls.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the effects of psilocybin were observed shortly after administration, suggesting a rapid onset of antidepressant action. This is a significant departure from traditional antidepressants, which typically require a longer period to start working. Interestingly, the study also found that the positive effects of psilocybin therapy could last for several months, an encouraging sign for its long-term efficacy.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study found that while psilocybin was generally well-tolerated, some participants did experience non-serious side effects. Commonly reported adverse events included headaches, nausea, fatigue, and transient anxiety. These are typical of psychedelic-assisted therapies and are usually manageable within the controlled setting of the therapy sessions. Importantly, serious adverse events were rare.</p>
<p>However, there were isolated instances of more concerning effects, such as worsening depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation, particularly in individuals with a history of such issues. This highlights the need for careful screening and monitoring of participants in psilocybin therapy, especially those with a complex psychiatric history.</p>
<p>A significant limitation is the lack of active comparators, which could lead to expectancy bias. Including active comparators that mimic the psychoactive effects of psilocybin would strengthen the reliability of the results, as it would more effectively control for the influence of participants&; expectations on their reported outcomes.</p>
<p>&;The average person should approach the findings of our paper with cautioned optimism, particularly with how psilocybin should be used in both clinical and non-clinical settings,&; Haikazian, Chen-Li, and Rosenblat told PsyPost. &;While the effect size (a measure of how effective psilocybin is at reducing depressive symptoms compared to placebo) of psilocybin was moderate, the studies have several limitations. It is difficult to find a placebo drug that can mimic psilocybin&;s obvious psychological effects while not having the depressive action. In fact, such a drug does not yet exist.&;</p>
<p>&;Therefore, it’s very possible that participants in studies were unblinded in regards to what treatment they received,&; the researchers explained. &;Also, despite positive findings, psilocybin should only be prescribed in a monitored, clinical setting, and we nor any of the authors of these studies condone or promote self-medication with the drug. This is particularly important to highlight given the increasing presence of illicitly yet conspicuously sold psilocybin in large urban centres.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517812300481X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis</a>&;, was authored by Sipan Haikazian, David C.J. Chen-Li, Danica E. Johnson, Farhan Fancy, Anastasia Levinta, M. Ishrat Husain, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Roger S. McIntyre, and Joshua D. Rosenblat.</p>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
Teens who frequently watch “girlboss” content exhibit lower professional sexism
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/teens-who-frequently-watch-girlboss-content-exhibit-lower-professional-sexism-214904

<p>In a recent Belgian study, researchers found that teenagers who frequently watched TV series and social media posts featuring women in traditionally male-dominated professions, such as CEOs or scientists, had less stereotypical views about gender and professions. However, this correlation did not strongly translate into a change within individuals over time. The findings have been published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-023-01391-9">Sex Roles</a>.</em></p>
<p>Historically, the representation of women in media has been skewed towards traditional roles. Recent efforts to balance this portrayal, especially in male-dominated fields like STEM or executive positions, have led to the emergence of &;woman boss&; content in media. This term describes TV series or social media posts showcasing women in authoritative or traditionally male roles.</p>
<p>&;Gender inequalities in the career world, including the underrepresentation of women in stereotypically male careers, still exist nowadays,&; said study author <a href="https://soc.kuleuven.be/smc/staff/00125902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ilse Vranken</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the School for Mass Communication at KU Leuven in Belgium. &;Efforts to reduce such inequalities are thus highly needed. Such inequalities, and especially the complexity in which such inequalities exist fascinate me and are central to my research on media effects.&;</p>
<p>&;In our longitudinal study, we focused on what we labeled as &;woman boss TV series&; and &;woman boss social media content.&; Such content focuses on female role models in stereotypically male jobs. As the storylines in TV series and posts on social media focus on these role models and their professional or personal lives, they may be particularly inspiring for late adolescents (teenagers between 16-18 years old). Therefore, we were inspired to study how exposure to such content may play a beneficial role in reducing gender-stereotypical beliefs about professional roles that are reserved for men vs. women, what we label as professional sexism.&;</p>
<p>To understand the impact of this new wave of media content, Belgian researchers conducted a longitudinal study involving 1,286 high school seniors. The study spanned over three waves of data collection in January, May, and September of 2021, coinciding with a crucial period when these teenagers were making significant career-related decisions.</p>
<p>Participants were asked about their consumption of TV series and social media content that featured women in male-dominated professions, such as a female police officer, scientist, or CEO. The study also measured the perceived usefulness of this content – whether the participants felt they learned something valuable from it – and their levels of professional sexism, using questions that gauged their beliefs about gender-specific suitability for certain professions.</p>
<p>On a between-person level, meaning when comparing different individuals, there was a clear trend: adolescents who watched more &;woman boss&; series or engaged with similar social media posts tended to have less professional sexism. They also found this content more useful, indicating a potential shift in attitudes thanks to media exposure.</p>
<p>In other words, adolescents who engaged with more &;woman boss&; content were <em>less</em> likely to agree with statements such as &;Women are better suited for caring professions (e.g., nursing) compared to men&; and <em>more</em> likely to agree with statements such as &;After viewing such series, I learned things that I would have never learned otherwise.&;</p>
<p>However, when examining within-person changes over time – meaning how an individual&;s attitudes changed with their media consumption – the results were not as clear-cut. Contrary to the researchers&; expectations, no stable within-person associations were found between exposure to woman boss content and professional sexism. This means that, over time, increased exposure to woman boss series or posts did not consistently relate to changes in professional sexism within individuals.</p>
<p>&;Our study only found differences between adolescents, meaning that late adolescents who were more frequently exposed to women in stereotypically male careers in TV series compared to their peers, also scored lower on professional sexism,&; Vranken told PsyPost. &;However, we could not find any long-term effects of exposure to such content. Exposure to such counter-stereotypical content in TV series or on social media did not affect an adolescent’s professional sexism four months later.&;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;This finding generally indicates that such content may not have been strong enough to evoke changes within adolescents’ levels of professional sexism. This raises questions on whether such content may only be effective among younger age groups, such as children, who may be more susceptible to endorse counter-stereotypes.&;</p>
<p>One surprising finding was that teenagers with higher levels of professional sexism at one point in the study tended to find &;woman boss&; series more useful later on. This suggests that such content might be particularly informative for those with more traditional views on gender and professions.</p>
<p>However, the study also had its limitations. A significant number of participants dropped out by the third wave of data collection, especially as most had graduated from high school by then. The researchers speculate that important life events like graduation and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed media consumption patterns, could have influenced the results. Moreover, since the study was conducted in Belgium, the findings might not be directly applicable to other cultural contexts.</p>
<p>Future research might look into younger age groups, as the formation of gender-related beliefs and schemas could be more malleable in children than in late adolescents. The researchers also suggest a need for more detailed measures of media exposure, considering not just the quantity but the quality and context of &;woman boss&; portrayals.</p>
<p>&;Another question is whether all female role models in atypical careers in TV series or on social media can be truly inspirational and can cause positive effects,&; Vranken said. &;Together with Prof. Vandenbosch, I conducted a content analysis of 740 characters across 15 fiction series. We found support for what we labelled as an &;atypical occupational trade-off bias&;; women in atypical occupations were more frequently presented as unfavorable and underachieving in other life domains, such as their family life or sexual life, compared to male and female characters in gender-stereotypical careers. This may entail that not all female role models in atypical careers in TV series may be equally effective in lowering adolescents’ professional sexism.&;</p>
<p>&;Our study is one of the first studies that examined the potentially beneficial role of exposure to women in atypical careers in TV series and on social media among adolescents,&; Vranken added. &;More research is needed to understand which representations of female role models in TV series and on social media are most likely to evoke positive effects. Such research should also consider under which circumstances and for whom such role models may be most effective.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-023-01391-9">Counter‑Stereotypical Career‑Related Media Content and Adolescents’ Professional Sexism: A Longitudinal Study of Woman Boss Television Series and Social Media Posts</a>&;, was authored by Ilse Vranken, Sarah Devos, and <a href="https://soc.kuleuven.be/smc/staff/00060068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laura Vandenbosch</a>.</p>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
Brief snooze periods might help alleviate drowsiness without other adverse consequences
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/brief-snooze-periods-might-help-alleviate-drowsiness-without-other-adverse-consequences-214909

<p>Two studies on snoozing habits found that morning drowsiness and shorter sleep were more common among individuals who snooze. On the other hand, 30 minutes of snoozing either improved or did not affect cognitive performance after arising compared to rough awakening. There were no effects of snoozing on cortisol awakening response, morning sleepiness, mood, or characteristics of overnight sleep. The study was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14054"><em>Journal of Sleep Research</em></a>.</p>
<p>Since the early 1950s, most alarm clocks have featured a snooze button, allowing the alarm to be delayed for a brief period after its initial activation. This function enables users to employ intermittent alarms to postpone their final awakening, a practice commonly known as snoozing. Surveys conducted in 2017 and 2022, involving 20,000 activity-tracking wristwatch users and working professionals respectively, found that approximately 50% of individuals hit the snooze button at least once each morning. Women, individuals with a less pronounced conscientiousness trait, and those who prefer staying up late are more likely to engage in snoozing.</p>
<p>Despite the widespread practice of snoozing, its effects on daily functioning have been largely understudied by scientists. Essentially, snoozing shortens overall sleep duration compared to setting the alarm for a later time, when one would immediately rise after the alarm. This practice could potentially increase the risk of various negative effects associated with sleep loss, such as cognitive deficits, mood disturbances, and others. Conversely, delaying the final wake-up time might allow an individual to complete their sleep cycle and reach a lighter sleep stage before having to wake up.</p>
<p>Tina Sundelin, an assistant professor at the Stress Research Institute and Department of Psychology at Stockholm University, and her colleagues wanted to learn more about snoozing behavior and its effects. &;I was interested in the topic of snoozing partly because it seemed to be such a common behaviour and partly because I kept hearing that it was bad without it having been properly studied,&; she explained.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted two studies; the first aimed to identify the characteristics of people who snooze and their reasons for postponing awakening. The second study examined the effects of snoozing on sleep quality, sleepiness, cognitive ability, mood, and the cortisol awakening response.</p>
<p>The cortisol awakening response is a natural increase in cortisol levels occurring within the first hour of waking, playing a critical role in preparing the body and mind for the day ahead. Cortisol, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is integral to various physiological functions, including metabolism regulation, immune response, and the body&;s stress response.</p>
<p>In the first study, 1,732 individuals responded to a survey conducted by the study authors via Qualtrics. Eighty percent of the respondents were from Sweden, with others hailing from the USA, Finland, the UK, and Australia. Sixty-nine percent of the participants reported occasionally using the snooze function or setting multiple alarms. Most did so only on workdays, but 23% used it on both workdays and days off. Among snooze users, 60% reported falling asleep between alarms.</p>
<p>On average, snoozers were six years younger than non-snoozers, four times more likely to stay up late at night (evening types), and had shorter sleep durations on workdays (but not on days off). The most common reasons for snoozing included feeling too tired to wake up, enjoying the sensation, and preferring a slower, more gradual awakening.</p>
<p>The second study involved 31 habitual snoozers, averaging 27.5 years of age, including 18 women. All participants slept in a laboratory equipped with a polysomnography device for three nights. The first night involved practice tests to minimize learning effects. The subsequent nights included one with snoozing and another without. Participants maintained their regular sleep schedules but either woke up at their usual time or 30 minutes earlier, using the snooze button every 9-10 minutes until their final awakening.</p>
<p>Immediately upon waking, the researchers turned on the lights, collected saliva samples (to measure cortisol levels), and conducted a series of cognitive tests using the Karolinska WakeApp. Participants also rated their sleepiness, effort, and performance after each cognitive test, as well as their mood.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The results indicated that sleep characteristics were similar on nights with and without morning snoozing. Sleep architecture, the organization and structure of sleep stages, differed only during the snooze period, with participants experiencing lower sleep efficiency and more arousals. There was also a variation in sleep stages during this period. Participants exhibited signs of sleep inertia, or drowsiness, immediately after awakening in both conditions.</p>
<p>Cognitive performance generally improved over time after waking. Right after waking, those who snoozed showed somewhat better performance on two cognitive tests, although the effect of snoozing on one test dissipated 40 minutes later. Both sleepiness and mood improved sometime after waking, regardless of snoozing. Furthermore, snoozing had no impact on cortisol levels.</p>
<p>The findings indicate &;that snoozing is common and probably not that bad for you, as long as you are getting the sleep you need beforehand,&; Sundelin told PsyPost. &;I was surprised that the effects of 30 minutes of snoozing had such little impact on the full night’s sleep. And that participants were a bit more quick-thinking after having snoozed.&;</p>
<p>The study provides valuable insights into the effects of snoozing. However, it also has limitations that must be considered. Notably, the second study only included habitual snoozers, meaning the results may not be applicable to individuals who do not usually snooze. Research on such individuals might yield different outcomes. Additionally, the study exclusively used a 30-minute snooze duration, suggesting that shorter or longer snoozing periods could have varying effects.</p>
<p>&;It is a rather small study and we only focus on one morning of snoozing,&; Sundelin said. &;I would be interesting to look at snoozing (vs not snoozing) over time and also to focus on different types of snoozing – different durations and intervals etc.&;</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14054">Is snoozing losing? Why intermittent morning alarms are used and how they affect sleep, cognition, cortisol, and mood</a>”, was authored by Tina Sundelin, Shane Landry, and John Axelsson.</p>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
How marital conversations might influence heart health
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/how-marital-conversations-might-influence-heart-health-214903

