Psychology news

• ‘Clearly, I have no rizz’: can a 60-year-old misanthrope polish up his pulling power?

  29-06-2024 11:00
  
  Love Islanders have it, daters want it and TikTok influencers will teach you how to get it – but rizz (a close cousin of charisma) is hard to fabricateAt the end of 2023, the Oxford University Press chose “rizz” as its word of the year. Rizz, which topped a shortlist that included “Swiftie”, “parasocial” and ‘“situationship”, is defined by the OUP as a noun denoting “style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romant
  
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• Extreme Weather Linked to Partner Violence Two Years Later, Study Finds

  04-10-2024 08:28 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top SocietyClimate change-related landslides, storms, and floods are associated with intimate partner violence against women two years after the event, according to a study published October 2 in the open-access journal PLOS Climate. The reason, say researchers, is that climate disasters reaffirm gender-based economic disparities. The study analyzed 363 national surveys from 156 countries between the years 1993 and 2019.
  
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• Mexico's First Woman President Proposes Plan for Gender Equality

  04-10-2024 08:27 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office this week as her country's first woman leader, announced reforms Thursday aimed at bolstering women's rights in a country with some of the world's highest levels of gender violence. Sheinbaum proposed reforms to articulate and broaden women's rights, including a constitutional guarantee of equal pay for equal work. In Mexico, women make 65 pesos for every 100 pesos a man earns.
  
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• Hurricane Helene Makes Landfall in the U.S. Presidential Race

  04-10-2024 08:27 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportThe devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene has brought climate change to the forefront of the presidential campaign after the issue lingered on the margins for months. Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Georgia Wednesday to see hard-hit areas, two days after Donald Trump criticized the federal response to the storm, which has killed at least 200 people in the Southeast—the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina...
  
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• Amazon's Indigenous People Hit by Record Forest Fires

  04-10-2024 08:26 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesThe world relies on the Amazon rainforest to absorb carbon, but forest fires mean the region is now emitting record amounts itself. More than 62,000 square kilometres have been burned this year already—an area bigger than countries like Sri Lanka or Costa Rica. "Today it is killing the plants," says Raimundinha Rodrigues Da Sousa, who runs the fire service for an indigenous Amazonian community, but "in a while it will be us."
  
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• "Conversion Therapy" Increases Risk of Mental Illness in LGBT People

  02-10-2024 09:50 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsBesides being useless in altering a person's sexuality or gender identity, so-called "conversion therapy" can greatly raise the odds that an LGBT person experiences mental health issues, new research finds. Questionnaires completed by over 4,400 LGBTQ+ Americans found that having undergone these bogus interventions was linked to higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal thoughts or attempts.
  
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• Trump Calls Harris "Mentally Impaired" But Speaks of Losing Election

  02-10-2024 09:42 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportRepublican presidential nominee Donald Trump escalated his personal attacks on his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, on Sunday by calling her "mentally impaired" while also saying she should be "impeached and prosecuted." At the same time, Mr. Trump acknowledged that he might lose the election in November, saying "If she wins, it's not going to be so pleasant for me, but I don't care."
  
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• McDonald's and Big Supermarkets Failed to Spot Slavery, BBC Finds

  02-10-2024 09:40 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: BBC News - Top HeadlinesSigns that modern slavery victims were being forced to work at a McDonald's branch and a factory supplying bread products to major supermarkets were missed for more than four years, the BBC has found. A gang forced 16 victims to work at either the fast-food restaurant or the factory. Well-established signs of slavery, including paying the wages of four men into one bank account, were missed while the victims were exploited.
  
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• California Governor Blocks Landmark AI Safety Bill

  01-10-2024 12:34 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: BBCNews - BusinessThe governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has blocked a landmark artificial intelligence safety bill that had faced strong opposition from large technology companies. The proposed legislation would have imposed some of the first regulations on AI in the U.S. Although Newsom expressed concern about losing jobs, the bill's sponsor, Scott Wiener, said the veto allows companies to keep developing "extremely powerful technology" without government...
  
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• The big idea: how to use your senses to help beat depression

  30-09-2024 13:30
  
  Our research suggests that it’s not sadness per se that leads to poor mental health, but shutting down input from the body. ‘Sense foraging’ offers a way out of the trapModern life seems designed to stop us from being alone with our thoughts and feelings. Our days are built from the bricks of work and play, mortared by media and intoxicants. It’s understandable: glimpses behind the curtain can be deeply uncomfortable. When we pause for a second, the mind too often gravita
  
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• I took a common sense test – and my result appalled me | Emma Beddington

  30-09-2024 12:00
  
  The worst bit was the maths. I’m 49 and haven’t worked out two-thirds of anything since 1992Common sense is not that common: a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania concludes the concept is “somewhat illusory”. Researchers collected statements from various sources that had been described as “common sense” and put them to test subjects. The mixed bag of results suggested there was “little evidence that more than a small fraction of beliefs is c
  
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• Repairing trust is an essential step in overcoming the trauma of betrayal – and so is commitment | Diane Young

  29-09-2024 17:00
  
  When trust is shattered, the emotional impact can be devastating. But despite the pain it can bring, it is still possible to rebuild and healThe modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their workBetrayal trauma can be an overwhelming experience that can leave deep emotional scars for years, if not a lifetime. Whether it occurs in romantic relationships, friendships or family dynamics, betrayal breaks the foundation of trust that holds relationships t
  
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• My father, a handful of spoons and his journey into dementia

  28-09-2024 16:00
  Looking through old cutlery was a safe haven for my dad after he became lost in ‘dementia land’The days are long in Dad’s house in the last year of his life. He is mostly asleep in a hospital bed in the corner of the room, while I sit quietly on the sofa hoping he sleeps a little longer. I sit watching him, worrying he’s stopped breathing, listening to the radio playing pop songs that transform the room into a time machine. “Catch a bright star and place it on your
  
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• Far Right Party with Nazi Roots Is on the Brink of Power in Austria

  28-09-2024 11:02 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthPolitics in a country of just 10 million people might not seem consequential. But that's not the case in Austria, where there's a good chance that Sunday's election will be won by a far-right party founded by former Nazis. Austria is birthplace of Adolf Hitler, and the current leader of its Freedom Party is known as the "People's Chancellor"—a term the Nazis used to describe Hitler. The party also has strong links with Russian President...
  
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• Study Reveals How Brain Cells Help Us Sense the Flow of Time

  26-09-2024 17:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Science Daily - Top HealthA landmark study has helped unravel one of the fundamental mysteries in neuroscience—how the human brain encodes and makes sense of the flow of time and experiences. The research, published in the journal Nature, directly recorded the activity of individual neurons in humans and found specific types of brain cells fired in a way that mostly mirrored the order and structure of a person's experience.
  
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• California to Apologize for State's Role in Slavery and Racism

  26-09-2024 17:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportCalifornia will formally apologize for slavery and its lingering effects on Black Americans in the state under a new law Governor Gavin Newsom signed Thursday. The legislation was part of a package of reparations bills introduced this year that seek to compensate for decades of policies that contributed to racial disparities for African Americans. Newsom also approved laws to improve protections against hair discrimination for athletes.
  
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• Thailand Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage with King's Signature

  25-09-2024 19:05 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsThailand's King Maha Vajiralonghorn signed a same-sex marriage bill into law late Tuesday, becoming the first nation in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex marriages. The new law, which will take effect on Jan. 22, grants same-sex couples adoption and heritage rights and users gender-neutral language to replace "men," "women," "wives" and "husbands." Thai public support for the law was 96.6% in a 2023 government survey.
  
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• FBI Report Shows Rise in Hate Crimes Against LGBTQ+ Community

  25-09-2024 19:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: United Press International - Health NewsA new FBI crime report shows the number of U.S. hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community increased in 2023. In its annual Crime in the Nation report, released Monday, the FBI recorded 2,402 incidents last year related to sexual orientation. That number is up from 1,947 incidents in 2022. All told, the report found that more than one in five U.S. hate crimes last year—and the year before—was motivated by bias against members of the LGB
  
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• Europe's Colonial Wrongs Still Fuel Racial Disparities, Report Concludes

  25-09-2024 19:04 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportRacial disparities in Europe cannot be fully resolved if legacies of colonialism and slavery are ignored, a report by a EU-wide network of anti-racism groups said Wednesday. The "Europe's Original Sin" report analyzed how six former colonial powers—Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain—used policies and laws that excluded certain racial groups, and how these historical wrongs continue to fuel racial disparities today.
  
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• A grey matter? Nature, nurture and the study of forming political leanings

  25-09-2024 08:00
  
  Researchers find minuscule difference in the amygdala – a region of the brain linked to threat perceptionWhere does our personal politics come from? Does it trace back to our childhood, the views that surround us, the circumstances we are raised in? Is it all about nurture – or does nature have a say through the subtle levers of DNA? And where, in all of this, is the brain?Scientists have delved seriously into the roots of political belief for the past 50 years, prompted by the rise
  
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• Most Americans Support Climate Reforms. Why Won't Congress Deliver?