<p>In a new study published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-12683-001?doi=1"><em>Emotion</em></a>, researchers have found that the more negative emotion words that spouses use during marital conversations, the higher their cardiovascular reactivity. This discovery could have significant implications for understanding the interplay between emotional expression and physical health in close relationships.</p>
<p>Previous research has long established the importance of close relationships on our health and well-being. Romantic relationships, in particular, hold considerable sway over our emotional and physical health. Studies have shown that how couples navigate conflicts and express emotions during interactions can significantly impact their long-term relationship quality and health.</p>
<p>One area of specific interest has been cardiovascular reactivity – changes in heart rate and blood pressure during stressful interactions. This reactivity is a crucial predictor of long-term health outcomes, with heightened reactivity linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The latest study delves deeper into understanding this phenomenon, particularly focusing on how the language used during marital conflicts and positive interactions relates to cardiovascular reactivity.</p>
<p>&;Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide,&; said study co-author Claudia Haase, an associate professor at Northwestern University and director of the <a href="https://haaselab.sesp.northwestern.edu/people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life-Span Development Lab</a>. &;A long line of research has shown that people whose heart rates speed up more in response to stress or challenge are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular diseases down the road.&;</p>
<p>&;Researchers have long been interested in the words that couples use when they talk with each other. Words matter. We wondered whether the kinds of words couples use when talking with each other could tell us something about how their hearts would respond.&;</p>
<p>&;People often experience intense emotions when interacting or arguing with their spouse,&; added co-author Tabea Meier, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich. &;Marital interactions thus provide a great testing ground for this research question.&;</p>
<p>Conducted in a laboratory setting, the study involved 49 married couples from the greater Chicago area, representing diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. The choice of a diverse participant group was deliberate, aiming to provide a broader understanding of these dynamics across different sections of society.</p>
<p>In the lab, each couple engaged in two types of videotaped conversations – one involving a conflict and the other, a positive discussion. These conversations were preceded by a period where the couples relaxed and did not engage in any conversation, serving as a baseline for physiological measurements.</p>
<p>During these interactions, physiological measures, specifically the time interval between heartbeats (an indicator of cardiovascular reactivity), were recorded continuously for both spouses. Additionally, the conversations were transcribed, and the language used was analyzed. The focus was on quantifying the frequency and diversity of both negative and positive emotion words used by the spouses.</p>
<p>The findings were revealing and somewhat surprising. The study showed that the use of more negative emotion words, particularly those related to anger, was associated with higher cardiovascular reactivity. This effect was consistent regardless of the couple&;s socioeconomic status, the type of conversation (conflict or positive), and across both husbands and wives. Interestingly, the study found no significant association between the use of positive emotion words and cardiovascular reactivity.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;Partners who used more negative emotion words (especially anger words) in conversations with each other experienced greater increases in their heart rate,&; Meier told PsyPost. &;Our research adds to other research showing that the experience of emotions often comes with changes on different levels, including physiology and language. This opens the door for future research to better understand the mechanisms through which language and emotions are connected.&;</p>
<p>While the study is robust in its methodology and provides valuable insights, it&;s crucial to note some limitations. Firstly, the sample size, though diverse, was relatively small, which might limit the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, the study&;s design was cross-sectional, capturing data at a single point in time. This means that while a relationship between negative emotion word use and cardiovascular reactivity was observed, it does not necessarily imply causation. It&;s possible that increased cardiovascular reactivity could influence the language used during interactions, rather than the other way around.</p>
<p>In light of these findings, future research could look into the long-term health implications of emotion word use in close relationships. It would be valuable to explore whether certain ways of expressing emotions in words could contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases over time. Additionally, understanding the specific autonomic nervous system responses associated with different types of emotional expressions could provide deeper insights into the physiological processes at play.</p>
<p>&;While we find that the use of more negative emotion words relates to higher heart rate reactivity, it is clear that it is sometimes also important and beneficial to express how we are feeling,&; Meier noted. &;More research is needed to get a more nuanced picture on when and how emotion word use may signal risk factors for cardiovascular health. This will allow to perhaps find the right balance between expressing emotions and not become too overinvolved in negative emotions.&;</p>
<p>&;Words are only one part of the story when it comes to heart rate reactivity,&; Haase told PsyPost. &;And different words may matter for different couples. Clearly, this is an area where we need more research with couples from diverse backgrounds.&;</p>
<p>These findings are important as they highlight the potential health implications of how emotions are expressed in words during marital interactions. It seems that expressing negative emotions, especially anger, in words can have immediate physiological effects, potentially posing a risk for cardiovascular health. This is in line with the functionalist perspective on emotions, which posits that emotions manifest in various ways, including physiological responses and language use.</p>
<p>&;There is growing scientific evidence that language can provide a window into our inner lives,&; Haase said. &;Our study shows that language can also provide a window into our hearts.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001299">Feelings in Words: Emotion Word Use and Cardiovascular Reactivity in Marital Interactions</a>&;, was authored by Tabea Meier, Jacquelyn E. Stephens, and Claudia M. Haase.</p>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
First-of-its-kind study sheds light on the psychological impact of antisemitic conspiracy theories on Jewish people
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/first-of-its-kind-study-sheds-light-on-the-impact-of-antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-on-jewish-people-214897

<p>New research published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British Journal of Psychology</a></em> shows that Jewish individuals who believe antisemitic conspiracy theories are prevalent in society experience increased feelings of threat and a tendency to avoid those outside their group. This study, one of the first of its kind, sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of conspiracy theories on the groups they target.</p>
<p>While a significant amount of research has been done on why people believe in conspiracy theories, there has been little focus on how these theories affect the groups they target. Conspiracy theories can be harmful, often targeting specific groups with accusations of secret, malevolent actions. This new study aimed to understand the impact of such beliefs on Jewish individuals, a group frequently subjected to conspiracy theories.</p>
<p>&;We can’t fully appreciate how conspiracy theories divide society unless we consider how the targets of these beliefs are affected,&; explained study author <a href="https://www.danieljolley.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Jolley</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/DrDanielJolley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@DrDanielJolley</a>), an assistant professor in social psychology at the University of Nottingham. &;Whilst research exploring the consequences of those who subscribe to conspiracy theories is undoubtedly important, a notable oversight is the research examining the perspective of the targets of conspiracy theories. Our work therefore sought to explore how conspiracy theories about social groups can have significant negative effects on their members.&;</p>
<p>The first part of the study involved 250 Jewish participants, mostly from the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom. They were asked to estimate how popular they thought various Jewish conspiracy theories were among non-Jewish people. Following this, the participants rated their feelings of threat from these conspiracies and their level of anxiety about interacting with non-Jewish people. The study also measured their preference for avoiding contact with non-Jewish individuals.</p>
<p>The researchers found that participants who believed that conspiracy theories about Jewish people were more popular felt more threatened and showed a stronger preference for avoiding contact with non-Jewish people. However, there was no direct link between the perceived popularity of these conspiracy theories and personal anxiety when meeting non-Jewish people.</p>
<p>The second study took a different approach, using an experimental method with 210 Jewish participants from the United States. The participants were randomly exposed to manipulated information suggesting that either many or few non-Jewish people believed in Jewish conspiracy theories. The participants then rated their levels of intergroup threat, personal anxiety, and avoidance preferences similar to the first study.</p>
<p>Participants exposed to the scenario where many non-Jews believed in conspiracy theories reported higher levels of threat and perceived anger within their group. However, their personal anxiety and avoidance preferences didn’t show significant differences from those exposed to the scenario where few non-Jews believed in these theories. This reinforced the notion that the perceived prevalence of these theories among outsiders could influence internal group emotions, particularly a sense of threat and collective anger.</p>
<p>&;Our work focused on the impact of conspiracy theories about Jewish people on the emotions and behaviors of the Jewish community,&; Jolley told PsyPost. &;Our studies revealed that perceiving Jewish conspiracy theories as popular is linked with Jewish feeling threatened, angry and anxious. These conspiracy beliefs are also linked to Jewish people being more avoidant of non-Jewish people.&;</p>
<p>The third study, involving 209 American Jewish participants, built further on these findings. Participants were again exposed to manipulated scenarios indicating varying levels of belief in conspiracy theories among non-Jewish people. This time, the researchers also measured the participants&; willingness to take collective action in support of Jewish people and introduced an opportunity for participants to engage in a simulated online interaction with a non-Jewish person.</p>
<p>The participants who were led to believe that conspiracy theories were widely held showed greater willingness for collective action and were more likely to avoid interacting with a non-Jewish person in the behavioral task. This study provided a crucial link between perceptions, emotions, and actual behavior, demonstrating that the perceived popularity of conspiracy theories can lead to real-world avoidance of intergroup contact.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;One surprising aspect of our findings was the dual effect of perceived conspiracy popularity,&; Jolley said. &;On one hand, it increased group solidarity within the targeted community, fostering intentions to support fellow members. However, it also fueled a desire to avoid interactions with individuals outside the community. This nuanced perspective adds complexity to the understanding of the consequences of intergroup conspiracy theories, highlighting both positive and negative outcomes.&;</p>
<p>These studies collectively highlight a critical aspect of conspiracy theories – their impact on the targeted groups. The findings underscore that conspiracy theories are more than just a societal curiosity; they have tangible, adverse effects on those they target. They contribute to a sense of threat, emotional distress, and social avoidance within these groups, which can exacerbate social divides and perpetuate misunderstanding and prejudice.</p>
<p>&;Our work focused on the Jewish community,&; Jolley said. &;However, we believe that our findings are very unlikely to be isolated to Jewish people. Conspiracy theories target many different groups – from healthcare workers and scientists to entire social groups. The same impacts such as feeling threatened, angry, and anxious, and a desire to avoid others, are likely observed in a wide range of target groups.&;</p>
<p>&;We hope that our work acts as a catalyst for exploring the impact of perceived conspiracy popularity in other groups, and that such work can provide important insights that can used to support those who are targeted.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjop.12690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The impact of conspiracy beliefs on a targeted group: Perceived popularity of Jewish-targeted conspiracy beliefs elicits outgroup avoidant behaviours</a>&;, was authored by Daniel Jolley, Jenny L. Paterson, and Andrew McNeill.</p>
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DATE:
December 08, 2023 at 03:00AM
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TITLE:
Cómo ayudan los médicos israelíes a los niños rehenes a volver a casa
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2023/12/08/espanol/israel-rehenes-hamas-ninos.html

A una niña le dijeron que nadie la buscaba y que Israel había desaparecido. Una vez liberada, el personal médico que la atiende trata paso a paso de ganarse su confianza.
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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 07:51AM
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TITLE:
University of Pennsylvania Loses $100M Donation After House Testimony
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175733&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy93b3JsZC11cy1jYW5hZGEtNjc2NTU5MTDSATVodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY29tL25ld3Mvd29ybGQtdXMtY2FuYWRhLTY3NjU1OTEwLmFtcA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>A University of Pennsylvania donor has withdrawn a $100 million grant after a controversial appearance in Congress by the school's president. &quot;Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate [your university's] code of conduct or rules regarding bullying and harassment? Yes or no?&quot; New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik asked. The three university presidents said&mdash;in varying ways&mdash;that it depended on the context. The donor, Ross Stevens, said he...</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 03:00PM
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TITLE:
Sacred meaning in motion: How spiritual body movements affect our emotions, according to recent study
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/sacred-meaning-in-motion-how-spiritual-body-movements-affect-our-emotions-according-to-recent-study-214876

<p>The way we move our bodies and the sacred meanings we attach to these movements can significantly affect our emotions, according to new research published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/rel0000463"><em>Psychology of Religion and Spirituality</em></a>. This insight sheds new light on how simple actions, when imbued with sacred meaning, can enhance positive emotions and reduce negative feelings.</p>
<p>In various religious and spiritual practices, specific body movements and postures are integral parts. For example, the fluid motions in a Sufi&;s whirling or the disciplined postures in a yogi&;s practice are believed to be more than mere physical activities; they are seen as pathways to higher emotional and spiritual states.</p>
<p>Building on this age-old wisdom, recent psychological research has begun to explore how these physical movements might affect our mental state. Past studies have hinted at the potential of body movements to influence creativity, mood, and even our perception of social concepts like race. However, what was less understood was how the meaning we attach to these movements plays a role in this dynamic.</p>
<p>&;Body movements are common in many religious and spiritual settings. Research on embodiment often examines the type of body movements people do (for example, fluid vs. nonfluid body movements) and the way body movements impact cognition and emotion,&; said study author Paige A. Freeburg (<a href="https://twitter.com/paigeafreeburg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@paigeafreeburg</a>), the Lab Manager for the Laboratory on Social and Affective Neuroscience at Georgetown University.</p>
<p>&;I was interested in understanding not only the effects of the types of movements people do but also the effects of the meaning people give to body movements. To what extent do actual body movements themselves, the meaning behind body movements, and the interaction between body movements and their meaning shape cognition and emotion?&;</p>
<p>In the study, which was conducted at Sarah Schnitker&;s <a href="https://sites.baylor.edu/science-of-virtues/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Science of Virtues Lab</a> at Baylor University, the researchers recruited 422 participants through an online platform, ensuring a diverse representation in terms of gender, age, race, and religious affiliations. The study was designed to observe two primary variables: the fluidity of the participants&; movements and the sacredness of the meaning they ascribed to these movements.</p>
<p>Participants were divided into groups and asked to perform simple tasks: drawing six lines. Some were instructed to draw these lines with fluid motions, while others were guided to use nonfluid, more angular motions. In addition, half of the participants were asked to imbue these actions with sacred meaning — to connect the act of drawing with something spiritually significant to them, like &;God,&; &;humanity,&; or &;the universe.&; The others were asked to focus on more mundane aspects, like hand-eye coordination.</p>
<p>The researchers measured various emotional states of the participants, including positive and negative emotions, mood, and self-transcendent positive emotions, which include feelings like gratitude and compassion. They also assessed creativity and race conceptions (e.g., &;I believe physical features determine race&;), although these were not the study&;s primary focus.</p>
<p>The researchers found that participants who performed fluid movements experienced more positive emotions compared to those who made nonfluid movements. But, more interestingly, those who ascribed sacred meaning to their movements, regardless of their fluidity, reported even higher levels of positive and self-transcendent positive emotions. They also experienced fewer negative emotions.</p>
<p>&;We found that attributing sacred meaning to arm movements led to greater experiences of positive and self-transcendent positive emotions (and lower negative emotions),&; Freeburg told PsyPost. &;This study highlights the importance of taking into account not only the type of body movements people do but also the meaning people give to body movements.&;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;For the sacred meaning manipulation, there were no statistically significant differences in any affective or cognitive outcomes between participants who chose a theistic sacred term (e.g., &;God, &;a higher power&;) and participants who chose a nontheistic sacred term (e.g., &;humanity,&; &;the universe&;),&; she noted. &;It didn’t matter what participants found to be sacred; as long as something meaningful to them was associated with the arm movements, positive emotions were elicited. This is a step forward in acknowledging a wide range of religious and spiritual experiences in research.&;</p>
<p>On the flip side, the study didn&;t find significant effects of movement fluidity or sacredness on cognitive outcomes like creativity and race conceptions. This was contrary to what some previous research suggested, highlighting that the relationship between body movements and cognitive processes might not be as straightforward as once thought.</p>
<p>&;Contrary to previous research, we did not find that fluid arm movements led to more fluid thinking,&; Freeburg said. &;This could be because we a) had a larger sample size than previous research, b) used online participants instead of college students, and c) varied our methodology from previous research.&;</p>
<p>Interestingly, these effects on emotions were somewhat influenced by the perceived difficulty of the drawing task. Nonfluid movements were rated as more difficult than fluid ones, and when this difficulty was taken into account, the impact of fluid movements on positive emotions and mood diminished.</p>
<p>There are some caveats to consider in interpreting these findings. First, the study&;s movements were limited to arm movements and drawing lines, which are relatively small and simple actions. It&;s unclear if more complex or whole-body movements would yield similar results. Additionally, the study&;s design, while innovative, focused on short-term interactions. The long-term effects of these types of embodied actions in religious and spiritual settings remain unexplored.</p>
<p>Looking to the future, the researchers suggest that further studies should explore a wider variety of movements and contexts, including larger and more holistic body movements that are common in many religious and spiritual practices. It would also be beneficial to examine the long-term effects of these movements and to expand the research to include a more diverse range of participants and settings.</p>
<p>&;The sample is primarily White, female, and non-Hispanic,&; Freeburg said. &;Furthermore, the body movements were small and limited to the arm, so any effects were likely short-lived. Future research should investigate the effects of movements that involve more of the body (e.g., dancing) and thus may be more potent and long-lasting.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-44659-001">Meaning Behind the Movement: Attributing Sacred Meaning to Fluid and Nonfluid Arm Movements Increases Self-Transcendent Positive Emotions and Buffers the Effects of Nonfluidity on Positive Emotions</a>&;, was authored by Paige A. Freeburg, Patty Van Cappellen, Juliette L. Ratchford, and Sarah A. Schnitker.</p>
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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 11:14AM
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TITLE:
How to manage sexualized transference
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URL:
https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/how-to-manage-sexualized-transference/

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

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

<p>A longitudinal study revealed that children (4-11 years of age) who spent a lot of time with a pet dog or cat they were highly attached to had lower risk of anxiety or other mental health disorders as adolescents (11-19 years of age). The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03636-0"><em>BMC Pediatrics</em></a>.</p>
<p>Anxiety disorders are a category of mental health conditions characterized by persistent and excessive worry, fear, or apprehension that goes beyond normal stress and can significantly impact daily functioning. Individuals suffering from these disorders often experience heightened and prolonged states of physiological arousal, with increased heart rate, muscle tension, and restlessness. Common types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.</p>
<p>Anxiety disorders often start developing during late childhood. Statistics indicate that 1 in 3 U.S. teens suffer from an anxiety disorder. Children and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders often also suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression, or other mental health disorders. Early treatment of childhood anxiety can be very effective, but only about a half of children suffering from mental health disorders receive treatment. That is why scientists are very interested in identifying risk factors for anxiety and other mental health disorders.</p>
<p>Recent studies have linked pet ownership, particularly of dogs, with lower anxiety scores in preschool and school children. Study author Anne Gadomski and her colleagues wanted to explore the links between attachment to pets in childhood and adolescent mental health. They sought to examine whether time spent interacting with dogs and cats in childhood is associated with mental health in adulthood.</p>
<p>These authors merged data from their previous study of children 4-11 years of age with electronic medical records of these individuals 8 years later. They were able to do this for 629 participants of the initial study. The medical records contained, among other things, data on common adolescent mental health diagnoses (anxiety, depression, ADHD) up to late October 2021.</p>
<p>The study authors also reached out to these individuals to gather information on their continued interactions with pets and to evaluate mental health symptoms. Participants completed various assessments, including the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders for anxiety, the Adverse Child Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) for stress, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) for depression, the Companion Animal Bonding Scale to measure attachment to pets, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.</p>
<p>The results showed that 58% of the participants owned a pet dog during their childhood, at the onset of the earlier study. Since then, approximately 30% of these children were diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Among these, 52% were diagnosed with anxiety, 32% with ADHD, 11% with depression, and 5% had multiple diagnoses. Diagnoses of mental health disorders, excluding anxiety and those requiring psychotropic medications, were less common among participants who had pet dogs.</p>
<p>The total amount of time a child spent with a pet dog or cat between the first study and this follow-up (cumulative exposure) correlated with a reduced risk of developing an anxiety disorder or any mental health diagnosis. The only exception was for diagnoses requiring psychotropic medications, where this association did not apply. Exposure to the pet to which the child was most attached during the 8 years between the two studies was associated with a 43% reduced risk of anxiety and a 36% lower risk of other mental health diagnoses.</p>
<p>“Cumulative exposure to a highly attached pet dog or cat during childhood is associated with reduced risk of adolescent mental health disorders. Although the underlying mechanism for this association is unknown, this study adds to the growing evidence supporting the potential benefits of companion animal interaction for youth socioemotional development. This study also underscores the need to measure and account for the level of child or youth pet attachment and duration of exposure, rather than simply studying the pet ownership,&; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on the links between human-animal interactions in childhood and mental health. However, it also has limitations that need to be taken into account. Notably, the study design does not allow any cause-and-effect inferences to be made. Additionally, the follow-up data collection was conducted during the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic which may have limited the ability of some participants of the initial study to participate in this follow-up, potentially creating self-selection bias.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The paper, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03636-0">“Impact of pet dog or cat exposure during childhood on mental illness during adolescence: a cohort study</a>”, was authored by Anne Gadomski, Melissa B. Scribani, Nancy Tallman, Nicole Krupa, Paul Jenkins, and Lawrence S. Wissow.</p>
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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 06:45AM
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TITLE:
A Good Night's Sleep May Help Control Blood Sugar
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-good-nights-sleep-may-help-control-blood-sugar/

<p>Brain waves during sleep influence glucose and insulin, offering new insights into controlling diabetes</p>
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DATE:
December 07, 2023 at 05:02AM
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TITLE:
Is This Social Work or Social Indoctrination?
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/opinion/social-work-columbia-ideology.html

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

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment/" rel="tag" target="_blank">BBC News - Science and Environment</a></p>Urgent action is needed to avoid the most damaging consequences of climate change, but it's not all doom and gloom at the U.N. climate summit meeting this week in Dubai, called COP28. Delegates from around the world are discussing several concrete ways to limit warming. So, what are some of these &quot;solutions,&quot; and how are they progressing? This article discusses five specific ways forward.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 12:29AM
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TITLE:
Alphabet Unveils Long-Awaited Gemini Artificial Intelligence Model
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175678&url=https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-12-06/alphabet-unveils-long-awaited-gemini-ai-model

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Alphabet on Wednesday introduced its most advanced artificial intelligence model, a technology capable of crunching different forms of information such as video, audio, and text. Called Gemini, the Google owner's highly anticipated AI model is capable of more sophisticated reasoning and understanding information with a greater degree of nuance than Google's prior technology, the company said.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 01:00PM
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TITLE:
New insight into social anxiety: How emotional context alters face perception
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-insight-into-social-anxiety-how-emotional-context-alters-face-perception-214881

<p>A recent study conducted by researchers in China has provided new insights into how individuals with social anxiety interpret facial expressions differently depending on the emotional context. The study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14455"><em>Psychophysiology</em></a>, indicates that people with social anxiety disorder process facial expressions in a unique way, particularly in negative contexts.</p>
<p>Facial expressions are our windows into the emotional states of others and play a pivotal role in our social interactions. Previous research has consistently shown that individuals with social anxiety disorder, a condition characterized by intense fear and avoidance of social situations, exhibit unique patterns in processing facial expressions. They often display an attentional bias, meaning they tend to focus more on threatening or negative information.</p>
<p>However, most of these studies primarily focused on the facial features themselves, not taking into account the broader context in which these expressions occur. Given that our real-world experiences are rich with various contextual cues – from the words we hear to the environments we find ourselves in – understanding how these factors influence facial expression processing is crucial, especially for individuals with social anxiety.</p>
<p>&;In the current era dominated by heightened anxiety, social anxiety stands out as a pervasive mental health concern, surpassing even depression and addiction in prevalence. With social anxiety disorder representing a profound fear or anxiety in situations where one may be scrutinized by others, it emerges as one of the most prevalent psychological disorders,&; said study author <a href="http://www.ischool.sdnu.edu.cn/info/1322/6375.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sutao Song</a> of the School of Information Science and Engineering at Shandong Normal University.</p>
<p>&;Against this backdrop, my interest in investigating the event-related alpha power in the early stages of facial expression processing stems from a desire to unravel the neurobiological underpinnings of social anxiety, shedding light on its nuanced interplay with language context. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of a prevalent and impactful mental health issue in our increasingly complex social landscape.&;</p>
<p>The study recruited 62 healthy university students from Shandong Province, China. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Based on a specialized anxiety scale and a depression inventory, the students were divided into two groups: a social anxiety group and a healthy control group. The division was based on their scores, ensuring that none of the participants had severe depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>The stimuli used in the study were meticulously selected. Facial expressions were chosen from the Chinese Affective Picture System, encompassing angry, happy, and neutral expressions. In addition to these visual stimuli, sentences with either a positive or negative valence were designed to provide an emotional context. Each sentence was crafted to be self-relevant, meaning they were likely to resonate personally with the participants.</p>
<p>In the experimental setup, participants were first shown these sentences and then the facial expressions. They were asked to rate the faces in terms of emotional arousal (how emotionally stirred they felt) and valence (the positivity or negativity of the emotion). The experiment was divided into several trials, with each trial presenting different combinations of emotional contexts and facial expressions.</p>
<p>Electroencephalography (EEG), a method to record electrical activity in the brain, was used to monitor the participants&; brain responses during the experiment. This EEG data was later analyzed to study the occipital alpha power – a brainwave activity associated with emotional and cognitive processes.</p>
<p>In terms of emotional arousal, participants rated facial expressions in negative contexts as more arousing than those in positive contexts. This was particularly true for angry and happy expressions compared to neutral ones.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>In terms of valence – or the positivity or negativity perceived in the expressions – both the context and the type of expression had a significant impact. Angry and neutral expressions in negative contexts were perceived as more negative, whereas happy expressions in positive contexts were seen as more positive.</p>
<p>One of the key findings was related to the occipital alpha power in the brain. The social anxiety group exhibited lower occipital alpha power in response to angry faces in negative contexts and neutral faces in positive contexts compared to the healthy control group.</p>
<p>This suggests that the emotional context in which a facial expression is seen can significantly influence how individuals with social anxiety process these expressions, particularly at an early stage. Those with social anxiety might be more emotionally involved and sensitive to the context in which they see a face.</p>
<p>&;From our study, the key takeaway for the average person lies in the critical role of accurate emotional interpretation in social interactions,&; Song told PsyPost. &;Our study underscores the intricate interplay between social anxiety, language context, and the early stages of facial expression processing.</p>
<p>&;The research reveals distinct patterns in event-related alpha power among individuals with social anxiety, particularly in response to negative contextual cues paired with angry facial expressions and positive contexts paired with neutral expressions. These findings emphasize the critical role of accurate emotional interpretation in social interactions and highlight the nuanced influence of language context on the early-stage mechanisms contributing to social anxiety.&;</p>
<p>While the study offers valuable insights, it&;s important to recognize its limitations. The participants were all university students from a specific region in China, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Additionally, the study used static images of facial expressions. Real-life interactions often involve dynamic and changing expressions, which may yield different results.</p>
<p>Future research in this area could benefit from a more diverse participant pool and the use of dynamic facial expressions. It would also be interesting to explore how these findings translate across different cultures, given the role that cultural norms and practices can play in emotional processing and social anxiety.</p>
<p>&;Be aware of the reliability of neurological indicators about social anxiety,&; Song said. &;Future research should explore more neural indicators for social anxiety and delve deeper into identifying effective interventions for significant improvements in individuals with social anxiety. Addressing these aspects will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the condition and facilitate the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/psyp.14455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Event-related alpha power in early stage of facial expression processing in social anxiety: Influence of language context</a>&;, was authored by Sutao Song, Aixin Liu, Zeyuan Gao, Xiaodong Tian, Lingkai Zhu, Haiqing Shang, Shihao Gao, Mingxian Zhang, Shimeng Zhao, Guanlai Xiao,Yuanjie Zheng, and Ruiyang Ge.</p>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 10:12AM
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TITLE:
2023 Is Officially the Hottest Year Ever Recorded, With No End in Sight
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175665&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNic25ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvMjAyMy1ob3R0ZXN0LXllYXItZXZlci1yZWNvcmRlZC1zY2llbnRpc3RzLXRlbXBlcmF0dXJlcy_SAQA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>It's official&mdash;2023 will be the hottest year ever recorded. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced the milestone after analyzing data showing the warmest November ever. From January through November, global average temperatures were 1.46 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, putting the world dangerously close to the 1.5 degrees global warming threshold that scientists have warned about for years.</div><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><br /><a href="https://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?action=rssHomepage" target="_blank"><img title="Brought to you by Social Psychology Network" alt="Brought to you by SocialPsychology Network" src="https://www.socialpsychology.org/images/rss-footer-large.png" border="0" width="400" height="45" /></a><br><br>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
New study reveals promising effects of psilocybin in treating severe depression in bipolar II disorder patients
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-study-reveals-promising-effects-of-psilocybin-in-treating-severe-depression-in-bipolar-ii-disorder-patients-214877