  24-09-2024 09:02 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: CBS News - U.S. NewsMore than 60% of Americans say Congress should do more about climate change, but Congress is split. The Inflation Reduction Act, hailed as "the most significant climate action in U.S. history," passed in 2022 without a single Republican vote. Likewise, in 2023 Democrats voted for pro-environmental legislation more than 90% of the time, but Republicans did so less than 5% of the time. So, why won't Congress deliver what the American people want?
  
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• Feminist Leader Wendi Williams Elected APA President

  24-09-2024 09:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: APA Press ReleasesWendi Williams, provost of Fielding Graduate University, has been elected 2026 president of the American Psychological Association. A psychologist, advocate, and educator, Williams focuses her work on the inner lives of Black women and girls. Blending ideas from liberation psychology and feminist perspectives to guide her work, she is known for helping diverse women and girls thrive while pushing for meaningful change in organizations and...
  
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• Canadian Medical Association Apologizes to Indigenous Groups

  24-09-2024 09:01 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: ScienceThe Canadian Medical Association last week apologized to indigenous peoples in Canada—First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples—for the role it played in contributing to medical racism and research misconduct since its founding in 1867. The apology, presented at an emotional ceremony that included indigenous practices of song, dance, and saging, comes as Canadian organizations and the federal government are working to reconcile with...
  
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• From The Office to Breaking Bad: what is the neuroscience of chronic TV rewatching? | Anjum Naweed for the Conversation

  24-09-2024 06:41
  
  Encountering nostalgia is like autoloading and hitting play on past positive experiences, elevating desire and regulating moodGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHow often do you find yourself hitting “play” on an old favourite, reliving the same TV episodes you’ve seen before – or even know by heart?I’m a chronic rewatcher. Episodes of sitcoms such as Blackadder (1983–89), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–21), Doc Martin (2004–22) a
  
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• Do you strive to be in control of your life? It might be holding you back ...

  23-09-2024 12:00
  
  Beyond being in or out of control, there is an alternative – and it’s one of the building blocks to living wellMy family was recently taken down by a brutal stomach bug. It took us out one by one, and although nothing could be more predictable in a household with a child who has recently started nursery, the biblical brutality of the symptoms took me by surprise. I think I had better leave it at that.While I have recovered physically, I am still reeling from the psychological vulnera
  
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• Psilocybin Better Than Antidepressants for Overall Well-Being, Study Finds

  23-09-2024 09:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: Google News - HealthA study comparing psilocybin to the SSRI escitalopram found both drugs improved depressive symptoms similarly over six months, but psilocybin offered additional psychosocial benefits. Patients taking psilocybin reported a greater sense of meaning, psychological connectedness, and improved social functioning. These results suggest that psilocybin could provide a more holistic treatment option for depression, addressing both symptoms and overall...
  
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• How did ‘learned helplessness’ become commonly used to describe US voters?

  22-09-2024 17:00
  The psychology term is now a political expression as Americans across party lines report feeling powerless“Biden Is Trying to Jolt Us Out of Learned Helplessness About Trump,” read the headline of a New York Times op-ed in January, which argued that “[Donald] Trump’s exhausting provocations” were wearing out voters who saw opposing the former president’s re-election as a “doomed project”.Six months later, the mood was slightly more optimistic. Joe
  
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• I decided to spend a day as a dog. It was completely idyllic, at first ... | Emma Beddington

  22-09-2024 15:00
  
  Being human is so complicated – all that doubt, dread and self-loathing. Dogs have a much better time of it. But can I access their world of pure sensation?You know how sometimes you think you’ve had a brilliant idea, then it bites you in the bum like an athletic but mean jack russell? Suggesting I could “live like a dog for a day to see if they’re happier” turned out to be one of those.It seemed so promising. When I heard the title of the philosopher Mark Rowlands&
  
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• A stitch in time: why clothes are such vivid reminders of the life we’ve led

  22-09-2024 14:00
  
  What we wear tells the world who we are, but open any wardrobe and the clothes reveal deep memories of our true selvesOn my first birthday I was given a charm bracelet and over the years various friends and relations gave me little charms to put on it: a tiny tennis racket, a dog that looked a bit (but not very) like ours, a key for my 21st birthday. Once I earned my own money, I occasionally bought a charm and added it to the bracelet – and it slowly grew into a miniature record of my lif
  
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• AI Affecting 2024 Presidential Race, But Not in the Way Experts Feared

  21-09-2024 10:03 via socialpsychology.org
  Source: U.S. News and World ReportWith the 2024 election looming—the first since generative artificial intelligence became popular—experts feared the worst: social media flooded with AI-generated deepfakes that were so realistic, baffled voters wouldn't know what to believe. So far, that hasn't happened. Instead, what voters are seeing is far more absurd: A video of former President Donald Trump riding a cat while wielding an assault rifle. Still, even absurd memes can have...
  
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