<p>A single dose of psilocybin, when combined with supportive psychotherapy, might help to significantly reduce depression symptoms in individuals with bipolar II disorder, according to new research published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4685"><em>JAMA Network Open</em></a>. This reduction in depression was both substantial and sustained over a 12-week period.</p>
<p>Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, is best known for its use in certain types of mushrooms, often referred to as &;magic mushrooms.&; In recent years, psilocybin has gained attention in the medical community for its potential therapeutic benefits, especially in treating various mental health conditions.</p>
<p>Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy involves administering psilocybin in a controlled setting, under the guidance of trained therapists. This approach is believed to facilitate deeper psychological insights and emotional processing, which can lead to significant improvements in mental health conditions like depression.</p>
<p>Previous studies have shown promising results for psilocybin in treating major depressive disorder. However, its effects on bipolar II disorder—a condition marked by recurring episodes of depression and hypomania—remained unexplored. Given the limited treatment options and the severity of depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder, researchers were motivated to investigate whether psilocybin could offer a new, effective treatment pathway.</p>
<p>The study involved 15 participants, aged 18 to 65, diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. These individuals had not responded adequately to at least two prior pharmacologic treatments for their current depressive episode. The trial, conducted over 12 weeks, involved a single 25-milligram dose of synthetic psilocybin administered under controlled conditions at the Sheppard Pratt Health System.</p>
<p>Prior to the dosing, participants underwent a period of preparation that included stopping other antidepressants and mood stabilizers and engaging in sessions with a trained therapist to build rapport and prepare for the psilocybin experience. On the day of dosing, the participants spent 8 to 9 hours in a specially designed, calming environment under the supervision of a therapist and assistant. Following the dosing, participants attended follow-up sessions for integration and assessment.</p>
<p>The study&;s primary finding was a significant reduction in depression severity, measured using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Three weeks after psilocybin administration, participants showed a remarkable 76.3% reduction in depression symptoms from their baseline levels. This improvement remained consistent throughout the 12-week study period.</p>
<p>In terms of secondary outcomes, there were significant reductions in self-reported depression symptoms, and quality of life scores improved notably. No significant changes were observed in mania symptoms or suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the intensity of the psychedelic experience correlated with the degree of antidepressant effects, suggesting that a stronger psychedelic experience might predict a better clinical outcome.</p>
<p>The safety of the treatment was a critical aspect of the study. Notably, no significant adverse events were linked to the psilocybin dosing, with only minor events like headaches reported in a few participants. Importantly, there were no instances of increased mania, psychosis, or suicidal behavior, which are potential concerns in treatments involving psychedelics, especially in individuals with mood disorders.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.psypost.org/2023/01/scientists-are-beginning-to-unravel-the-effects-of-psilocybin-mushrooms-on-bipolar-disorder-65142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a prior study</a> using self-reported survey data, it was observed that although most individuals with bipolar disorder felt that their recreational experiences with psilocybin were beneficial for their mental well-being, about one-third (32.2%) reported adverse effects. These included the emergence or worsening of manic symptoms, and in some cases, the need for emergency medical attention. This contrast in findings suggests that the outcomes of psilocybin use might vary significantly between controlled, therapeutic settings and unguided use.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;Individuals in this study displayed strong and persistent antidepressant effects, with no signal of worsening mood instability or increased suicidality,&; the researchers wrote. However, they cautioned that &;as a first open-label foray into this underserved and treatment-resistant population, care should be taken not to overinterpret the findings.&;</p>
<p>While the results are promising, the study&;s design and scope come with several limitations. Being an open-label study without a control group, it&;s hard to definitively attribute the improvements solely to psilocybin, as factors like the placebo effect or the intensive therapeutic support could have contributed.</p>
<p>The small sample size and the short duration of follow-up limit the ability to generalize these findings to a larger population or understand the long-term effects. Additionally, the study only included patients in a depressive phase of bipolar II disorder, so the results cannot be applied to those in a hypomanic or mixed phase.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, the researchers suggest conducting randomized controlled trials with larger groups and longer follow-up periods to confirm these findings. It’s also crucial to investigate whether psilocybin treatment could impact the risk of substance use disorders, a concern in the bipolar population. While these initial results are encouraging, much more research is needed before psilocybin could become a mainstream treatment option for bipolar II disorder.</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4685">Single-Dose Synthetic Psilocybin With Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Type II Major Depressive Episodes: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial</a>&;, was authored by Scott T. Aaronson, Andrew van der Vaart, Tammy Miller, Jeffrey LaPratt, Kimberly Swartz,Audrey Shoultz, Margo Lauterbach, Harold A. Sackeim, and Trisha Suppes.</p>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
A video game might be effective in reducing fear of needles in children
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/a-video-game-might-be-effective-in-reducing-fear-of-needles-in-children-214879

<p>A new study investigated the effects of a mobile game called &;Dr. Zoo&; in reducing the fear of injection needles in children between 3 and 6 years of age. The findings revealed that children who played &;Dr. Zoo&; – a game where they give shots to cartoon animals – for five days before a medical appointment involving an injection, showed a significant reduction in their fear. The study was published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/42025"><em>JMIR Serious Games</em></a>.</p>
<p>Fear of needles, known as needle phobia or trypanophobia, is a common and understandable issue in many children. Studies indicate that approximately 19% of children between 4 and 6 years of age have fear of needles and injections. The fear of needles arises in anticipation of pain and discomfort associated with injections. Children may develop this fear from previous negative experiences, witnessing others&; reactions, or simply from a lack of understanding about the purpose and importance of vaccinations or medical procedures.</p>
<p>If needle phobia remains unaddressed, it can persist into adulthood. Adults with this fear may avoid vaccinations and routine medical procedures such as blood tests, pain relief measures, or blood donations. In some cases, this fear can lead adults to delay or forgo critical medical treatments, posing serious risks to their health.</p>
<p>Traditional approaches to this problem were based on combinations of child-friendly techniques for administering shots, distractions, positive reinforcement, and offering choices. Recent studies have shown that virtual reality games that distract patients during the injection process could also be effective. For adults, cognitive behavioral therapies are generally highly effective in treating needle phobias.</p>
<p>Study author Pat Healy and his colleagues wanted to examine whether a video game in which a child aged between 3 and 6 years administers injections might change children’s perception of injection needles and reduce their fear. They also wanted to evaluate the ease of use and acceptability of such a game based on feedback from parents.</p>
<p>The researchers developed a 3D adventure game for mobile devices, named &;Dr. Zoo.&; Created using Unity for Android and iOS platforms, the game features a series of chapters where the player encounters an animal, engages in a minigame to resolve an issue the animal faces, and concludes by giving the animal an injection. The version used in the study comprised four chapters.</p>
<p>The study involved 36 children aged 3 to 6 years and 30 parents, including six parents with two children participating. The children, who all had upcoming medical appointments involving needles, had previously exhibited needle anxiety during similar medical treatments (as reported in the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised).</p>
<p>About two weeks before their scheduled medical appointments involving needles, researchers instructed parents on how to download &;Dr. Zoo&; onto their mobile devices. They were advised to have their children complete all four chapters of the game daily for at least five consecutive days before the medical appointment.</p>
<p>After each day&;s gameplay, parents evaluated their child’s fear level using the Children’s Fear Scale. The researchers also sent SMS reminders to parents, encouraging them to have their children play the game and complete the survey. Following the medical appointments, the researchers conducted exit interviews with parents, lasting between 10 and 30 minutes, to gather their views on the game&;s impact and suggestions for its future development.</p>
<p>The results indicated that parents perceived a significant reduction in their children’s fear of needles during needle-related activities after participating in the study, compared to their recollections of past experiences. They also noted a decrease in their children’s distress during needle-involved activities. However, there was no difference in the initial and final fear scale ratings.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Qualitative findings showed that 26 out of 35 children experienced reduced needle fear or physical reactions at the time of their medical appointments. The extent of this reduction varied, with some parents reporting a significant improvement in their children&;s fear of needles after playing &;Dr. Zoo,&; although some children still exhibited fear during the actual injection.</p>
<p>“Overall, Dr. Zoo demonstrated strong acceptability, ease of use, and potential preliminary effectiveness in this pilot feasibility study. Parent participants provided insightful feedback on the facilitators of and barriers to use, which will be helpful in the future development of the game,&; the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>This study highlights the potential of using video games to reduce needle fear in children. However, it&;s important to note that this was not an experimental study, and the assessments of changes in children’s fear were reported by parents post-study without comparison to previous measurements. Moreover, parents were fully aware of the study&;s aims and the researchers’ expectations. Thus, a study with more rigorous measurement procedures and better control of confounding factors might yield different results.</p>
<p>The paper “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/42025">An Exposure-Based Video Game (Dr. Zoo) to Reduce Needle Phobia in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years: Development and Mixed Methods Pilot Study</a>” was authored by Pat Healy, Celine Lu, Jennifer S Silk, Oliver Lindhiem, Reagan Harper, Abhishek Viswanathan, and Dmitriy Babichenko.</p>
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DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
Scientists revisit Solomon Asch’s classic conformity experiments — and are stunned by the results
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/skeptical-scientists-revisit-solomon-aschs-classic-conformity-experiments-and-are-stunned-by-the-results-214872

<p>In a compelling revival of a classic social psychology experiment, a new study has found that group pressure significantly influences individual decisions, not just in simple tasks but also in expressing political opinions. This modern replication and extension of Solomon Asch&;s famed experiments of the 1950s provides new insights into human behavior. The findings appear in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294325"><em>PLOS One</em></a>.</p>
<p>Over 70 years ago, Solomon Asch conducted a series of groundbreaking experiments that fundamentally changed our understanding of conformity. Asch&;s experiment was straightforward but powerful. He invited individuals to participate in a group task where they had to match line lengths.</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to the main participant, the rest of the group were confederates — people in on the experiment. These confederates gave deliberately wrong answers to see if the participant would conform to the group&;s incorrect consensus or trust their own judgment. Astonishingly, Asch found that a significant number of people chose to conform to the obviously wrong group decision rather than rely on their own perceptions.</p>
<p>Fast forward to the present, and researchers at the University of Bern decided to revisit and expand upon Asch&;s seminal work. Their motivation was twofold. Firstly, they wanted to see if Asch&;s findings, primarily conducted with American students, still held true in a different cultural and temporal context. Secondly, they were curious to explore the impact of monetary incentives on decisions and how this dynamic plays out in more complex decision-making areas like political opinions.</p>
<p>&;The study of Solomon Asch is a classic study that has attracted a lot of attention for a long time in the social sciences,&; explained study authors <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Axel-Franzen">Axel Franzen</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sebastian-Mader-4">Sebastian Mader</a>, a professor and a postdoctoral researcher, respectively, at the university&;s <a href="https://www.soz.unibe.ch/">Institute of Sociology</a>. &;The Asch experiment is part of the class &;classical studies of empirical social research&; which we teach regularly at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Since the results of Asch look very impressive we were often wondering whether they still hold today or whether it is a phenomenon of the United States during the 1950s.</p>
<p>&;There was also a lot of discussion about replicability in psychology and in the social sciences in general. Hence, we decided that it might be a good idea to conduct a replication of Asch. Moreover, we were sitting in our home offices during the COVID-19 pandemic observing many governments and many people thinking and doing the same thing. This inspired us to investigate conformity.</p>
<p>The researchers designed a three-part experiment involving 210 participants, mainly students from the University of Bern. The first part replicated Asch&;s line length judgment task, with a twist. In addition to the original format (now the non-incentivized group), they introduced a group where correct answers were monetarily rewarded (the incentivized group).</p>
<p>In the second part, participants were presented with political statements and asked to express their agreement or disagreement, again in the presence of confederates who had predetermined responses. The final part involved an online questionnaire designed to measure various traits, including the Big Five personality dimensions, self-esteem, intelligence, and the need for social approval.</p>
<p>The study&;s findings were striking in their similarity to Asch&;s original results. In the non-incentivized group, the average error rate in the line judgment task was 33%, closely mirroring Asch&;s findings. However, in the incentivized group, the error rate dropped to 25%. This suggests that while financial rewards can reduce the impact of group pressure, they do not eliminate it.</p>
<p>&;When we started the study, we could not imagine to be able to replicate the original findings as close as it turned out,&; Franzen and Mader told PsyPost. &;We thought Asch’s findings were overstated. We also believed that providing incentives for correct answers would wipe out the conformity effect. Both did not happen. The replication turned out to be very close to the original results and providing monetary incentives did not eliminate the effect of social pressure.&;</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>In terms of political opinions, the experiment revealed that group pressure significantly influenced participants&; responses to political statements. An average conformity rate of 38% was observed. This extension of Asch&;s work into the realm of opinion demonstrates the broader applicability of his findings beyond simple perceptual tasks.</p>
<p>As for personality traits, the results indicated that openness was the only trait among the Big Five that had a significant correlation with conformity levels. Individuals who scored higher on the openness trait tended to conform less to the group&;s incorrect answers in the line judgment task. This suggests that people who are more open-minded and independent in their thinking are less likely to be swayed by the opinions or judgments of others, even when faced with the pressure of a unanimous group decision.</p>
<p>Other traits, including intelligence, self-esteem, and the need for social approval, showed no substantial impact on the tendency to conform.</p>
<p>Regarding what people should take away from the findings, the researchers remarked: &;Here we like to cite Mark Twain, &;Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.'&;</p>
<p>While the study offers valuable insights, it&;s important to note its limitations. Primarily, the participants were university students, which may not represent the broader population. Future research with more diverse demographics could provide a more comprehensive understanding of conformity across different social backgrounds and age groups.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study raises intriguing questions for further exploration. For instance, would the results hold in a group of friends or acquaintances rather than strangers? How might larger monetary incentives impact conformity? Would the findings be similar for more extreme or personally relevant political statements?</p>
<p>&;Our research leaves much room for further studies: For example, we also used a student sample,&; Franzen and Mader explained. &;Hence, it would be nice to demonstrate the power of conformity with non-student samples. Such an extension would also allow to study the effect of age, education, social class, and occupations on the susceptibility to conformity. Furthermore, our monetary incentives were small, giving rise to the question whether lager incentives further decrease the level of conformity. There are also other forms of incentives, e.g. social reputation, which are interesting to study further.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294325" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The power of social influence: A replication and extension of the Asch experiment</a>&;, was published November 29, 2023.</p>
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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 03:00AM
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TITLE:
Trastorno depresivo persistente: síntomas y tratamientos
.
URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2023/12/06/espanol/distimia-trastorno-depresivo-persistente.html

El trastorno depresivo persistente está infradiagnosticado y es probable que quienes lo padecen jamás hayan oído hablar de él.
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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 06, 2023 at 03:00AM
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TITLE:
Los traumas pasados se procesan como una vivencia presente, según un estudio
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URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/es/2023/12/06/espanol/recuerdos-ptsd-cerebro-trauma.html

Unas imágenes cerebrales mostraron que los recuerdos traumáticos se alojan en una zona del cerebro distinta a la aloja otras memorias. Esto podría explicar su naturaleza tan vívida e intrusiva.
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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 10:37AM
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TITLE:
COVID-19 Strains May Have Emerged in Response to Human Behavior
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175632&url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231121175327.htm

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">Science Daily - Top Society</a></p>Researchers used a simulator that incorporates AI technology to uncover the survival strategy of the coronavirus in response to human behavioral changes such as staying home and isolating infected people. They found that certain human behaviors were closely related to the emergence of mutant strains. The results suggest that humans and viruses have unique effects on each other, and that human behavior may be a driving force of virus evolution.</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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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 10:39AM
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TITLE:
Brain Implants Help People Recover After Severe Head Injury
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175644&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiMmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5hdHVyZS5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZXMvZDQxNTg2LTAyMy0wMjgzMy130gEA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>Deep brain stimulation has improved cognition in people with traumatic brain injuries, a small clinical trial has found. The trial data, published in Nature Medicine on December 4, show that five participants with brain implants had a 15&ndash;52% gain in cognitive processing speed. &quot;For some participants, the improvements have been transformative, even many years after the injury,&quot; says study co-author Jaimie Henderson, a Stanford University...</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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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 10:37AM
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TITLE:
U.S. College Presidents Testify Before Congress on Campus Antisemitism
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175639&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNubi5jb20vMjAyMy8xMi8wNS9wb2xpdGljcy9oYXJ2YXJkLXBlbm4tbWl0LWFudGlzZW1pdGlzbS1jb25ncmVzcy9pbmRleC5odG1s0gEA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>The presidents of Harvard University, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania faced questions from Congress Tuesday about their responses to alleged incidents of antisemitism on their campuses in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. While Republican leaders of the committee said the focus of the hearing was on addressing antisemitism, the college leaders also said they are seeing a rise in Islamophobia and are working to combat those acts of hate...</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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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 10:37AM
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TITLE:
How Oil Firms Talk About Climate Change—and How to Decode It
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175631&url=https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5wci5vcmcvMjAyMy8xMi8wNS8xMjE1NDk5Nzc4L2NvcDI4LXVhZS1jbGltYXRlLXRhbGtzLW9pbC1leHhvbi1tb2JpbC1jaGV2cm9uLWNsaW1hdGUtY2hhbmdlLW5ldC16ZXJvLXVuYWJhdGVk0gEA?oc=5

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://news.google.com/?ned=us&topic=m" rel="tag" target="_blank">Google News - Health</a></p>This year's U.N. climate conference, known as COP28, is taking place in the United Arab Emirates&mdash;a major oil and gas producing country that's looking to increase its oil production. And the oil industry has a big platform at the talks, including a pavilion for the oil cartel OPEC, to the dismay of many climate activists. So what are oil producers saying in their pledges and statements about climate change? And what does it actually mean?</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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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 10:28AM
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TITLE:
Record Number of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists Attend Climate Summit
.
URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175629&url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cop28-climate-conference-fossil-fuel-lobbyists_n_656e6855e4b07b937ff5c85e

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/impact/green" rel="tag" target="_blank">Huff Post Environment </a></p>Nearly 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists are attending the COP28 climate summit in Dubai&mdash;a record number that's nearly four times the industry's presence at last year's meeting. That's according to an analysis from Kick Big Polluters Out, a coalition of groups that advocates for ridding the annual climate talks of fossil fuel industry influence. The coalition reviewed a list of COP28 participants and identified at least 2,456 attendees with ties to...</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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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 08:41PM
.
TITLE:
Israeli Doctors Help Child Hostages Return Home
.
URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/world/middleeast/israel-hostages-children-doctors.html

One child was told that no one was looking for her and that Israel was gone.
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Psychology News Robot
DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 08:28PM
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TITLE:
An Israeli Medical Center Helps Child Hostages Return Home
.
URL:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/world/middleeast/can-i-walk-outside-of-the-room-a-medical-center-helps-child-hostages-return-home.html

One child was told that no one was looking for her and that Israel was gone.
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DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 06:30PM
.
TITLE:
A breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment? Promising results from new brain stimulation study
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/a-breakthrough-in-alzheimers-treatment-promising-results-from-new-brain-stimulation-study-214867

<p>A recent 6-week, randomized, controlled, double-blind study has found that a non-invasive brain stimulation technique can notably improve cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer&;s disease. This finding, published in <em><a href="https://gpsych.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">General Psychiatry</a></em>, opens new avenues for managing a condition that currently has limited treatment options.</p>
<p>Transcranial direct current stimulation, often abbreviated as tDCS, is a form of brain stimulation that is painless and non-invasive. It involves using a device that sends a low-intensity electrical current through the brain. This current is believed to change the way brain cells function, potentially improving cognitive abilities. Unlike some other forms of brain stimulation, tDCS does not require surgery and is generally considered safe, with minimal side effects.</p>
<p>Alzheimer&;s disease, a progressive brain disorder, severely affects memory and thinking skills, diminishing the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Current treatments mostly involve drugs, but they offer limited effectiveness and pose a risk of side effects, especially in older adults with other health issues.</p>
<p>Previous research has suggested that brain stimulation techniques like tDCS might improve cognitive abilities not only in healthy individuals but also in those with mental health conditions. This led the team of researchers from Zhejiang, China, to explore the potential of tDCS for Alzheimer&;s patients, particularly given the need for more effective and less invasive treatment options.</p>
<p>The study was conducted over a span of two and a half years and involved 140 participants, who were recruited from Ningbo Kanging Hospital, the Second People&;s Hospital of Lishui, Taizhou Second People’s Hospital, and Yu Yao Third People’s Hospital between January 2020 and July 2022. The participants, all diagnosed with Alzheimer&;s disease, were divided into two groups. One group received active brain stimulation, while the other, the control group, received a sham treatment – a simulation of the actual treatment but without any therapeutic effect.</p>
<p>The treatment involved placing sponge electrodes on specific areas of the head and delivering a 20-minute session of stimulation twice daily. The electrical currents were directed to the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for complex functions including planning, decision-making, working memory, regulating social behaviors, and overseeing certain elements of speech and language.</p>
<p>This routine was followed five days a week for six continuous weeks, totaling 30 sessions. The participants were unaware of whether they were receiving the actual tDCS treatment or the sham.</p>
<p>Out of the total sample, 133 patients successfully finished the 2-week intervention, and 124 completed the 6-week intervention. While there were various reasons for participants dropping out, discomfort was not cited as a reason for withdrawal by anyone.</p>
<p>After six weeks of treatment, the group that received the actual brain stimulation showed significant improvements in various cognitive functions compared to the baseline measurements taken at the study&;s onset. These improvements were not observed in the group that received the sham treatment.</p>
<p>In more detail, the improvements in the treatment group were notable in areas such as memory recall, understanding instructions, and recognizing words. Additionally, an assessment called the Mini-Mental State Examination, which is a standard tool used to measure cognitive impairment, showed notable improvements in the treatment group.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>Interestingly, the study also measured a concept known as motor evoked potential, which is a measure of neural plasticity, which refers to the brain&;s capacity to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. After six weeks, the treatment group showed enhanced neural plasticity, indicating a potential link between the stimulation and improved brain function.</p>
<p>While the results are promising, there are several limitations to the study. Firstly, the sample size, though considerable, was still limited. More extensive studies are needed to confirm these findings. Secondly, the study did not include neuroimaging, like MRI scans, which could provide more insights into how brain stimulation affects brain networks. Thirdly, the study lacked a long-term follow-up, which is necessary to understand the duration of the treatment’s effectiveness. Future research will likely focus on these areas, potentially integrating more comprehensive neuroimaging and biological markers to deepen our understanding of brain stimulation&;s role in treating Alzheimer&;s.</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2023-101166" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Impact of twice-a- day transcranial direct current stimulation intervention on cognitive function and motor cortex plasticity in patients with Alzheimer’s disease</a>&;, was authored by Xingxing Li, Lei Chen, Kunqiang Yu, Wenhao Zhuang, Hui Zhu, Wenqiang Xu, Hui Yan, Gangqiao Qi, Dongsheng Zhou, and Shaochang Wu.</p>
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DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
New study sheds light on the psychological complexities of adult webcam viewers
.
URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/new-study-sheds-light-on-the-psychological-complexities-of-adult-webcam-viewers-214861

<p>Researchers have uncovered intriguing new insights into the habits, preferences, and perceptions of adult webcam platform viewers. Their findings, published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2284349"><em>The Journal of Sex Research</em></a>, suggest that these viewers not only seek sexual gratification but also emotional connection.</p>
<p>The landscape of adult entertainment has dramatically evolved with the advent of the internet. Recently, adult webcam platforms have risen to prominence, offering a more interactive and personalized experience than traditional adult content. Past studies have primarily focused on traditional forms of adult content, leaving a gap in understanding these newer, interactive digital spaces.</p>
<p>&;With online and offline worlds blending in everyday life on a global scale, commercial sex in general and the sociocultural construct of “sex work” in particular have now firmly expanded into the digital sphere,&; said study author <a href="https://sexandlifecoaching.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xtine Milrod</a>, an independent sexologist with a hybrid practice encompassing research, sex therapy and psychotherapy/</p>
<p>&;I am also interested in under-researched populations; even with studies of webcam activities, the main focus has been on the performers and not the users. Since our research (together with Martin Monto, PhD) is generally focused on people who purchase sexual experiences, it was a logical evolution to investigate those who buy and enjoy those experiences primarily on line and not just away from screen.&;</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers conducted a comprehensive survey on Chaturbate.com, a leading site in this domain. Over 10,570 adults, active viewers on the platform, were recruited to participate in the study. To be eligible, participants had to be over 18, understand English, and willingly provide informed consent.</p>
<p>The survey featured 93 questions designed to capture a wide range of information about viewer habits, preferences, and perceptions. This survey included questions about sexual partners, frequency of site visits, and types of activities enjoyed on the platform. To ensure the authenticity of responses and weed out potential bots, the team set specific criteria, such as the time taken to complete the survey and the consistency of responses.</p>
<p>A striking 94.2% of respondents were men, with over half being single. This demographic predominance is significant in understanding the user base of these platforms. Interestingly, a significant number (40.3%) reported no sexual partners in the past year. Over half of the respondents had been using the platform for over three years, indicating a long-term engagement with these sites. Additionally, more than half of the respondents visited Chaturbate at least once per day, indicating a high frequency of use.</p>
<p>Manual masturbation by performers was the most preferred activity among respondents, with 78.2% favoring it. The use of sex toys by performers was the second most popular activity (72.1%). Viewer-controlled sex toys (53.0%) and watching two women together (52.0%) were also among the top activities, followed by fellatio (48.1%).</p>
<p>Interestingly, penile-vaginal intercourse, a common staple in traditional pornography, was not among the top five activities preferred, suggesting that webcam platform users might be seeking different experiences than those typically depicted in conventional adult content.</p>
<p>A significant portion of respondents (66.0%) felt that their experiences on adult webcam sites made them more educated about sex and more than half of the viewers (54.6%) reported that watching cams made them feel better about their sex lives. However, a substantial number (25.2%) felt worse about their sex lives after using these platforms.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The majority of users (72.2%) found watching cams less satisfying than in-person sex, indicating that while webcam platforms offer certain advantages, they do not fully replace the physical and emotional connection found in real-life sexual encounters. Only 19.1% of respondents considered webcam interactions as “real sex,” suggesting a clear distinction in the minds of most users between digital sexual experiences and physical, real-world interactions.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, physical attractiveness was highly valued in performers, along with happiness, genuine orgasms, and enthusiasm for sexual activities. But the study also revealed that viewers sought more than just sexual gratification; emotional connection, responsiveness, and authenticity in performers were also highly valued. Most respondents reported that watching cams helped them feel calmer, indicating a potential stress-relief aspect of these platforms.</p>
<p>&;The conclusion of the study is that while enjoying sexual release via on screen partners, the majority of our users still consider sex away from screen a superior experience,&; Milrod told PsyPost. &;We are still human animals after all! On the other hand, you can work on expanding your sexual repertoire and explore personal preferences and fantasies as well as physical sensations while interacting with cam performers; in addition, for some, engaging with performers non-sexually can also provide some emotional benefits.&;</p>
<p>Sexual orientation also appeared to significantly impact the type of content preferred by viewers on adult webcam platforms. Gay or lesbian respondents showed a higher preference for watching activities like manual masturbation and fellatio. Bisexual respondents were more likely than their heterosexual or gay/lesbian counterparts to enjoy watching transgender women, gender play, and transgender men performers. In contrast, heterosexual respondents were less likely than other groups to report enjoying group sex involving more than three persons.</p>
<p>Bisexual and gay or lesbian respondents reported more positive impacts on their sex lives from watching cams compared to heterosexual respondents. This includes feeling better about their sex lives due to their webcam platform use. These groups were also less likely to report that watching cams made them feel worse about their sex lives. This suggests that for gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals, webcam platforms might play a more affirming and positive role in their sexual well-being.</p>
<p>&;I was surprised by the positive experiences of bisexual users in particular, and the various physical and mental benefits they drew from using cams,&; Milrod said.</p>
<p>While the study offers a comprehensive look into the habits of adult webcam platform users, it comes with certain limitations. The length and depth of the survey might have deterred some users from completing it, potentially skewing the results toward more engaged users. The findings open avenues for future research, especially in understanding the sexual behaviors and experiences of viewers in relation to their overall well-being.</p>
<p>&;Erotic webcam use is limited in terms of replacing an emotional relationship away from screen,&; Milrod added. &;Most of our users are clearly aware of the limitations; however, a minority of users can find themselves dependent on the interactions with cam performers, or even limiting themselves to this particular form of sexual release. We need to address the mechanisms and possible sequence of how this dependence might occur.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2023.2284349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Is Sex Cam Use a Substitute for “Real Sex?” Attitudes and Experiences of Consumers Using Adult Cam Platforms</a>&;, was published November 30, 2023.</p>
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DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Preschoolers categorize people according to body shape rather than race
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/preschoolers-categorize-people-according-to-body-shape-rather-than-race-214865

<p>New research has found that preschool children primarily categorize individuals based on their weight or body shape, rather than race or skin color. Additionally, these children use weight or body shape, rather than race, to infer internal characteristics (imaginary substances within the body, in this context) of people depicted in drawings. The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13454"><em>Developmental Science</em></a>.</p>
<p>Preschool children categorize objects by relying on concrete and observable characteristics, such as color, shape, size, and texture. Their early classification abilities are driven by perceptual features that are easily distinguishable in their environment. For instance, they might group items based on shared attributes like all red objects or things with wheels. They rely on tangible qualities of objects rather than abstract concepts.</p>
<p>Scientists have identified a tendency in preschoolers to categorize objects based on prominent perceptual features, termed &;shape bias.&; While shape bias has been extensively studied in relation to objects, it was unclear whether children apply the same categorization to people. Studies indicate that children attribute more negative characteristics to overweight individuals compared to those of average or thin build. They are also less inclined to choose overweight individuals as representations of strong positive abilities. This bias is evident even in very young children.</p>
<p>Study authors Rebecca Peretz-Lange and Melissa M. Kibbe wanted to examine preschoolers’ shape bias once again and explore whether it extends to the social domain i.e., to categorizing people. They wanted to know whether children would label objects and people based on their weight/body shape rather than their race. They hypothesized that this effect would intensify with age. To explore this, they conducted two studies.</p>
<p>The first study involved 50 children aged four and five, including 28 girls. Researchers interacted with the children and their caregivers via Zoom. In a typical trial, a researcher would show a picture of a dog and identify it as such. Then, they would present pictures of a frog, a dog, and a parrot, each with a different color underline, and ask the child to identify the other dog. Similar trials followed with a cat.</p>
<p>After these trials, the children were tasked with matching a human drawing to other drawings of the same human but with varying body shapes or different skin colors. The researchers also included variations in gender. The aim was to determine whether children would match humans based on skin color (race) or body shape. For example, the researcher would refer to a figure as a &;Zarpie&; – a fabricated category – and ask, “Who else is a Zarpie?” Another set of tasks examined whether children would match objects based on gender or body weight/shape.</p>
<p>The second study aimed to explore how children extend novel internal properties to people based on their body shape versus their race. It involved 20 children, aged four and five. The trials resembled those in the first study, but instead of categorizing drawings into the same group (e.g., &;Who else is a Zarpie?&;), children were asked to identify individuals with the same fictional internal property (e.g., &;Flurp in their blood, Zarpie inside her body, Gazzer in the brain&;&;).</p>
<p>Results of the first study showed that, as expected, children match drawing of objects primarily based on shape (i.e. select objects with the same shape as matches for the target object). When matching drawings of humans, children overwhelmingly chose the drawing of the same person with the same body shape (but different skin color) over drawings of people of different weight (i.e., body shape). In other words, body shape was much more important for them than skin color.</p>
<p>The results of the second study corroborated the first: children more frequently matched based on body weight/shape rather than skin color, and they chose gender and weight as matching criteria with equal frequency.</p>
<p>“We found that children’s shape biases extend into the social domain. Our results suggest that early shape biases support a view of shape as a highly meaningful and informative characteristic of people, not only of objects,&; the study authors concluded.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study sheds light on the perception processes of preschool children. However, it should be noted that the study inferences were based on categorizations of drawings, not of real people. A study examining how children categorize real people with all their complexities might not yield equal results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13454">Shape bias” goes social: Children categorize people by weight rather than race</a>”, was authored by Rebecca Peretz-Lange and Melissa M. Kibbe.</p>
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DATE:
December 05, 2023 at 07:00AM
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TITLE:
Groundbreaking study pinpoints Trump’s role in surge of negativity in U.S. political discourse
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/groundbreaking-study-pinpoints-trumps-role-in-surge-of-negativity-in-u-s-political-discourse-214860

<p>In a significant shift from previous trends, recent research has uncovered a sharp rise in negative language use by politicians in the United States, particularly aligning with Donald Trump&;s entry into the political scene in 2015. The new study is unprecedented in its comprehensive analysis of millions of quotes from politicians over 12 years, using advanced linguistic tools to assess the escalation of negative language.</p>
<p>The findings, published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36839-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientific Reports</a></em>, provide evidence that this shift towards negativity has persisted beyond election campaigns, indicating a lasting change in the tone of political conversation in the United States.</p>
<p>In recent years, many Americans have felt that the language of politics has grown increasingly negative. This perception has been especially prominent since Trump&;s foray into the political arena. Previous studies have suggested growing political polarization and negativity, but until now, concrete evidence showing the evolution of political language over time was lacking. This gap in knowledge spurred researchers to investigate whether the perceived negativity aligns with actual changes in political discourse.</p>
<p>&;In 2016, when Trump was elected president, everyone had the impression that the tone of politics had become rougher, uglier, and more negative,&; said study author Robert West, an assistant professor and head of the <a href="https://dlab.epfl.ch/">Data Science Lab</a> at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne.</p>
<p>&;As data scientists, we were curious to see whether people&;s hunch was right. But we didn&;t have data for it yet, since there was no public corpus of news quotations linked to the people who had uttered them. So we went on a four-year journey to compile such a corpus, <a href="https://quotebank.dlab.tools/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quotebank</a>, and by the time we were done collecting the data, Trump&;s term was done, too. So by the time we could analyze the tone of politics, we had Obama&;s as well as Trump&;s presidencies to study.&;</p>
<p>Quotebank comprises nearly a quarter-billion quotes extracted from over 127 million online news articles spanning 12 years, from September 2008 to April 2020. To focus specifically on U.S. politics, the researchers extracted 24 million quotes from 18,627 politicians, ensuring a comprehensive and representative sample for the current study.</p>
<p>To objectively measure the tone of political language over time, the research team employed a tool called the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), which analyzes text for various psychological and emotional content. Each quote was scored based on the percentage of words reflecting negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, and sadness, as well as the use of swear words. The researchers then averaged these scores monthly, creating a timeline of political language tone over 12 years.</p>
<p>The researchers found a substantial spike in the use of negative language starting in June 2015, aligning with the beginning of Donald Trump’s primary campaign. This wasn’t just a small uptick; the frequency of negative emotion words surged by 1.6 standard deviations, an 8% increase from the pre-campaign average. The increase wasn’t limited to general negativity but spanned across specific categories like anger, anxiety, sadness, and swear words.</p>
<p>Interestingly, while there was a significant jump in negative language in 2015, the study also found that the overall tone of political language had actually been decreasing in negativity during Barack Obama&;s presidency before this point. This suggests a notable shift in the political climate with Trump&;s entry into politics.</p>
<p>One of the most revealing aspects of the study was the influence of prominent speakers, particularly Donald Trump, on this trend. When Trump&;s quotes were removed from the analysis, the jump in negative language in June 2015 dropped by 40%, indicating his significant impact. However, the increase in negativity was not solely due to Trump. The trend persisted even when his quotes were excluded, indicating a broader shift in the political landscape. The negative tone persisted throughout Trump’s term, indicating a lasting change in the political discourse.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;People&;s hunch is true: during Trump&;s presidency, the tone of U.S. politics became significantly more negative, and it happened as a sudden jump at the time when Trump&;s primary campaign started,&; West told PsyPost.</p>
<p>Additionally, the researchers found systematic differences in the use of negative language based on party affiliation and the party’s role at the federal level. Notably, the increase in negative language from June 2015 onwards was more pronounced among Republican politicians compared to their Democrat counterparts.</p>
<p>While the findings are robust, the study is not without its limitations. One key consideration is the role of media in shaping the dataset. Since the quotes were sourced from online news articles, it&;s possible that the observed increase in negativity could be influenced by the media’s reporting preferences or biases. Additionally, the study focused on digital news sources, which might not fully represent the wider media landscape, including traditional news outlets and television.</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36839-1">United States politicians’ tone became more negative with 2016 primary campaigns</a>&;, was authored by Jonathan Külz, Andreas Spitz, Ahmad Abu-Akel, Stephan Günnemann, and Robert West.</p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 05:30PM
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TITLE:
See the Brain Like Never Before in This Gorgeous Art
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-the-brain-like-never-before-in-this-gorgeous-art/

<p>The complexity of the brain comes to life in the annual Art of Neuroscience competition</p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 03:03PM
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TITLE:
From the President: Recent decisions regarding ACA’s governance and leadership
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URL:
https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/from-the-president-recent-decisions-regarding-acas-governance-and-leadership/

<p>ACA President Edil Torres Rivera provides an update on ACA leadership and the recent decision to reorganize the Governing Council.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://ct.counseling.org/2023/12/from-the-president-recent-decisions-regarding-acas-governance-and-leadership/">From the President: Recent decisions regarding ACA’s governance and leadership </a> appeared first on <a href="https://ct.counseling.org">Counseling Today</a>.</p>

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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 12:52AM
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TITLE:
Lacking Counselors, U.S. Schools Turn to the Business of Online Therapy
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175572&url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/lacking-counselors-us-schools-turn-booming-business-online-105336788

<div><p>Source: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health" rel="tag" target="_blank">ABC News - Health</a></p>At least 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy sessions to millions of students, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. In those districts alone, schools have signed provider contracts worth more than $70 million. This trend reflects a booming new business born from America's youth mental health crisis, which has proven so lucrative that venture capitalists are now funding school teletherapy...</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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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 12:52AM
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TITLE:
How Climate Change Is Making the World Sick
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URL:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/client/redirect.php?from=rss_feed&id=175574&url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-12-03/explainer-how-climate-change-is-making-the-world-sick

<div><p>Source: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/" rel="tag" target="_blank">U.S. News and World Report</a></p>Heat stress. Lung damage from wildfire smoke. The spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes into new regions as temperatures rise. These are just a few ways that public health is harmed by climate change, a focus for the first time ever at the annual U.N. climate summit. From 2030, experts expect that just four of these threats&mdash;malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress&mdash;will add 250,000 global deaths per year, according to the World Health...</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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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 12:00PM
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TITLE:
Instability in sleep patterns linked to cognitive decline in older adults
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/instability-in-sleep-patterns-linked-to-cognitive-decline-in-older-adults-214843

<p>New research provides evidence that heightened variability in sleep patterns, rather than just average sleep duration, is significantly associated with cognitive impairment in older adults. The findings, which have been published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46006"><em>JAMA Network Open</em></a>, suggest that a more comprehensive evaluation of longitudinal sleep behavior might be necessary to understand the relationships among age, sleep disruption, and cognitive impairment.</p>
<p>There is a well-established association between sleep disruption and dementia. Up to 90% of patients with dementia experience disrupted sleep before the emergence of cardinal disease symptoms. Recent studies suggest that sleep disruption might not just be a consequence of dementia but could also contribute to the pathological processes underlying dementia.</p>
<p>However, previous studies on the link between sleep disruption and dementia often relied on simple, usually cross-sectional, measures of sleep. The new study aimed to provide a more comprehensive understanding by evaluating longitudinal sleep patterns. In particular, the researchers were interested in how changes in sleep patterns over time might influence cognitive health.</p>
<p>&;Our lab studies a new function of sleep that has been characterized over the last ten years – that during sleep the brain shifts into a kind of &;cleaning mode,&; clearing away wastes that accumulate through the course of the waking day,&; explained study author <a href="https://www.ilifflab.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Iliff</a>, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and of neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the associate director for research at the VISN20 Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare system.</p>
<p>&;Our work has shown that an impairment of this process appears to be one of the factors that may make the aging and injured brain vulnerable to the processes leading to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. So when our group relocated to the University of Washington in Seattle about 5 years ago, we wanted to start working with local clinical studies to evaluate possible linkages between poor sleep earlier in life, and the development of cognitive impairment in the decades to follow. That is what led us to our initial collaboration with the longstanding Seattle Longitudinal Study.&;</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers analyzed data from 826 participants, all part of the <a href="https://sls.psychiatry.uw.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Seattle Longitudinal Study</a>. These participants, whose average age was 76.3 years, had been regularly completing a Health Behavior Questionnaire and undergoing neuropsychological testing for several years.</p>
<p>To gauge the sleep patterns of participants, the study used a questionnaire assessing their average nightly sleep duration over the past week. This questionnaire was repeated at intervals of 3 to 5 years over a period from 1993 to 2012. The researchers then categorized the participants&; sleep into three categories: short (less than 7 hours), medium (7 hours), and long (more than 7 hours). By having multiple years of data, the researchers could also observe changes in each participant&;s sleep duration over time.</p>
<p>Additionally, the participants&; cognitive health was monitored through a series of neuropsychological tests conducted every 5 to 7 years between 1997 and 2019. These tests were designed to identify signs of cognitive impairment, focusing on general cognitive function and specific areas like memory, attention, and language skills. Participants who scored below certain thresholds on these tests were classified as cognitively impaired.</p>
<p>The researchers found that older participants generally reported longer sleep durations. Interestingly, the distribution of sleep duration categories varied significantly with age, with a higher percentage of older adults being long sleepers.</p>
<p>However, the key discovery was the relationship between sleep variability and cognitive health. The researchers found that variability in self-reported sleep duration – the changes and fluctuations in sleep patterns over time – was a more noticeable feature than consistent increases or decreases in sleep duration.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>When examining the likelihood of cognitive impairment, being a short sleeper and experiencing high sleep variability were both significantly associated with increased risk. This suggests that it&;s not just the amount of sleep one gets that matters, but also the consistency of sleep patterns over the years.</p>
<p>&;We were not surprised to see that short sleep durations were associated with cognitive impairment – this is something that has been reported by several prior studies,&; Iliff told PsyPost. &;We expected though that people whose sleep got shorter over time would be at an increased risk of cognitive decline. But we didn’t see this.&;</p>
<p>&;It seems to be variability, rather than steady changes in sleep, that are connected with cognitive impairment. It may be gradual changes may matter less than the kinds of things that might go along with big changes in sleep duration – injury, illness, changes in marital status, depression – things that might be reading out in the lives of people as dramatic changes in sleep behavior.&;</p>
<p>These findings align with some previous studies that have linked short sleep duration with a higher risk of cognitive impairment. They also bring to light the importance of sleep variability as a factor in cognitive health, an aspect that has not been extensively explored before.</p>
<p>&;Your sleep matters, which is something we all understand intuitively,&; Iliff explained. &;But these findings, and others like them that have begun to emerge the last several years, suggest that the sleep that we get earlier in life – like in midlife – may be having an important impact our cognitive trajectories over the ensuing decades. So just like exercise and diet, paying attention to sleep may be important for maintaining cognitive function in the years to come.&;</p>
<p>While the study offers significant insights, it&;s important to understand its limitations. One key point is that the study relied on self-reported data for sleep duration. This means that the information about sleep patterns was based on participants&; own assessments, which can be inaccurate.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, future studies might benefit from including objective measures of sleep, such as sleep tracking devices, to complement self-reported data. Additionally, exploring the impact of clinical sleep disorders on sleep variability and cognitive health could provide a more comprehensive understanding of these complex relationships.</p>
<p>&;The idea of &;variability&; in sleep isn’t well understood,&; Iliff said. &;In this study, sleep was assessed every few years for a couple of decades. We don’t know if variability over the course of days, weeks, months, years, or decades matter the most for cognitive function long-term. That is something that we and others will need to try to understand better in the future.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46006">Longitudinal Sleep Patterns and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults</a>&;, was authored by Samantha A. Keil, Abigail G. Schindler, Marie X.Wang, Juan Piantino, Lisa C. Silbert, Jonathan E. Elliott, Madeleine L.Werhane, Ronald G. Thomas, Sherry Willis, Miranda M. Lim, and Jeffrey J. Iliff.</p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 11:00AM
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TITLE:
Scientists map the diverse effects of ketamine on the brain’s entire dopaminergic system
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/scientists-map-the-diverse-effects-of-ketamine-on-the-brains-entire-dopaminergic-system-214834

<p>In a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113491"><em>Cell Reports</em></a>, scientists have mapped how chronic exposure to ketamine, a drug commonly used for anesthesia and increasingly for treating depression, impacts the dopamine system in the brains of mice.</p>
<p>The findings provide evidence of significant structural plasticity in the brain&;s dopaminergic system in response to chronic ketamine exposure. In other words, the study shows that repeated use of ketamine can lead to major changes in the areas of the brain that deal with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a pivotal role in mood, motivation, and reward systems.</p>
<p>But why focus on ketamine?</p>
<p>Ketamine, known for over 50 years as a dissociative anesthetic, has gained attention in recent times for its fast-acting antidepressant properties. However, its antidepressant effect is short-lived, which often necessitates continuous or long-term treatment. This extended use raises concerns about potential side effects. Given ketamine&;s broad clinical significance and the risk associated with its long-term use, especially at higher doses, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the drug&;s impact on the brain.</p>
<p>&;Our primary motivation was to better understand whether and how long-term drug use alters the neural circuits in the brain. In this study, we focused on the impact of ketamine across the entire brain,&; said study author <a href="https://tomerlab.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raju Tomer</a>, an associate professor of biological science at Columbia University.</p>
<p>&;Ketamine has been used as a dissociative anesthetic for over 50 years and has found applications in various clinical contexts, including as a transformative antidepressant. However, the antidepressant effect of ketamine is transient, lasting only about a week, thus necessitating long-term maintenance treatment. This continuous usage poses significant risks for side effects. Therefore, we aimed to develop whole-brain mapping techniques to comprehensively and objectively assess how varying doses of ketamine affect the brain at a subcellular level and to understand the potential underlying molecular mechanisms.&;</p>
<p>The study involved experimentation with male mice, specifically bred for this type of research. The mice were 8-10 weeks old and were subjected to varying doses of ketamine or a saline control for different durations (1, 5, and 10 days). The ketamine doses used were 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and 100 milligrams per kilogram, mimicking both therapeutic and high-dose recreational use.</p>
<p>The researchers employed sophisticated brain-clearing and staining techniques, which allowed them to visualize and analyze neurons in the entire brain with high resolution. They used a light-sheet microscopy method, a cutting-edge technology that provides detailed 3D images of brain tissue. The data analysis involved processing large datasets (around 100 Terabytes), which required the development of specialized software for accurate and comprehensive analysis.</p>
<p>By focusing on the entire dopaminergic system in mice and examining the drug&;s effects on neuron populations and their projections, the study aimed to provide a comprehensive view of ketamine&;s diverse effects on brain function and structure.</p>
<p>After 10 days of exposure, the brains of mice treated with lower doses of ketamine showed an increase in the number of dopamine-related neurons in certain areas of the hypothalamus. This part of the brain plays a key role in regulating many vital processes, including mood, hunger, and sleep. In contrast, higher doses of ketamine led to a decrease in neuron numbers in specific midbrain regions. These areas are associated with controlling behavioral states, indicating that higher ketamine doses could significantly impact these brain functions.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>The study also revealed that chronic ketamine exposure altered the patterns of neuronal projections &; the paths neurons use to communicate across different brain areas. Notably, there was an increase in the density of these projections in areas related to higher-order cognitive functions, such as the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in decision-making and social behavior.</p>
<p>Conversely, regions involved in processing auditory and spatial information displayed a decrease in neuronal projections. This finding suggests that ketamine could rewire the brain&;s communication pathways, potentially leading to changes in how information is processed and integrated.</p>
<p>&;The restructuring of the brain’s dopamine system that we see after repeated ketamine use may be linked to cognitive behavioral changes over time,&; explained co-author Malika Datta.</p>
<p>Another significant discovery was the involvement of untranslated messenger RNA (mRNA) in the brain&;s response to ketamine. In neurons, untranslated mRNA is a form of genetic information not immediately used for protein production. The researchers found that these untranslated mRNAs play a role in the brain&;s adaptability to chronic ketamine exposure.</p>
<p>Specifically, they provide a reserve that can be rapidly utilized to modulate the number of dopamine-producing neurons in response to the drug. This mechanism indicates a complex layer of regulation within the brain that allows it to adapt quickly to external stimuli, like drug exposure.</p>
<p>The comprehensive analysis provided a detailed view of how ketamine alters the brain&;s structure on a wide scale. The increase in neuron counts in some hypothalamic areas and the decrease in midbrain regions highlight a divergent effect of ketamine, affecting different brain regions in opposite ways. This divergence suggests that ketamine&;s impact on the brain is highly complex and region-specific.</p>
<p>&;Prolonged use of ketamine can profoundly reshape the brain&;s neural circuitry,&; Tomer told PsyPost. &;This study also shows that drugs can affect similar types of cells in different ways across various brain regions, highlighting the need for targeted delivery methods.&;</p>
<p>These findings have significant implications for our understanding of brain function and the treatment of brain disorders. By showing how a psychoactive substance like ketamine can induce widespread changes in the brain, this research contributes to the understanding of the neural underpinnings of mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia. It also underscores the importance of considering the dosage and long-term use when using drugs like ketamine therapeutically.</p>
<p>&;Ketamine rapidly resolves depression in many patients with treatment resistant depression, and it is being investigated for longer term use to prevent the relapse of depression,&; said co-author Bradley Miller, a Columbia psychiatrist and neuroscientist. &;This study reveals how ketamine rewires the brain with repeated use. This is an essential step for developing targeted treatments that effectively treat depression without some of the unwanted side effects of ketamine.&;</p>
<p>While the study shows changes in dopamine-related brain regions, it&;s important to remember that these regions also contain neurons involved in producing other neurotransmitters. Therefore, the observed changes might not be exclusively related to dopamine.</p>
<p>&;This study specifically investigated the impact of ketamine on the brain&;s dopamine systems,&; Tomer explained. &;Future research is needed to explore its effects on other systems in the brain. Additionally, further detailed investigation into the specific neural and molecular mechanisms that enable structural remodeling and associated behavioral changes is necessary.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113491">Whole-brain mapping reveals the divergent impact of ketamine on the dopamine system</a>&;, was authored by Malika S. Datta, Yannan Chen, Shradha Chauhan, Jing Zhang, Estanislao Daniel De La Cruz, Cheng Gong, and Raju Tomer.</p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 10:00AM
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TITLE:
The science behind drug-induced time warps
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/the-science-behind-drug-induced-time-warps-214857

<p>Imagine a world where you could control your sense of time. Where trips to the dentist flew by in a second and holidays felt like they lasted forever. Time altering pills may sound like science fiction but the time warping effects of psychoactive drugs suggest that deliberate time manipulation may be possible.</p>
<p>Drug induced time-warps are a widely reported phenomenon <a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0939-5911/a000761?journalCode=suc">by recreational drug users</a>. My 2022 study suggested that over 75% of people who had recently used cocaine, MDMA (also known as ecstasy) and cannabis reported distortions to the passage of time during drug use. The participants said the distortions were a pleasurable aspect of drug use.</p>
<p><a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0939-5911/a000761?journalCode=suc">Studies show that cocaine and MDMA </a>(ecstasy) speed up our perception of time. Despite being able to party for longer after cocaine and MDMA, users may feel like their night was over faster because time flew by more quickly.</p>
<p>Cannabis, on the other hand, often leads to a sensation of time expanding. Minutes can feel like hours and evenings seem to last forever. Other drugs can scramble our sense of time completely.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/888639/">Psychedelics</a> such as LSD, DMT and mescaline produce a sense of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16714323/">timelessness</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36453756/">Prescription drugs</a> can also distort time too. <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2020.160108">Pregabalin</a>, a drug used to treat epilepsy and anxiety, and anti-anxiety drug Xanax, both slow<br />
the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210361/">passage of time</a>.</p>
<h2>So why do drugs warp time?</h2>
<p>Drugs have powerful effects on the way in which the brain processes the world around us.</p>
<p>They cause changes in chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters. Drugs associated with increases in the passage of time are stimulants, which cause increased activity and excitation across the areas of the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=RCrVDgAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PT326&amp;dq=info:EvvCoZIp7oQJ:scholar.google.com&amp;ots=oZ0N4d05eM&amp;sig=aw8K4u6zEvoh7I7ldosDw4uZsvE&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=fals">brain associated with cognitive function</a>. The ones associated with a slowing of the passage of time are depressants, which cause <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-cns-depressants#:%7E:text=Prescription%20CNS%20depressants%20act%20on,blood%20pressure%2C%20and%20slowed%20breathing">decreases in activity across these areas </a> of the brain.</p>
<p>Drugs also affect <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=RCrVDgAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PT326&amp;dq=info:EvvCoZIp7oQJ:scholar.google.com&amp;ots=oZ0N4d05eM&amp;sig=aw8K4u6zEvoh7I7ldosDw4uZsvE&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">behaviour and emotions</a>, both of which can <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-021-01486-6">twist our experience of time</a>. Drugs such as cocaine and MDMA can have powerful effects on mood, inducing feelings of happiness and euphoria.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691815000220?casa_token=RQCo9mLED8UAAAAA:XX1IZW7t9gvABtILE8wzZrqzxewsPHm8Np7lqSE8GhJ0e3SdpTXI9MmozzNfaO4Sk3qFPqA">Studies show</a> that during daily life, time passes more quickly during periods of positive mood and more slowly during dips in state of mind. This happens because some of the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-023-09588-1">brain areas</a> thought to be involved in timing are also responsible for emotion processing.</p>
<p>When these areas have to process emotion and time at the same time, distortions can happen. The high evoked by drug use may itself be a cause of drug induced distortions to time.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>What you do while taking drugs will contribute to the sensation that time is bending. Immersing yourself in exciting activities, such as socialising with friends and dancing in clubs, draws our attention away from time. When you pay too much attention to time, for example when bored, time passes slowly.</p>
<h2>The aftermath</h2>
<p>What goes up must eventually come down. The neurochemical, emotional and cognitive effects of comedowns create the perfect environment for time to drag. For example, the high a person may feel while taking MDMA is caused by a massive release of a neurochemical (serotonin/5HT), and the three to five days after this are marked by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001448862100296X">low levels of serotonin </a> while the brain replenishes.</p>
<p>These neurochemical changes also contribute to feelings of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19803632/">irritability, anxiety and depression</a>. The combination of exhaustion and low mood means that much of the recovery period is spent wondering “when will this end”, which also exaggerates the slowing of time.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0939-5911/a000761?journalCode=suc">studies</a> comparing people who have never taken drugs, with those who have taken cocaine, MDMA or cannabis in the last six months suggest there are no differences in their experiences of time when they are sober and have recovered from the come down.</p>
<h2>Intertwined with human history and nature</h2>
<p>The effects of drugs on our experience of time are primeval. Ayahuasca ceremonies, for example, are ancient spiritual rituals conducted by shamans or healers in South America. They involve drinking a liquid brewed from leaves from the <em>Psychotria viridis</em> shrub and stalks of the <em>Banisteriopsis caapi</em> vine.</p>
<p>The brew causes changes in the state of consciousness, resulting in hallucinations and <a href="https://logoilibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Copy-of-The-Antipodes-of-the-Mind-Charting-the-Phenomenology-of-the-Ayahuasca-Experience.pdf">a significant change in the flow of time</a>.</p>
<p>Nowadays, ayahuasca ceremonies attract tourists from across the world seeking to experience altered states of consciousness and spirituality. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7307892/#B33">Ayahuasca induced time-warps</a>, in which time stops still, expands, or even disappears, remain a prominent feature of the experience.</p>
<p>Even animals are vulnerable to drug-induced time distortions. Rats are surprisingly good at judging time. They can be trained to press buttons at specific points in time in exchange for food. However, their ability to do this can be disrupted by drugs.</p>
<p>Giving rats <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305706002395?casa_token=jBPU1MZTy3sAAAAA:IqV_cMIn8z8exZMNeVkDkG6if47Y8C7AbhVMv1iTj2MtryvpaR5B8GAEL-MVG0GeA-2O4aA">cocaine</a> or <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2002-02197-012">methamphetamine</a> appears to speed up their representation of time, making them press the button earlier than they should.</p>
<p>Although drug-induced time warps are a side effect of recreational drug use, they demonstrate it is possible to recalibrate time in predictable ways. If scientists could harness the time-altering properties of recreational drugs, perhaps we could control our perception of time, instead of letting it control us.<!-- 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/209695/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>&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/how-drugs-can-warp-your-sense-of-time-209695">original article</a>.</em></p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 09:00AM
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TITLE:
Playing a mobile game for 60 minutes is enough to alter attentional network functions, study finds
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URL:
https://www.psypost.org/2023/12/playing-a-mobile-game-for-60-minutes-is-enough-to-alter-attentional-network-functions-study-finds-214853

<p>Playing a mobile video game for just an hour can significantly improve attentional alertness in young adults, according to new research published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.16409" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PeerJ</a>. This finding adds a new perspective to the ongoing debate about the impact of video games on cognition.</p>
<p>Video games have long been a subject of interest in cognitive research, primarily due to their widespread popularity. With over a third of the world&;s population engaged in gaming, understanding its impact on the brain has become increasingly important.</p>
<p>Prior research has demonstrated various cognitive benefits associated with video gaming, such as improved visual attention, memory, and processing speed. Particularly, action video games have been shown to positively affect cognitive functions. However, much of this research focused on long-term gaming habits, leaving a gap in understanding the effects of short, sporadic gaming sessions that are more common in daily life.</p>
<p>&;Mobile devices enable people to engage in gaming during brief intervals in their daily lives. It has come to our attention that college students frequently play mobile video games during class breaks, asserting an enhanced sense of concentration following these short gaming sessions,&; explained the three authors of the study, Biye Wang, Jiahui Jiang, and Wei Guo.</p>
<p>&;Although several studies have addressed the long-term training effects of action video games on cognitive function, there is limited information in the literature regarding the effects of a single bout of a video game play on attention, despite the widespread engagement of a substantial populace in brief, sporadic bouts of mobile video game. Therefore, we undertook this experiment to ascertain this prevalent phenomenon.&;</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers recruited 72 undergraduate students from Yangzhou University, ensuring they met specific criteria: they played video games for no more than two hours per week in the past six months, were right-handed, had normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and had no history of brain injuries or psychiatric or neurological disorders.</p>
<p>The students were then split into two groups. One group played a multiplayer online battle arena game called &;Honor of Kings&; for 60 minutes, while the other played a mobile card game, &;Happy Poker,&; for the same duration. &;Honor of Kings&; was chosen for its demands on the player&;s attention, requiring quick decision-making and focus on multiple elements simultaneously.</p>
<p>Before and after the gaming session, participants&; attention abilities were measured using a tool called the Attention Network Test. This test assesses various aspects of attention, like how quickly and accurately a person can process information under different conditions.</p>
<p>The researchers found that students who played the action game showed a significant improvement in what&;s known as &;alerting network efficiency&; – a component of attention that relates to being prepared and maintaining a state of high sensitivity to incoming information. These improvements were not observed in the group that played the card game, suggesting that the type of game matters.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that even a short session of mobile action gaming can enhance certain aspects of cognitive function, particularly alertness. The study&;s authors propose that the demands of the strategy game – requiring players to constantly switch between broad surveillance and focused attention – might be responsible for this cognitive boost.</p><div class="addrop-wrap" data-id="64749"><p style="text-align: center;">
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<p>&;The most surprising thing is that it doesn&;t require long-term training, just a short session of mobile action video game is enough to alter attentional network functions,&; the researchers told PsyPost. &;Rather than passively consuming information through short videos on mobile phones during fragmented time intervals, why not engage in a short session of mobile action video games? This form of entertainment may not only provide leisure but also enhance attentional functions, at least according to findings from the present study.&;</p>
<p>However, the study found no notable changes in the other aspects of attention, such as orienting (the ability to quickly shift attention to different locations) and executive control (the ability to resolve conflicts between different responses).</p>
<p>While these findings are intriguing, the study has some limitations. First, the study only measured the immediate effects of a single gaming session. It doesn&;t tell us whether these cognitive benefits last over time or if they become more pronounced with regular play. Furthermore, the study doesn&;t delve into the underlying mechanisms of how gaming enhances attention. Is it the immersive nature of the games, the fast-paced decision-making, or something else entirely? These are questions future research needs to address.</p>
<p>&;The current study is limited in its ability to draw a conclusive inference regarding whether the observed improvement is &;game-related&; or &;generic,'&; said Wang, Jiang, and Guo. &;Further exploration is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the effects of playing a single bout of mobile video games on attentional network improvement.&;</p>
<p>The study, &;<a href="https://peerj.com/articles/16409/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Effects of a single bout of mobile action video game play on attentional networks</a>&;, was published November 10, 2023.</p>
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DATE:
December 04, 2023 at 08:00AM
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TITLE:
Is Too Little Play Hurting Our Kids?
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URL:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/is-too-little-play-hurting-our-kids/

<p>A long-term decline in unsupervised activity may be contributing to mental health declines in children and adolescents.</p>
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